What exactly is it about striped jackets that rules them out as sports coats?

[apropos]

I'm curious.

I keep reading here that pinstripes = no for sports coats, but have never really found a reason 'why'. The most often cited reason is that 'they look like orphaned suit coats'.

I mean, many sport coats are in solid colours, and many suits come with linings in interesting/contrasting colours. Nearly every sports coat out there could be part of a suit, and as evidenced by the blazer-suit, so can blazers.

Anyone?

 

[mack11211]

The rule is now quite blurred.

No longer a rule, really.

 

[bluemagic]

I personally don't like the look because the stripes stop at your midsection. It's kind of jarring.

 

[yo!]

It it is some sorta crazy then you will be fine.

mmm, look at them patch pockets.

 

[DocHolliday]

You see a lot of pinstriped sportcoats in Express and other such shops these days. But I still don't understand the appeal.

Sportcoats are meant to be fairly casual. They should have texture and visual interest and detailing that sets them apart from a suit coat -- that's one reason a blazer traditionally has gold buttons. A plain worsted fine pinstripe lacks that. It's a business-y pattern, not a fun one. I'm a traditionalist, admittedly, but nearly all pinstriped odd jackets do look like orphaned suit coats to me. I'm not a fan of pinstriped odd trou either, but I've seen them put to good use with sweaters and the like. I can recall only one recent instance when I liked a pinstriped coat worn as an odd jacket, and even then I was almost certain it was from a suit.

Historically, I imagine that the wall separating sportcoats and suit coats was fortified by the desire to show you could afford coats specifically for casual purposes, then later reinforced by the desire to show you knew the difference. Today, the wall has crumbled a bit, but I'm not ready to tear it down yet.

 

[DocHolliday]

Originally Posted by yo!

mmm, look at them patch pockets.

The tailor lined up the stripes that way on purpose, I'm sure. More elegant than the traditional fashion.

 

[Sator]

By its proper definition, a blazer should be a brightly colour sports coat, often in team or school colours. They are commonly striped. A plain solid navy odd coat should not strictly speaking be called a blazer whether it be single or double breasted, although arguably if worn with a patch indicating a school or sports club, it may still qualify as such. These are blazers:

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

You see a lot of pinstriped sportcoats in Express and other such shops these days. But I still don't understand the appeal.

Sportcoats are meant to be fairly casual. They should have texture and visual interest and detailing that sets them apart from a suit coat -- that's one reason a blazer traditionally has gold buttons. A plain worsted fine pinstripe lacks that. It's a business-y pattern, not a fun one. I'm a traditionalist, admittedly, but nearly all pinstriped odd jackets do look like orphaned suit coats to me. I'm not a fan of pinstriped odd trou either, but I've seen them put to good use with sweaters and the like. I can recall only one recent instance when I liked a pinstriped coat worn as an odd jacket, and even then I was almost certain it was from a suit.

Historically, I imagine that the wall separating sportcoats and suit coats was fortified by the desire to show you could afford coats specifically for casual purposes, then later reinforced by the desire to show you knew the difference. Today, the wall has crumbled a bit, but I'm not ready to tear it down yet.
I share the same view. Whenever I see a striped sport coat or pant worn separately, my first reaction is that it's an orphaned suit jacket or pant.

 

[Dewey]

I think you are asking about pinstripes, esp. light pinstripes on charcoal or navy. Loud stripes have always been fine for odd jackets. Here is why pinstripes were/are forbidden for sportcoats.

1. Pinstriped odd pants were once common. They were worn with solid charcoal or black jackets.

2. Dinner jackets and black tie were often worn as casual and formal evening wear.

3. Striped (pinstripes and other not-so-loud stripes) suits were common in the urban workplace.

4. Striped suits were not worn in the evening as casual or formal evening wear.

5. A lot of modern sportcoat styles are descended from hardy country jackets for hardy country sports such as shooting things and riding horses. These coats were not made in urban suiting fabrics such as charcoal with pinstripes. No one has ever done "sports" in a jacket made with charcoal pinstriped urban suiting fabric.

6. Striped suit is for criminal. I had to slip that in.

7. There was no demand for pinstriped sportcoats until recently.

8. There has been a steady demand for striped suits to wear in the day & especially in the urban workplace.

9. A suit often expires when the pants are irreparably worn or damaged. It is much easier to wear out pants. A lot of suit jackets are orphaned. Other second-hand suit jackets are separated from their pants in the Goodwill. There are a lot of orphaned suit jackets. Many are from pinstriped suits.

10. Most of the pinstriped odd jackets you have seen on people have been orphaned suit coats, until recently. They are cheap and easy to get. No serious men's clothing store sold pinstriped sportcoats because there was no demand for them.

11. Most men who dress with some regard for tradition recognize that pinstriped sportcoats are a novelty item. So it is easy to scorn the pinstriped odd jacket when you learn this.

If you want to wear a pinstriped odd jacket, more power to you. It's going to look better than a hoodie.