Thoughts about pinstriped sport coats/blazers

[George]

Originally Posted by OttoSkadelig

ticket and hacking pockets and the other accoutrements that formerly communicated some degree of exclusivity / distinctiveness / quality (pick stitching being another) have by now been completely bastardized by downmarket brands as gimmicks to make their jackets stand out (the philosophy being, the more tricked-out the jacket, the more fashionable it is). i don't think ticket pockets are formal any longer. the H&M's and Zara's of the world have seen to that.
True, But should you really be bothered? If I want a ticket pocket or hacking pockets or both even I just get them U don't care what high street brand are doing because a well cut garment make you stand out from the crowd anyway.

 

[Dewey]

There was a huge thread about this previously with a lot of Manton. Two conclusions were there have always been pinstriped odd jackets, like it or not, and that stripes are for criminal.

Personally I think it's a rule like "no derbies with suits." You'd have to be a hobbyist to know it.

Whether or not these are reasons to wear them, or not wear them, or hate them, I don't know and won't pretend to say.

 

[Dewey]

Also no sport coat should look like an orphaned jacket, if it's your thing to not look like you are too poor to own both. Patch pockets, gold buttons, elbow patches, leather buttons, etc., there are a lot of details that have been used to distinguished a jacket as not part of a suit.

If you want to see some great striped jackets and suits, watch old movies, esp. old gangster movies. Stripes are always used to distinguish the criminal (yes they wore striped jumpsuits before the bright orange, so this was an obvious hint for an costume director). And also the tacky, the nouveau riche, and the young and clueless. And for sure few men of "taste" bought striped odd jackets in the second half of the twentieth century, unless they had a sense of humor and wanted something "loud." At some point the idea developed that stripes, and esp. muted ones, like pinstripes, only looked good in suits. And then it would be your fourth or fifth suit and you'd be a guy with that many suits (banker, lawyer, etc.) and your stripes would be muted. And still they put criminal bankers or moneymakers without morals into striped suits into 80s.

Nowadays a lot of striped odd jackets look like orphaned suit coats because they are orphaned suit coats. No patch pockets, no contrasting buttons, no elbow patches, and they are made of the same weight fabric as we find commonly on suits. Either they were purchased at a thrift store and had been part of a suit, or they are sold by someone like Target or Men's Wearhouse as "separates." It's not just the stripes that make them look like orphaned suit coats.

Really there's no good reason not to wear stripes if you like them. The fact that there is a pretty forgotten history to them is not going to affect the perception of you by the general public.

 

[OttoSkadelig]

Originally Posted by George

True,

But should you really be bothered? If I want a ticket pocket or hacking pockets or both even I just get them U don't care what high street brand are doing because a well cut garment make you stand out from the crowd anyway.

no, i'm not bothered. but i can't help being aware that they have become gimmicks. what i do try and do is avoid jackets that are overly tricked-out -- i.e., those with more flaps, apertures, and rivets than the wing of an A380.

i'm waiting for the next gimmick -- ticket patch pockets. you read it here first, people.

 

[Gus]

I own maybe 5 solid blue or navy blazer/odd jackets. How f*cking boring would it have been to buy yet another sold blue jacket. I like this for variety. I also get a lot of compliments on it. When was the last time you heard a compliment about your solid navy blazer?

Originally Posted by Wideknot

Still looks like an orphaned suit jacket to me.

There seems to me to be a continuum between casual and formal. I see separates leaning toward the casual end of that scale while the modern suit occupies the more formal one. In terms of cloth, linen trends towards the casual; in terms of style, things like besom pockets and ticket pockets trend towards the dressier. This linen jacket looks like it is trying to span the spectrum by using a casual fabric in a more formal style. To my eye, the fabric pattern and stylistic details of this jacket trump the cloth's fiber content. Because of that, it looks more suit-like than separate-like. Obviously, it works for some, I'm just not one. Thank God, it would be boring world if we all dressed the same. With patch pockets, lose the ticket pocket, and a chalk stripe as opposed to a pin stripe (though that really doesn't look like a pin stripe to my eyes) it might work better for me.

