While a black pinstripe suit used to be one of the most popular options for formal occasions around a decade back, it was quickly forgotten when some of the other types of professional suiting options took over.
However, it returned stronger than ever a few years back, and it has been the most versatile and flexible it has ever been after its comeback.
So let’s find out what a black pinstripe suit is all about and the different features pinstripe suits bring to the table in general.
What Exactly is a Pinstripe Suit?
Before we delve deeper into discussing a “black” pinstripe suit, let’s quickly understand what a pinstripe suit exactly is and how it differs from the traditional or classic suits.
A pinstripe suit is basically a suit with very neat linings, with some of the important factors being the way they are designed, their thickness, as well as even how far the stripes are from one another.
The pinstripes are actually pretty uniquely designed, with the typical thickness being just around 1/30th of an inch. It makes them look as if they are only designed to make markings on the fabric.
However, pinstripes are only made using single warp yarn, and they are designed in a way as to ensure continuity in the pattern.
Another unique feature of pinstripes is that they can be really close to one another, with the lower end of the distance being just around 1/10th of an inch. However, the higher end of the range is typically around an inch.
All said and done however, a black pinstripe suit is not to be mistaken for a chalk stripe suit, which is a slightly different, less popular version of a pinstripe suit with different dimensions.
Much More Versatile and Flexible
As we mentioned above, a black pinstripe suit can be a much more flexible and versatile option than the typical classic black suit. It’s something that would serve you well for your usual 9-5, while also being a great choice for your evening events.
Can you expect a typical black business suit to offer this kind of versatility? Most likely not!
Needless to add, pinstripe suits are a more modern concept, so they are also much easier to stand out in. As for a typical black suit, regardless of your other style elements, it may just not allow you to have any unique feel to your style.
Modern Take on a Classic Style
A black pinstripe suit is still a pinstripe suit, but it’s not another black suit with a classic look.
Now, there’s probably nothing wrong with the classic look of a black suit, but it’s just that it can quickly get pretty boring. This is especially considering that there are not many alternatives, and going with most other colors is far from an option.
A black pinstripe suit allows you to get the best of both worlds as it comes in a modern look and feel, but doesn’t get too far off from a traditional black suit. So you can wear it pretty much everywhere you would wear a black suit, but it would just get much easier to stand out and make an impression.
New Styles
It’s also worth noting that many pinstripe suits today come in different styles that didn’t exist back in the day. In fact, back then, pinstripe suits – especially a black pinstripe suit – was popular only among professionals in the finance industry.
However, things have changed significantly after they went out of style and made a comeback recently. They now come in many different styles, and if you pick a black pinstripe suit that comes with just the right amount of versatility and style, then you will probably find it a much better option than the traditional, classic black suit.
They are still preferred by finance, law and business professionals, but they are now a much more versatile, flexible option than they used to be in the past.
What to Wear and What to Avoid with a Black Pinstripe Suit?
First things first, pinstripe suits are one of the more modern type of patterned suits. And when it comes to any type of patterned suit, you have to be careful about what you wear with it, simply because it’s easy to mess up your look while just trying to enhance it.
One of the most important things to keep in mind is also any vertical stripe on your shirt, tie or even shoes. While any vertical stripes are best avoided, you would certainly not want to wear something with a completely different type of vertical stripe than your pinstripe suit.
Another simple but effective way of ensuring a great pinstripe look is to wear a shirt that’s the same color as the stripe of your suit. A black pinstripe suit typically comes with white stripes, so a white shirt is the most common, natural choice with a pinstripe suit.
While some men do try to experiment in this area, they usually end up with a look that’s a bit too complicated.
The tie is one of the few areas where you have much more flexibility. However, many men still mess it up by going for a striped tie, which can often be a hit or miss, more often the latter than the former.
Instead, our recommendation is to go with something that comes in a solid color that matches the overall look of the suit, without being distracting like a striped tie. A polka dot print tie wouldn’t be a bad option either, although you will need to make sure you don’t go too crazy with it.
A Final Word
Finally, we would like to tell you that you can decide whether your black pinstripe suit has a more formal or casual feel. This is because it would primarily come down to the distance between the stripes of your suit.
If the distance is too short between the stripes, it will be a typical formal suit. However, if the distance is more significant, then it could be used just as comfortably as a casual suit.
