A Man’s Guide to the Pinstripe Suit

To any man, a suit is the most important asset in his wardrobe. He choose it carefully, he cares for it like gold and he wears it with pride.

One of the things no man wants is to look like the next guy. If he’s at a wedding or at a business meeting,this can happen a lot. That’s why a pinstripe suit will shield you away from that boring (yet classic) James Bond look and take you to the realm of fashion conscious men. Let’s leave mr. Bond’s solid suits for a moment and find you a suit that will make you stand out.

What are pinstripes?

Pinstripes are nothing more than a pattern of very thin stripes, commonly found on suits. Such suits used to be considered too formal to be worn outside business meetings and 9-to-5 jobs. However, leading designers soon realized they can make this pattern work for a wider range of social situations… So they started to include pinstripe suits more and more in their collections.

The stripes are more or less visible from a distance, depending on the contrast they make with the suit’s color.

Why pinstripes?

Because it’s a great way to stand out. Sure, you can choose a good suit color that complements your skin tone, you can wear a great shirt, tie and pocket square with it.

Pinstripes are yet another way to show some class. Not only that but it’s the #1 way to look taller. Stripes are great to gain a few inches in height(or at least to fool the viewer’s eyes). The pinstripes are present on both on the suit’s jacket and pants so the effect is that much more powerful. 😉

If I could describe the pinstripe suit with one word, that would be… authoritative. So, if you feel this is you or this is what you want to project, the pinstripe suit is definitely for you.

When can you wear a pinstripe suit?

Pinstripe suits are suitable for a wide array of occasions. Wear them at…

• weddings
• business meetings
• formal dinners
• restaurants, at special occasions

Do NOT wear pinstripe suits in…

• bars and clubs
• with your beer buddies if you’re out to watch a sports game (this is obvious but worth mentioning anyway)
• on dates (usually this is not a great idea because dates are suppose to be fun. Suits should only be worn at events that show some level of formality.)

Of course, you should also consider what other people are wearing when deciding to go for a pinstripe suit or not. If you’re going to a restaurant dinner between friends and family and everyone is dressed really casual, then you’re probably better off with chinos and a sports jacket.

I know style is individual and that you shouldn’t care what other people are wearing too much…

BUT:

If everyone’s wearing t-shirts and you’re the only one in a suit, that’s going to be a little weird, isn’t it? Always remember to adjust your degree of formality to what your peers will be wearing.

A few pictures

Let’s start off with 50 cent wearing a grey suit with white pinstripes. As you can see, his suit complements his dark skin very well.

And here’s a designer suit by Ermengildo Zegna:

And another by Laurence David:

photo: ldcustomapparel.com

How to match pinstripes (this is a biggie)

Did you look closely at the pictures above? If you haven’t, you missed out on the biggest secret when it comes to pinstripes. Trust me, 99,9999% of men out there have no clue about it.

The big secret is to match the pinstripes to your shirt. Please take a moment to review the above pictures and take a closer look.

Interesting, right? 😉