Pinstripes - how bold?

[Edward]

I've recently been intrigued by the city boy suits I see with a very pronounced white chalkstripe to them. I nearly bought one as my beloved blue pinstripe suit has (after four years of hardy service - not bad for off the peg in Next!) finally gotten to the point where it really needs replaced (shiny... you know the drill. Well, it's wearable (the jacket more so) casually or any place you wouldn't want to damage a nice suit, but... Anyhow, I decided that I'd rather hold off and spend a little extra on something classy in a vintage style. How pronounced a pinstripe can I get away with for a 30s look - is the very bold stripe best left to the zoots?

 

[Alan Eardley]

<Snip> I decided that I'd rather hold off and spend a little extra on something classy in a vintage style. How pronounced a pinstripe can I get away with for a 30s look - is the very bold stripe best left to the zoots?

Edward,

You see a wide variety of pin-stripes in 30s cloth. Bold stripes are found often enough. Double stripes - often one bold and one fine - also appear quite frequently and are most appealling (IMO). The distinguishing feature of most pre-war suits is the quality and weight of the cloth. Even if you can find a similar stripe it is hard to find the right cloth.

Good luck, though!

Alan

 

[CharlieH.]

Just don't go too bold....

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

it works when you're Beetlejuice

 

[slicedbread]

hmm...Is it bad that i LOVE that jacket? Any idea as to the colors?

 

[CharlieH.]

hmm...Is it bad that i LOVE that jacket? Any idea as to the colors?

This jacket?

It's from Batman Returns. Christopher Walken had a killer wardrobe in it.

 

[Jovan]

The costumer in the first two Batmans had a thing for double breasteds on men. I kid you not, EVERY SINGLE MAN wears a double breasted in the first movie. In the second movie, not so much.

 

[Edward]

Edward,

You see a wide variety of pin-stripes in 30s cloth. Bold stripes are found often enough. Double stripes - often one bold and one fine - also appear quite frequently and are most appealling (IMO). The distinguishing feature of most pre-war suits is the quality and weight of the cloth. Even if you can find a similar stripe it is hard to find the right cloth.

Good luck, though!

Alan

Thanks! Yeah, I've got a huge pile of stuff i have to get off my ass and put on eBay - once that's gone, I'm planning to treat myself to a few things from Magnoli... suit first. I was gonig to go for a mid grey as that's not in my wardrobe, but my navy pinstripe is now really past its best, so I'm leaning that way instead. Course, once I have the money, the grey can come too....

 

[Orgetorix]

There were some pretty bold pinstripes around back in the '30s--probably the equal of anything that City boys wear today.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Bold stripes, fancy striipes, multi stripes. There are some great striped fabrics out there in the golden era. They did 'em all.

bk

 

[manton]

Not to get too picky here, but "pinstripe" refers to a specific design that by definition is not that bold. A really bold stripe would be a chalk stripe or a rope stripe. Chalk:

 

[Orgetorix]

Good point. What's the difference between a chalk stripe and a rope stripe?

And, speaking of ropes, why does one of your shoulders appear to have a roped sleevehead, and the other not?

 

[manton]

Good point. What's the difference between a chalk stripe and a rope stripe?

A rope stripe is a specific pattern of short diagonal lines that look like the braiding of a rope. A chalk stripe is a thick, solid, fuzzy stripe.

And, speaking of ropes, why does one of your shoulders appear to have a roped sleevehead, and the other not

Sloppy pressing.

 

[Edward]

Not to get too picky here, but "pinstripe" refers to a specific design that by definition is not that bold. A really bold stripe would be a chalk stripe or a rope stripe. Chalk:

Thanks for explaining that - I had wondered what the difference was. I'd thought that it was as you say, then somehow I got the notion I was wrong, then.... Thanks for clarifying! Chalkstripe it is I'm looking for, then. I like something at the level of what you post... the things that I am inclined to leave for the zoot are the really strong stripes that are that width but very, very bright white - almost to the point of having the same effect as the Batman jacket in the pictures above, though obviously not quite as thick. It's a look that can look fantastic, but imo not one that can be worn just anywhere the way a more traditional looking chalkstripe can, if I'm making sense!

 

[Jovan]

I can see how that'd work on some people, but I prefer a thinly spaced fine stripe myself, like the 9mm spaced fabric on Magnoli's website.

 

[NicolettaRose]

I for one love pinstripes--I guess it really depends on your profession, if you want to be traditional. I always thinking thin--banker, thicker-gangster really thick--jail uniform haha.

Does anyone remember that mentos commericals where the guy gets paint on his suit, and then rolls around on the bench to make his suit pinstripe? Haha classic.

 

[Edward]

I for one love pinstripes--I guess it really depends on your profession, if you want to be traditional. I always thinking thin--banker, thicker-gangster really thick--jail uniform haha.

lol

I guess I like the "Gangster gonig to see the bank manager" look.

 

[GoldLeaf]

I too, love pinstripes. When I was a kid, I called them "gangster" suits, and would make a "ratta-tat-tat" sound lol I kept asking my mom for a three-piece gangster suit, but I never did get one. I wonder why? [huh]

 

[mike]

...why does one of your shoulders appear to have a roped sleevehead, and the other not?

Are you referring to the bit of fabric that appears rolled up and then comes down to make the outer-upper part of the sleeve? I've seen that look to a much greater degree in classic films and photos and wasn't sure what this was called. It's called a roped sleevehead?

 

[Orgetorix]

Are you referring to the bit of fabric that appears rolled up and then comes down to make the outer-upper part of the sleeve? I've seen that look to a much greater degree in classic films and photos and wasn't sure what this was called. It's called a roped sleevehead?

Yep, the sleevehead is the upper part of the sleeve where it attaches to the coat body, and "rope" is the term for when it's slightly raised above the level of the shoulder line. Small amounts of rope can be achieved by pressing the inside seam allowance into the sleeve, and greater amounts usually involve a bit of wadding or padding sewn in.

An extreme example from a Japanese '30s-inspired suit by Hideki Okisaka: