Pleats: The SS14 Trend That's More Versatile Than You Think

Who hasn’t noticed that pleats are everywhere? And you’ll no doubt be happy to hear that there is a pleat for every occasion. Read our guide below to make sure you wear the right pleat at the right time.

1. Most items with pleats are skirts or dresses, and these tend to fall mid-length, which isn't always the most flattering of lengths. Keep it sexy and sassy with a heel or, if you're feeling bolder, edgy with an open toe pool slider and fluro nail polish.

2. Wide pleats are the pleat for the office. They tend to be made from a slightly heavier fabric so they hold their shape and are therefore less flippy and flirty. Try this beauty below from Alexander Wang.

3. Knife pleats are your go-to for evening and weekend action, much less formal and a lot more fun. We LOVE this beauty from Marks & Spencer.

4. Pleat maintanence - it's dry cleaning all the way, we're afraid. It's nigh on impossible to iron pleats back in, and let's face it, who wants to even bother wasting their time trying it?

5. Pleats are super-flattering for the petit among us, and it's a wider pleat that willl be even more forgiving. If you are wider around the waist look for a wide waist band (kinda obvious, no?), or for pleats that start low on the hips. Much more flattering.

6. What does one wear with pleats? A biker jacket for cool, a chunky cable knit jumper for juxtaposition and a blazer plus cami for the office. Done.

7. If you can find a metallic pleat, BUY IT! You’ll be ticking two SS14 trend boxes in one here - who doesn’t love a 2-for-1? Lots of metallics are coming through for AW14 too, so you’ll be a step ahead.

Got pleats sorted? Now it's time to nail spring jackets...