Pinstripe suit are words that are typically associated with business or corporate life. These have been decorated with very thin, parallel vertical stripes down the entire length of the suit.

These style of suits have traditionally be associated with business attire but the style has been incorporated into everyday wear for men or women in many different settings. A black or blue pinstripe suit are the typical colors used for these style of suits, although, a brown suit is an option. Currently, there is an evolution happening and there are more color options instead of the traditional black, blue or brown. If a designer can dream it up, it can be done.

History of the Pinstripe Suit

Pinstripe suit is a term that has been around for a long time and has never lost the sophistication associated with it. The history of this type of suit begins with the history of the suit in general. The suit itself started back in the 17th century with King Charles II. King Charles II introduced the vest to fashion in approximately 1666 and it was described as “a cassock close to the body, of black cloth and a coat over it”.

About two hundred years later, the trouser cuff was introduced because Prince Edward of Wales, supposedly, was out hunting in the mud, turned his pants up the wrong way, thus creating the trouser cuff. The jacket was a modern version of the coat worn by workers in the 1850s; the Prince of Wales started having his jackets designed using luxurious fabrics for special events. This contributed to the invention of the tuxedo which was named as an honor to Tuxedo Park.

The jacket was extremely functional in the beginning and meant solely for that purpose. Some of the functional elements of the jacket are; sleeves are set to sit high in the armpit for the rider to remain in a rein holding position comfortably, the lapels sit the way a riding coat would fall down when it was unbuttoned and the vents on the back of the jacket used to sit at the sides to make it easy for someone to grab their sword.

The Modern Pinstripe Suit

It might have brought a stuffier, corporate image to mind before now brings to mind whatever the imaginer associates it with. Wearing a black, blue or brown suit are not the only options in the fashion world today. Color combinations are abundant and are not relegated to the normal blue, black or brown pinstripe suit. More designers now are using colors like combinations such as a navy blue base with red pinstripes and a red lining. There are no limits now when it comes to the pinstripe suit.