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Stripes — think skinny, not fat; subtle, not loud |
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By Fashion Critic
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Posted: 06/26/07 05:59 PM [ET] |
Stripes are fine and well until they become intrusive and overwhelming.
Men on Capitol Hill have few options when they want to vary their wardrobe and it’s not a casual Friday and the boss is still around. So many opt for stripes. Think subtle and fine-lined — not pronounced, like the dark suit jacket with thick cream stripes recently worn by MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann. Despite being the host of his own show, “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” he stuck out like a sore thumb. Instead of presenting himself as a respectable talk show host, he came across as a vacuum-cleaner salesman.
Thankfully, we don’t know whether his trousers matched the jacket.
Olbermann’s guest, Howard Fineman, an MSNBC political analyst, was also in stripes, but a far more acceptable version. The stripes on his black suit were skinny and faint; his red-and-navy striped tie, against a solid blue button-down shirt, wrapped up a pleasingly clean and crisp visual.
Stripes are best worn subtly or not at all. “Pinstripes can look fine, but often times I feel like it says ‘I’m trying too hard,’” said one GOP aide. “The further apart the stripes are, the more noticeable and worse it looks.”
“It takes the right person to pull it off — some guys look silly in pinstripes,” added the aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity (perhaps his boss wears stripes?).
Or worse, they can look Mafioso.
A GOP aide who wears “subtle pinstripe” suits told me: “Pinstripe suits are fine, but there is a thin line between classic and
gangster.”
He added: “The thicker and more bright the pinstripe, the more you imagine an Al Capone movie or Don Magic Juan.” (Don Magic Juan, who travels with the rap artist Snoop Dogg, wears the ghastly combination of lime-green suits in wild patterns and orange shoes.)
As some might recall, Jack Abramoff wore fat pinstripes. That didn’t help his cause of appearing to be a fat-cat lobbyist with no morals — he was indicted and sentenced to five years in prison for a fraudulent loan deal. His federal conviction is still pending. |
