How to Wear Pinstripes Casually

You mainly see pinstripes on suits, not in casual wear. Pinstripes instantly bring a touch of old-world sharpness to your outfit, so they are most suited to the formal gear you see in old black and white movies. But, don?t let that stop you from sneaking pinstripes into your casual wardrobe.

Pinstripe shirt with jeans

The easiest way to wear pinstripes casually is to roll up the sleeves on your pinstripe dress shirt, and pair it with dark blue jeans. Add a pair of loafers to retain the transitional look. This works with pinstripe shirts of all colors- it doesn?t need to be the standard black stripes on white. Navy stripes on white, or white stripes on black, are more interesting alternatives.

You can occasionally find a casual pinstripe shirt in a chain store, but they?re usually poor quality, or ugly, or both. Normally you can?t get away with dressing down a nice shirt, but make an exception for pinstripes. You are better off having a quality tailored pinstripe shirt that you sometimes roll up the cuffs and leave the top two buttons undone on.

Pinstripe pants with a tee shirt

Get more value out of your pinstripe suit pants by wearing them with the most casual of pieces: the humble tee shirt. You?ll need one that hangs a little, covering the belt line. The belt line can?t be too high- if your suit pants hit at the waist, the look won?t work. Low on the hip is best for a casual look. You can?t choose just any old tee shirt to wear with your pinstripe pants. It needs to be block colored, with no pattern, or you will be clashing. A light blue tee with a slight vee-neck would be the perfect companion to your pinstripe pants. A pair of canvas shoes will finish the look.

Sorry, you can?t wear a pinstripe suit jacket casually

A suit jacket is difficult to wear casually. It must be that magical combination of being made from an interesting material, and slim fitted so it doesn?t look too formal. Most of the time, a pinstripe suit jacket is not going to tick those boxes. You can, however, get blazers which are designed to be worn casually, which are much less bulky than suit jackets. One of those in a pinstripe material could be worn as part of a smart casual outfit, with some slim fitting chinos and a brightly colored shirt.

Pinstripe shoes

You can get lifestyle sneakers and canvas shoes with a pinstripe pattern. Sneakers typically feature a small section with a pinstripe panel, while the pattern on canvas shoes tends to be uniform. These shoes are designed to be worn casually- wear them as you would wear a plain pair. You can go hip hop style with trainers, while canvas shoes are more versatile. Best of all, a pair of pinstripe shoes can be worn with a different pattern shirt and you?ll look cool instead of clashing.