Pin Striped Suits

Men's Pinstripe Suits

A pinstripe suit is a suit cut from cloth woven with fine, closely spaced vertical stripes, usually in a lighter shade against a darker ground. The stripe is what gives the suit its name, its long history in business dress and the extra height it lends to whoever is wearing it.

Our pinstripe range runs to well over a hundred models, all cut slim, in a 36 to 50 chest. It splits into two families: double-breasted jackets, and single-breasted three-piece suits with a matching waistcoat. Navy leads, followed by grey and black, and then a run of colours you will not find in many pinstripe collections: cream, green, brown, burgundy and beige.

What is a pinstripe suit?

A pinstripe suit is made from a cloth with thin vertical lines woven into it, each stripe no wider than a pin, set a short and even distance apart. The stripes are sharp-edged and sit on a plain darker ground. Navy, grey and black are the classic grounds, and the stripe is most often white or pale grey.

The usual story ties the pattern to the banking houses of the City of London in the nineteenth century, and whether or not that is strictly true, the association with the office stuck. A pinstripe still reads as a working suit first. That is its strength, and it is also why the stripe needs a little handling at a wedding or a funeral, which we cover further down.

What is the difference between pinstripe and chalk stripe?

The width and the edge of the stripe. A pinstripe is a thin, crisp line, usually on a smooth worsted cloth. A chalk stripe is wider and softer-edged, like a line drawn in tailor's chalk, and it traditionally sits on a heavier flannel. Chalk stripes are also spaced further apart than pinstripes.

In practice the two are worn the same way and to the same places. The chalk stripe is the more relaxed of the pair and suits winter better because of its cloth. The pinstripe is the sharper, year-round option, and it is the one this collection is built around.

Choosing your pinstripe suit

Double-breasted or three-piece?

Choose double-breasted if you want the stripe to do as much as possible: the wide peak lapels and the buttoned front give the vertical lines a broad canvas, and no waistcoat is needed. Choose a three-piece if you prefer a single-breasted jacket you can wear open, with a waistcoat keeping the look complete underneath.

Our double-breasted pinstripes are the larger of the two groups, and a number of them are finished with gold buttons for anyone who wants the suit to make more of an entrance. The construction is the same one that runs through our double breasted suits. Worn buttoned while you are standing, a double-breasted pinstripe is about as much authority as a suit can carry without a chalk stripe and a cigar.

The three-piece models are single-breasted with a matching waistcoat, and they are the better choice if you will be taking the jacket off during the day. The stripe on the waistcoat keeps the outfit whole once the jacket is on the back of a chair. The wider three-piece range, in plain cloth and other patterns, sits in our three piece suits collection.

Most of the range carries a peak lapel, with a smaller group on a notch lapel. Every model is fully lined, cut from a premium wool blend with a little stretch in it, and the trousers are flat-fronted.

Classic colours: navy, grey and black

Navy pinstripe is the one to own first. It is the most versatile of the three, it works with brown shoes as well as black, and it is what most people picture when they hear the word pinstripe. Navy is the largest group in our collection for that reason, and if you want to see the ground colour without the stripe, the rest of our navy and blue suits sit alongside it.

Grey pinstripe is the daytime specialist. A mid or charcoal grey with a fine stripe is the most office-ready suit there is, and it photographs well in daylight, which is why it turns up at so many spring and summer weddings. Black pinstripe is the sharpest and the most evening-friendly of the three. It is a strong look, so keep the shirt plain and the tie dark, and let the stripe carry it.

Beyond the classics: cream, green, brown and burgundy

This is where our pinstripe range separates from most others. Cream pinstripe is a summer and destination-wedding suit, and it wears best with tan shoes and an open collar. Green pinstripe, in both double-breasted and three-piece cuts, has become one of our most distinctive styles and suits a groom or a guest who wants something nobody else in the room will be wearing.

Brown and burgundy pinstripes are autumn suits, warmer in tone and easier on the eye than their reputation suggests. A small run of beige models rounds off the range for the warmer months. None of these is an office suit in the traditional sense, and that is the point: they take a business pattern and move it somewhere it is not expected.

When should you wear a pinstripe suit?

Wear a pinstripe suit to the office, to a business event, to a race day and to most weddings as a guest. It is a formal suit with a business character, so it fits any occasion where a plain dark suit would be correct. Keep it out of black tie events, where a tuxedo is expected instead.

The office is the natural home. A navy or grey pinstripe is as safe as suits get in law, finance, property and any other field where tailoring is still expected at work. In more relaxed workplaces the stripe can look like too much effort, and a plain suit will blend in better.

