Pinstripe jacket or pants only?

sygyzy · Jul 7, 2006

Is it ok to wear a pair of pinstriped pants with a non-striped jacket? Or vice versa?

kitonbrioni · Jul 7, 2006

While so may consider it usual, there's no reason why a pin-stripe item can't be part of an interesting outfit.

lawyerdad · Jul 7, 2006

My only caution would be to be sure that the colors of the jacket and trousers are sufficiently different to avoid looking like they're simply mismatched. E.G., no charcoal pinstripe jacket with solid black pants, etc. Purely as a matter of personal preference I eschew pinstriped odd jackets, but I do have some pinstriped odd trousers that I like.

skalogre · Jul 7, 2006

I have a few pinstriped trousers from (insert bemusement/embarassment smiley) Express. I wear them relatively often as they are relatively slim and cheap enough where spilt coctails will not throw me in to pure hysteria over stains...

sygyzy · Jul 7, 2006

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

My only caution would be to be sure that the colors of the jacket and trousers are sufficiently different to avoid looking like they're simply mismatched. E.G., no charcoal pinstripe jacket with solid black pants, etc. Purely as a matter of personal preference I eschew pinstriped odd jackets, but I do have some pinstriped odd trousers that I like.

So you are saying don't even try to match them? Make them totally different so people know you are purposely going for that look? What would be an example you could give me, lawyerdad?

lawyerdad · Jul 7, 2006

Originally Posted by sygyzy

So you are saying don't even try to match them? Make them totally different so people know you are purposely going for that look? What would be an example you could give me, lawyerdad?
Yes, you've nailed my approach exactly. For example, blue pinstripe trousers and a light tan jacket. Light grey pinstripe trousers, navy jacket.
Again, this is jmho, obviously. Personally, I definitely would want them to be different enough that nobody would believe I had simply mismatched them - possibly just my overcompensating for the fact that I'm entirely capable of leaving the house in a mismatched outfit if I try to dress myself before my first caffeine injection.

sygyzy · Jul 7, 2006

Are you under the impression that it only works on one direction? For example. I have a friend who was said he wears pinstriped jackets with solid pants all the time but never the other way around.

lawyerdad · Jul 7, 2006

Originally Posted by sygyzy

Are you under the impression that it only works on one direction? For example. I have a friend who was he wears pinstriped jackets with solid pants all the time but never the other way around.
No, I'm sure it works both directions. Not wearing striped odd jackets is purely a personal preference - to my eye, it's hard to find one that doesn't look like an orphaned suit coat. It could have something to do with the fact that I wear pinstriped suits fairly often, and so my eye is "trained" to expect the matching pants. Or maybe I suffered some deeply repressed trauma involving a striped jacket in my formative years.
But it's a look plenty of folks pull off perfectly well.

sygyzy · Jul 7, 2006

Thanks for your help. In case you are curious, many of my items are orphaned from suits or just purchased on sale where the matching piece was not offered. Oh well, they are still nice!

Margaret · Jul 7, 2006

In my experience, orphaned suit jackets -- be they striped or solid -- usually give themselves away as being exactly that. It's often a different silhouette and/or length than you'd expect from a sportcoat. It works as a funky casual look on some people, I guess, but I agree with the advice that it be paired with a jacket/pants that is a significant contrast.

sygyzy · Jul 7, 2006

Well they aren't really suit jackets. They are labeled as blazers or sport coats. Is there a difference between those and suit jackets?

Margaret · Jul 7, 2006

Originally Posted by sygyzy

Well they aren't really suit jackets. They are labeled as blazers or sport coats. Is there a difference between those and suit jackets?

Oh, I guess I was reading too much into the post immediately preceding mine. If they're designed as separates, then I suppose so much the better. Probably still intended for a funky casual look, though, and probably best not paired with competing stripes. In my opinion. But I'm an old fart.

sygyzy · Jul 7, 2006

Originally Posted by Margaret

Oh, I guess I was reading too much into the post immediately preceding mine. If they're designed as separates, then I suppose so much the better. Probably still intended for a funky casual look, though, and probably best not paired with competing stripes. In my opinion. But I'm an old fart.

What are competing stripes? Like wearing stripes top and bottom but they don't match? One wider than the other.

dah328 · Jul 7, 2006

No offense, but I think it's a horrible look.

thinman · Jul 7, 2006

How about matching jacket/trouser color to the color of the stripes in the trousers/jacket? Anyone tried that?

IIRC, women seem to wear striped jackets or trousers frequently. How do they coordinate?

Pinstripe jacket or pants only?

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