Power to the pin

Old news: at PLEIN PUBLIQUE, we’re absolutely crazy about stripes. Breaking news: our beloved Breton stripe is facing some serious competition. Serious with a wink, mind you—you know us. Long story short: TADAAA! Meet our new love: the pinstripe. What’s that—too masculine? Mais non! Designed with elegant lines and made from supple fabrics, this iconic, bossy business classic turns out to be surprisingly feminine—and with the right styling, f***ing sexy too. On your pins —or rather, on your feet—we’re taking you on a sightseeing tour through fashion history.

TAKE IT TO THE BANK

Roughly in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the pinstripe suit was considered the unofficial “uniform” for bankers. The thickness of the lines and the spacing between the pinstripes served as a sort of code that allowed employees from different banks to identify one another. And all this before the banking industry had even invented “pins” :-) Pinstripes became a symbol of power: in old mafia movies, the gentleman-criminal often wears a pinstripe suit as well.

EARN YOUR STRIPES

Strange but true: pinstripes are no strangers to the world of sports either. We see pinstripes mainly on American baseball uniforms (not to be confused with basketball)—with the Chicago Cubs being the first to adopt pinstripes in 1907. Eventually, the Yankees embraced the pinstripe so aggressively that “wearing pinstripes” in the U.S. means you play for the Yankees.

CORPCORE

Enough about those guys: how can I make this about me? Well, by drawing inspiration from the many illustrious women who came before us and made pinstripes a woman’s thing —the pioneers of today’s corpcore trend . Who, oh who, was the very, very, very first? Marlene Dietrich, around 1930. As the ambassador of the “men’s suit for women,” she rocked the pinstripe not only with verve but also with corsages, hats, jewelry, and fur. Female empowerment through and through—what a woman… Decades later, none other than power woman Madonna gratefully took up the torch.

Another champion of the “men’s suit for women”—certainly not the least of them, and a big fan himself—was Yves Saint Laurent. His first major achievement in this area was the women’s tuxedo, launched in 1966.

In 1976, Yves even dedicated an entire collection to the pinstripe, stylishly presented by his muses Danielle Luquet St. Germain and Vibeke Bergeron.

Fast forward to today: today’s style icons are big fans of it, too. On the red carpet, snapped by paparazzi on the steps of a hotel, sitting at the table on talk shows, or while out shopping: these show-offs love nothing more than to be seen in pinstripes.

PLEIN PUBLIQUE

Curious about how we interpreted the pinstripe? Think “timelessly classic with a feminine twist,” and you’ve got the gist. Take our LE MALO pants. They are made from a beautiful, supple bi-stretch fabric that stretches both widthwise and lengthwise. This ensures exceptional comfort and a flattering fit. Thanks to the timeless pinstripe, these pants can also be paired with endless outfits.

Here’s another tip: with the right accessories—think pearls, silver or gold, and a touch of glitter—you can transform your look from office-ready to party-ready in a snap.