“Cause the other teams can’t stop staring at those darn pinstripes,” says Frank Abagnale Sr., played by Academy Award winner Christopher Walken in the movie Catch Me If You Can. Do you think that’s what distracted the Phillies in this year’s World Series? Or could it have been Philadelphia slugger Ryan Howard who set a World Series record with 13 strikeouts? (We’re just throwing it out there.) Regardless, pinstripes have been a fashion statement for decades. “Just take a look at the mobsters back in the ’30s and ’40s,” says Justin Rieder, manager at Trimark Sportswear Group Inc. “They wore pinstriped suits to show others they have power and class. It’s a classic throwback that never goes out of style.”
In fact, Rieder, who owns a pinstripe suit but never gave anyone an “offer they couldn’t refuse,” says he’ll wear it for special occasions. “It’s definitely a ‘power suit.’ If I want to make a good impression or am meeting someone of importance for the first time, I’ll pick my pinstriped suit over any others,” he says.
If you’re looking to mix and match your pinstriped garments, there are rules that every individual should go by. “You never want to wear a pinstriped suit with a pinstriped button-down shirt,” Rieder says. “It’s either one or the other. Wearing the suit? Pick a solid colored shirt to go underneath. Wearing a pinstriped shirt? Choose a solid-colored suit to compliment the shirt.”