Originally Posted by aj_del

Would look better without the stripes. This is a great pictures inspite of the stripes not because of the stripes

 

[Gus]

Here is another example of an odd jacket in a flannel chalk stripe. It has leather elbow patches and ivory edged buttons that are very much non-suit looking. The first time I wore it around San Francisco I must have been stopped a dozen times and asked where I got it.

 

[SuitMyself]

Originally Posted by Cant kill da Rooster

http://www.uncrate.com/men/style/sui...ubicle-jacket/

I think this jacket works. I agree I have seen many "orphans" but there are exceptions.

FAIL. It looks like an orphaned jacket.

Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy

This is a blue linen jacket with cream colored white pants. It is not orphaned.

FAIL. This too, regardless of the contrasting white buttons, looks like an orphaned jacket.

Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy

Here is another example of an odd jacket in a flannel chalk stripe. It has leather elbow patches and ivory edged buttons that are very much non-suit looking. The first time I wore it around San Francisco I must have been stopped a dozen times and asked where I got it.

FAIL. It looks like an orphaned jacket. The stripes aren't prominent or bold enough. If, let's say, the stripes were 1/2" or 3/4" wide and those stripes were in a very eyecatching colour such as, say, yellow or pink, then yes, it will make the jacket look like an odd jacket. But, as it is, it looks like an orphaned jacket regardless of the elbow patches. Pinstriped jackets never quite look proper as odd jackets with the exception of regatta blazers.

 

[tom0472]

Here is another example of an odd jacket in a flannel chalk stripe. It has leather elbow patches and ivory edged buttons that are very much non-suit looking. The first time I wore it around San Francisco I must have been stopped a dozen times and asked where I got it.

Good look

 

[Ianiceman]

With the exception of a couple of boating blazers I have from Sherrys of London I'm almost 100% into solids but a few months ago saw a picture of Paul Simoonon of The Clash sporting obligatory fedora and a charcoal/black sports jacket with muted pinstripe that looked quite tasty and may break my anti stripe prejudice. Maybe just beacuse you know a fella like him is unlikely to be wearig a conservative patterned suit it didn't look like an orphaned jacket and we members of the public couldn't pull it off with the same Ã

lan but the end result was a good look.

 

[UserName60]

Do you think this jacket with the chalk stripes, elbow patches, and hacking pockets suceeds?
http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=184662

 

[HarleyBob]

I think this one succeeds. Whenever I see a striped jacket sans striped matching pants, I too think "orphaned" jacket. The vast majority of them just don't work for me. However, given the width between the stripes and the elbow patches, I think this one could work.

 

[SuitMyself]

Originally Posted by UserName60

Do you think this jacket with the chalk stripes, elbow patches, and hacking pockets suceeds?
http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=184662

Now that's better!

I'm loving this one!

 

[Bentley]

Originally Posted by UserName60

Do you think this jacket with the chalk stripes, elbow patches, and hacking pockets suceeds?
http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=184662

I'd give this one a thumbs up. I also like the linen jackets posted above...to me they work well.

 

[Bentley]

Originally Posted by UserName60

Do you think this jacket with the chalk stripes, elbow patches, and hacking pockets suceeds?
http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=184662

I like this one.

 

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by SuitMyself

FAIL. It looks like an orphaned jacket.
FAIL. This too, regardless of the contrasting white buttons, looks like an orphaned jacket.
FAIL.It looks like an orphaned jacket.

LOL your post is the failure. You think pocketsquare guy looks too poor to own both a suit and a sport coat? Otherwise what's the point about "orphaned suit jacket"? Why are you trying to so hard to insist that a jacket with contrasting white buttons looks like part of a suit? Pull your head out of your gentleman books and think before you try to humiliate someone with your bullshit.

Me, I like windowpane or plaid jackets for the one pattern in a blue shirt / chino / suede shoe casual look but his striped jackets look just as good.