There are many ways to exude elegance and boldness but when it is done via a pinstripe suit it is totally a new experience for the man who is wearing it and for those who are all eyes.
Worn by a specific group of professionals, the bankers, pinstripes became characteristic pattern for the financiers, and the associated business people, and remained so until celebrities like Cary Grant donned them in public which inspired fashion forwards to incorporate pinstripe suit into their business formal wardrobe.
So the question is when should a man add pinstripe suit to his wardrobe or which order should it take? Traditionally solid black, solid navy and solid grey are regular colours to wear at business and other formal occasions and you should not own a pinstripe suit before you have these vital suits in the collection.
By the way, for a dashing man stripes are a clever tool to steal limelight among all other men wearing solid formal suits. Stripes not only stand out clearly but announce something special about you, a sense of styling clothes.
In general navy and grey fabrics with white pinstripes are top choices for a modern man.
Pinstripes Or Chalk Stripes
Stripes are highly effective in changing the appearance, especially the way you appear. In case of a pinstripe suit fabric, it is a geometric arrangement of vertical lines running parallel to each other, with a width of nearly 1mm. distance between the lines decide the formality of the suit; nearer the lines, higher the formality.
As an alternative, chalk stripes are a slightly different version, resembling lines drawn by a tailor’s chalk, hence the name. These are continuous lines wider than their counterpart.
A closer scrutiny discloses that pin stripe is not a continuous line but with a constant gap of a thread between successive dots.
Visual Impact Of Pinstripes
Vertical lines tend to offer streamlined silhouette to its wearer, better than a solid colour suit. It also gives an illusion of a taller man than the actual height of the person.
With wider gap between stripes a slim man can achieve more proportional frame, but, simultaneously loses formality with the fabric shifting towards casual side. Contrarily when the stripes are close enough, less than 10mm, the pinstripe suit strictly becomes business class.
What To Wear With Pinstripe Suit
While pinstripes can be bold and dramatic it can make you look out of place if not combined with a right shirt colour, white and blues. As a recommendation, to avoid clashing of patterns avoid stripes in shirts. Go with solid colour shirts to harmonize the outfit. White and blue are elegant choice to pair with pinstripe suit. These universal colours suit all classes of men.
Even if you think of mixing striped shirt, pay attention to scale and gap between lines.
Accessorizing Pinstripe Suit
Just like shirts, be cautious with neckties and pocket squares. Don’t wear tie pattern that closely matches with pinstripe suits. For a failsafe and impeccable style go with contrasting patterns, dotted ties are best options to strike a balance in all pieces while maintaining elegance, or just no-pattern to rid of doubt. With regard to colour, navy, brown, red and grey shades fit in any context.
Widely spaced striped ties can look much better when you intend to coordinate a great outfit.
Key Points Before You Don A Pinstripe Suit
Whether you are a member of baseball team, a banker, a businessman or a regular guy looking for an upgrade of wardrobe, deciding on a particular pinstripe or chalk stripe is imperative.
Next, width and spacing between lines will determine to what degree you want to accentuate your suit.
Then a well-defined cut will ensure you look the part and have no flaws and blemishes. An ill fitted pinstripe suit will break your image at once, since the vertical lines need to fall in place and look consistent, any disruption will ruin the symmetry of the outfit.
Black Pinstripe Suit
Armed with stripes a classic black suit becomes fully functional and more dynamic than solid black. Striped black suit is a suave piece to level up the formality by enhancing visual appeal with geometry. The more fuel, the more power.
Prefer a dazzling white button-up shirt with back pinstripe suit for a guaranteed win-win appearance. But keep in mind, this is not a day-to-day look so save it for a special events and pair only black dress shoes.
How To Style Up Pinstripe Suit?
There will be occasions when you might need to be elaborately dressed. To stay ahead of peers you should consider some details; such as wearing a double breasted jacket which automatically raises style quotient. Next swapping notch lapel with peak lapel is an instant way of injecting high dose of formality into any outfit.
Match pinstripe suit with black ties and white pocket square with a decent square fold and you will be sporting a billionaire look.
How To Wear A Pinstripe Suit Casually?
Dressing down a pinstripe suit is no big deal. Just, basic arithmetic operations; addition, subtraction or substitution will dilute the striped suit to an informal dinner or business casual outfit.
You need to consider four things; stripes neckties, a button-down shirt and shoes.
Perhaps the most effective of all implements is the widening of spacing between stripes; it alters the nature of the suit to more casual.
Forgo a necktie, it’s a crucial element of any business suit, but omitting a tie is an immediate change from a hectic dress code to a very laidback one.
Wear a button-down shirt, perhaps, off white or a hue of grey will offset the formal nature of the suit.
Last but a game changer is the footwear. Lace-ups are dressier and boots are too casual. You need something middle-of-the-road, perhaps a loafer will do the job. Choose in a classic style ; penny or venetian.
