The London Lounge

NB - the following is NOT meant to be offensive!

I currently do not own, not do I foresee much likelihood that I will ever purchase, a pinstripe/chalkstripe suit.
There are 3 main reasons for my bias (prejudice?!):
1. Personally I find pinstripes to be rather 'unimaginative', especially given the range of alternative patterns that are usually available.
2. for me pinstripes always carry associations of "this is my workaday uniform and I can't wait to get out of it".... whereas I like to think that my suit will look good/appropriate in many environments beyond just the workplace.
3. I'm tallish and thinnish so stripes for me are a bit of a stylistic no-no.

Questions:
Do you agree/disagree?.....and
I wonder what proportion of MTM/bespoke production is pinstripe/chalkstripe v. non-stripe?

Houndstooth

I don't like pin stripes much either, though there are some interesting variations.

But I don't think a wardrobe could be complete without at least one flannel chalk stripe. Bright gray is not overdone by any means.

MTM at Brooks Brothers used to have a book of English solid cloths entitled "Plain English." For non-lovers of stripes such as collection was a boon.

I must say I'm not wild about the midnight blue with white pinstripe/chalkstripes look. However, I am in agreement with Will. The flannel chalk stripe can be softer and less aggressive in tone.

I very much like both chalk and pinstripes, especially in midnight blue.

Spinola

I like stripes and think that certain cloths can be incredibly bold and distinctive.

I have a dark navy wool "crepe" wool from H. Lesser, 8 ounce,(Made in UK) which has a very fine dark red pinstripe 1/4" spaced---the Lesser Bros. don't really remember it. I wore it at my wedding years ago. They also made it in a medium grey with the same red stripe----

I have an interest in unusual cloths, and I wish I could resurrect some interest in this for the cloth club for summer suiting---if I can figure out the technical details and find a swatch I will post it. Very tasteful.

Terry A. Teplitz, M.D.

The aforementioned cloth:

It looks better in person.

I think it looks great.

Very nice cloth, Terry. You certainly have me interested.

How fragile is the cloth?

It is not so porous looking in person, my camera resolution is too great and I don't know how to scale down the photos.

It is not fragile, I would say, put it does have a bit of "stretch" so I do not wear it often.
It was made a long time ago, and I do not even have the Lesser reference number. I asked them about it a few years ago, and they simply don't recall it. I have seen nothing like it on the market.

It hold its press and shape well in the slacks and lapel, which surprises me.

I think that this might make a good project for the Cloth Club: a handsome cloth, unusual in pattern and now unobtainable, with good wearing capabilities. Perhaps especially for those of us who live in areas with exceptionally hot and humid summers (the Amazon shifts northward during July and August), this cloth would be very nice indeed.

How many Loungers agree?

Perhaps Mr. Alden or London based Loungers could make contact with the Lesser Bros.
While they will not have stock, they will have swatches in their records, and may know more about the mill etc. As I said, they drew a blank when I inquired about it with them a few years ago---but then again, one of them remarked to me: "Your memory is usually correct on these matters."t

Lesser's failure to identify their own cloth reminds me that I should resume keeping a small swatch of the cloth of each garment I commission, together with identifying mill name and number, etc. I did this formerly but have failed to recently. Tailors always have plenty of scrap from each cutting and are pleased to give a happy client a piece -- after all, the request is an indication that he may commission another garment soon!