Is pick stitching considered less formal?

[HeyYouItsMike]

I love the look of pick stitching, but is it considered to be less formal than the normal look?

 

[stache]

IMO fine pick stitching can look formal as opposed to a longer stitch.

 

[dorian]

It can look ostentatious and, to me, rather off-putting. However, some of my suits have pick stitching, but it is hardly noticeable. It depends greatly, I think, on the style - if you will - of the pick stitching. For example, Etro suits often have garish pick stitching, where as Attolini suits have pick stitching that is neither garish nor ostentatious. Hmmm....

 

[Carlo]

My rule of thumb: If it is the first thing you noitice, it's wrong.

Whether it's pick stitching, lapels, pockets... anything that just jumps out and screams for attention on the suit is a mistake.

Dorian's point is an example - some suits have pronounced pick stitching (usually done by a machine for no reason other than ornamentation, sometimes even in a contrasting color). The pick stitching on Attolini is so fine and subtle that if you really look at it you think "WOW, somebody went blind sewing that thing" but it doesn't scream at you.

The first thing someone should notice about a really great suit is "Wow, Mike's looking really sharp today"