Can you wear a pinstripe suit to a wedding?

Yes. A pinstripe suit is a good choice for a wedding guest, and a navy or grey pinstripe will not look out of place at any daytime ceremony. Grooms tend to choose plain cloth, but a pinstripe in green, cream or grey works well for a groom who wants a suit with more character.

Two things to keep in mind. First, the stripe already gives the outfit a pattern, so keep the shirt, tie and pocket square plain. Second, a black pinstripe reads as a business suit at a daytime wedding; save it for an evening reception or choose navy or grey instead.

Is a pinstripe suit right for an interview or a funeral?

For an interview, yes in a conservative field and probably not elsewhere. A navy or charcoal pinstripe suits law, finance and consultancy, where the pattern signals that you understand the dress code. For a funeral, a dark pinstripe with a fine, quiet stripe is acceptable, but a plain black or charcoal suit is the safer choice.

The test for both is how much the stripe shows. A faint white line on navy or charcoal will pass almost anywhere. A bold stripe on black is a statement, and neither an interview panel nor a funeral is the place for one.

How to wear a pinstripe suit

The pinstripe is the pattern, so everything else stays plain. That single rule settles most of the decisions.

The shirt. A plain white shirt is the classic answer and the one that works with every colour in the range. Pale blue is the second choice and sits particularly well under navy and grey. A striped or checked shirt fights the stripe on the suit; if you must mix patterns, the two must be clearly different in scale.

The tie. A plain silk tie in a dark colour, or one with a small, tight pattern such as dots or neat repeats. A striped tie against a pinstripe suit is the one combination worth avoiding. Our silk blend ties cover the plain and small-pattern end of that brief. Pick up one colour from the shirt or the stripe rather than introducing a new one.

Shoes. Black Oxfords are the safe pairing with grey and black pinstripes. With navy, a dark brown Oxford or Derby is at least as good and slightly less formal. Tan shoes belong with the cream and beige suits. Whatever the colour, the shoes should be polished; a pinstripe is a sharp suit and scuffed shoes undo it.

The pocket square. White, folded flat, is never wrong. If you want colour, keep it to one shade and keep it quiet.

Jacket and trousers. Keep them together. A stripe is far harder to split than a plain cloth, so treat the suit as a single piece.

Fit and sizing

Every pinstripe in the range is a slim fit and runs from a 36 to a 50 chest in UK and US sizing. Fit the shoulders and the chest first, because those are the two things a tailor cannot easily change; sleeve and trouser length are quick alterations. The stripes give you a useful check of their own: when the jacket fits, they run straight down the body, and if they bow outwards at the button, the jacket is a size too small.

Between sizes, our men's suit size charts will settle it.

Frequently asked questions

What does a pinstripe suit say about you?

It says you mean business. The pinstripe has been the suit of the City, the boardroom and the courtroom for over a century, and it still carries that authority. In navy or grey with a plain shirt, it reads as confident and traditional. In green, cream or burgundy it says you know the rules and have chosen to enjoy them.

What colour shirt should you wear with a pinstripe suit?

White, first and always. A plain white shirt works with every pinstripe colour, from navy through to cream, and it lets the stripe do the talking. Pale blue is the second choice and pairs particularly well with navy and grey pinstripes. Whatever the colour, keep the shirt plain; a patterned shirt competes with the stripe.

Are pinstripe suits still in fashion?

Yes. The pinstripe has never left the office, and it has moved back onto the wedding and evening circuit in double-breasted cuts and in colours beyond navy and grey. What has changed is the styling: a plain shirt and a knitted or slim tie, or no tie at all, rather than the wide-collar look of the past.

Can you wear a pinstripe suit to a funeral?

You can, provided the ground is dark and the stripe is faint. A navy or charcoal pinstripe with a fine, quiet line is worn to funerals across Britain without anyone thinking twice. A plain black or charcoal suit remains the safer choice if you are unsure of the family, and a bold or pale stripe is best left at home.

Can you wear a striped shirt with a pinstripe suit?

It is best avoided. Two sets of stripes at different spacings pull against each other, and the result looks busy rather than sharp. If you want to try it, the shirt stripe must be clearly bolder or clearly finer than the suit stripe, never close to it. A plain white or pale blue shirt is the better answer.

Should the jacket and trousers of a pinstripe suit match?

Yes. A pinstripe suit is designed to be worn as one piece, and splitting it rarely works. The jacket over plain trousers looks like a suit jacket that has lost its other half, and the trousers alone look unfinished. If you want a striped jacket to wear separately, a blazer in a bolder stripe does the job better.