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Pinstripe or chalkstripe?

epa

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I have doubts concerning the difference between pin-stripe and chalk-stripe. Yes, I have searched this forum but I have not found any clear explanation. Could anyone, please, help me out?
(I am sorry for asking something that is probably obvious for 99.99% of you).
Thanks in advance!
 

Manton

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Chalk stripe: thick and fuzzy; found mostly on flannels and unfinished worsteds. There is a religious dispute about whether any stripe, no matter how thick, on a clear cut worsted can properly be considered a chalk. I say "no," fuzziness is part of the deal.

Pin stripe: thin; defined and distinct, not fuzzy; found on smooth worsteds.
 

Teacher

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Originally Posted by Manton
Chalk stripe: thick and fuzzy; found mostly on flannels and unfinished worsteds. There is a religious dispute about whether any stripe, no matter how thick, on a clear cut worsted can properly be considered a chalk. I say "no," fuzziness is part of the deal.

Pin stripe: thin; defined and distinct, not fuzzy; found on smooth worsteds.


manton brings up a good point here. The idea is that chalk itself would leave a heavy, fuzzy line. A thicker distinct line on worsteds is something I'd call "pencil stripe," though I've also heard the term "banner stripe," which may refer to even thicker stripes (and I don't think I'd want to wear something that thick).
 

lasbar

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The Oldest debate between bankers!!!! Chalk or Pinstripes....
I really like Chalk thick and fuzzy stripes but only on somebody else....
Like the infamous or famous Polo suit , i find them elegant ,sharp ,interesting ,refreshing but also challenging and a little bit Etonish!!!
In one word ,not really my cup of tea...i'm more a coffee man in that case....
Canali and Zegna are offering lovely pinstripes with lovely strong tones (chocolate ,grey ,black,etc...)....
The only thing i do really scream at is people mixing pinstripes or chalk with stripes shirts or ties....
I do like Mondrian but there is a limit with the geometrical theme!!!!!!!
 

epa

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Thank you! I now see that what I believed was a chalk-stripe suit is rather a pin-sripe one; the pin-stripes are not very thin and are actually more prominent in the middle and a bit less prominent at the sides, but I do not think that they are fuzzy enough to be considered chalk-stripes. And the cloth is worsted, I think, not flannel.
Well, this makes me think I should get myself a chalk-striped flannel suit. However, I already exceeded by clothing budget for this year, so it will have to wait.
Thanks!
 

hossoso

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epa, is that dog in your avatar yours? I love strange looking dogs, that one looks like a fine specimen. What breed is it? It looks small and defiant, just the way I like them! Little Napoleons...always amusing.
 

epa

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Well, he is mine (or rather, my wife's). He is actually a rather nice dog; I will send you a photo to your private mail, if I find it. I guess that he has a bit of most races (although some say he is substantially a Portuguese podenco)!
Actually, we were just supposed to keep him for a week or so. He had been abandoned (like a lot of dogs here in Spain), had spent almost a year in the cages of some kind of public dog kennel where he was just given enough food to survive (he was in a lousy state whe he got out, the feet burnt by the stuff they use to clean the floors of the cages, the fur in a horrible state, the tail broken at several places; he has also a bed leg and a blind eye -the one you see in the photo is the one he sees with!-). An association for help to animals got him out of the kennel just before they were supposed to sacrifice him, and we were supposed to have him until someone adopted him. Now, he is such a nice dog that we have kept him (and another one that arrived later).
He may be a silly avatar for this forum, but I guess that I felt that his "scruffy" style could be a nice contrast to all the elegance that impregnates this forum (something like the fly that the painter used to add to a nice Stilleben).
Regards,
 

hossoso

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I love the avatar. It is so good of you to keep him! I have been involved in canine rescues/adoptions in the US, Argentina and Korea. Dogs are my favorite, so passionate and regal! I think a bad eye and lame leg add a lot of character, I feel bad for your dog but I also find those qualities endearing. This is a style forum so I will stop professing my love for canines but I am happy you took that one into your home.
 

billiebob

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There is a black pencil stripe Polo suit on eBay here. Quite bold. Definitely not job interview material.

http://tinyurl.com/y6k9k8

Here's a flannel chalk stripe suit from Polo
http://tinyurl.com/y5fmd8

No affiliation with seller, etc.

I have the charcoal pencil stripe version of the first one. It's less extreme than the black pencil stripe, but still stands out.
 

MrSmith2U

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Originally Posted by lasbar
The Oldest debate between bankers!!!! Chalk or Pinstripes....
!


Quite.
Personally: chalkstripe only on a Monday, to put the wind up the secretaries.
 

dirk diggler

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Originally Posted by billiebob
There is a black pencil stripe Polo suit on eBay here. Quite bold. Definitely not job interview material.

http://tinyurl.com/y6k9k8

Here's a flannel chalk stripe suit from Polo
http://tinyurl.com/y5fmd8

No affiliation with seller, etc.

I have the charcoal pencil stripe version of the first one. It's less extreme than the black pencil stripe, but still stands out.


I have a MTM in black just like that polo! I like to wear it to church with a colorful bowtie
 

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