How is Pinstripe made?

Pinstripe is woven as a plain weave.

Plate No. 006pattern

First documented: late 1800s
Origin: London, England, United Kingdom
Fiber: wool
Weave: plain weave
Family: stripes

Plate No. 006 · pattern

Pinstripe

Pinstripe is a pattern of very thin, evenly spaced light lines on a dark ground, the finest of the suiting stripes. It became associated with banking and business dress in Britain in the late nineteenth century. The lines are typically a single thread wide, which is what distinguishes a pinstripe from the broader chalk stripe.

Illustration: a City of London street in the 1920s, bankers at a distance under black umbrellas, stone bank facades, wet pavement reflections — A City of London street in the 1920s, bankers at a distance under black umbrellas, stone bank facades, wet pavement reflections.

Named for

Named for the thinness of the stripe, as fine as a pin.

Common questions

What is Pinstripe made of?: Pinstripe is a pattern of very thin, evenly spaced light lines on a dark ground, the finest of the suiting stripes. It is traditionally made of wool.
How is Pinstripe made?: Pinstripe is woven as a plain weave.
What is Pinstripe named after?: Named for the thinness of the stripe, as fine as a pin.