The spacing of a suit’s stripe might have the most significant effect on how we perceive the stripe. The spacing may be even more significant than the weight of the stripe or its colour. Thinner pinstripes are often associated with a closer spacing, while heavier chalk stripes typically come in a wider spacing, but the type of stripe does not define the spacing, nor does the spacing define the kind of stripe.
Stripes are typically spaced from 1 cm (3/8 in) to 2.5 cm (1 in) apart, but wider and narrower spacing can also be found. Wider spacing draws more attention to the stripe, even though the cloth has fewer stripes. Wider spacing makes the stripes stand out more, while narrower spacing allows them to blend in more. Wider spacing looks more old-fashioned, while narrower spacing looks more modern. A widely spaced bold stripe, for example, is the classic retro gangster look.
James Bond has worn a wide variety of stripes widths throughout the series, but in the films of the 20th century, almost all of his stripes, regardless of the type of stripe, have a classic spacing of approximately 2 cm (3/4 in), with some minor variation. Bond does not exceed this classic spacing, as it would be too bold and flashy for him. All of these suits feature variations on the chalk stripe, except for Pierce Brosnan’s pinstripe suit in The World Is Not Enough.
Only three of Bond’s suits in the 20th-century films feature stripes with narrower spacing. The first of these is On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, which features Bond’s second striped suit of the series. These chalk stripes are spaced slightly narrower at around 1.5 cm (9/16 in), which brings a hint of modernisation to an otherwise very traditional London suit.
Bond wears another suit with a narrow stripe spacing in The Living Daylights, but at around 8 mm (5/16 in), the chalk stripes still stand out as individual stripes. This suit shares much in common with the striped suit in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, also a navy chalk stripe with a three-button jacket and a seven-button waistcoat. Even though the latter suit’s stripes are spaced half as far apart, both read as narrow stripe spacings compared to the traditional 2 cm.
In Moonraker, Bond wears a pinstripe suit with an appropriately 3.5 to 4 mm spacing, his narrowest of the series. This pattern subverts the traditional striped suit by making it almost a semi-solid suit due to the stripes being so close together. While some people believe striped suits should be worn only during the daytime and exclusively for business—not an historic limitation—the very narrow spacing removes any preconceptions that the striped suit may have. This is a type of stripe that’s just as appropriate for the evening as it is for daytime.
The M’s office scene in Moonraker presents the extremes of stripe spacing. While Bond’s suit has stripes spaced as tightly as they come, M’s suit has chalk stripes spaced 2.5 cm apart, the widest traditional spacing. Such a spacing with white stripes gives off a flashy gangster style, but M’s suit has muted grey stripes so he looks more tasteful. Still, the wide spacing presents M with a powerful look that’s appropriate for his position as Bond’s boss.
Consistent with modern trends, Bond’s suit stripes of the 21st century are more closely spaced than most of his stripes of the 20th century. The stripes are mostly thinner as well, so they don’t boldly stand out. The Die Another Day pinstripes are spaced 1 cm apart. With a narrower spacing and a subtle stripe, the stripe becomes more texture than pattern.
Daniel Craig’s first striped suit in Casino Royale, which he wears in the train scene, has a narrower spacing at around 8mm, but his striped suits at the end of Casino Royale and the beginning of Quantum of Solace—the same suit in-universe but completely different suits in reality—both have stripes spaced 1.3 cm (1/2 in) apart. It’s a modern look but with a nod to tradition. These are Bond’s widest stripes of the 21st century so far.
The striped suit in Skyfall narrows the spacing again to about 8 mm. The narrow stripe spacing complements the narrow lapels. While narrow stripes can look good on any lapel width, wider spacings ideally need wider lapels.
Bond brings back the ultra-narrow spacing in Spectre, in a grey herringbone suit with track stripes. The pairings of stripes are spaced approximately 4 mm apart, about the same as in Moonraker.
While herringbone weaves give the impression of a subtle self-stripe, I am not counting them as stripes for the discussion of stripe spacing, though they also come in a large variety of widths.
Pardon the slight nitpicking, but did you mean to write “1 cm (3.8 in)”? It should be either 3/8 in or 0.38 in (both are close enough approximations). Likewise, the Skyfall suit’s stripes should probably be 8 /mm/ instead of the 8 cm you wrote?
Other than that, delightful article, I’ve learned something new from you yet again! I’m delighted that even after ten years you continue to find new nuances to shine a spotlight on.
Thank you, those are corrected now.
Slightly unusual one for you, as I’m wearing this suit while reading the post. Vintage 1980s British suit by Crombie, double breasted, drape cut. It is a pale grey herringbone, black and white threads for higher contrast, with one direction at 9mm wide and the other at 21mm instead of both identical. There is a pale blue overstripe in the middle of the broader section, so a 30mm spacing, but effectively you get a herringbone stripe and a narrow blue stripe alternating at 15mm spacing. Tried copying a photo into the comments but didn’t work.
M’s dress watch and entire outfit looked terrific. Probably his personal watch.
Yes, but the stripes on his suit don’t properly align at the gorge the way a nicely tailored bespoke suit should.
That was not traditionally part of bespoke (much the opposite, in fact).
Pattern/stripe matching really isn’t seen as important by bespoke tailors as people think it is.
True, but neither do Bond’s in the M’s office scene in For Your Eyes Only. In general I think patten matching should be, if not expected, at least strived for. But I am a bit more lenient with stripes at the gorge. There’s a lot to be considered there such as gorge height, collar shape, and most importantly, how it attaches to make sure it lays flat on the back of the neck.
Bespoke is the best way to achieve the above and match the pattern, but considering even King Charles has some that don’t match perfectly, it seems fair to put it lower in priority.
Cf. Official portrait of HRH The Prince of Wales in New Zealand, 2019
It works because of the right combination of gorge height and angle and the width of the lapels. The stripes need to line up a certain way on the lapel to look balanced, so if they’re going to match at the collar, the gorge needs to be cut in a specific way to match the stripes, depending on the size of one’s collar. A cutter may need to make adjustments to the lapel width and gorge to get the stripes to match, more so with a wider stripe spacing. Should they adjust the lapel width and gorge to match the stripes?
At least it would be not a problem as much as pattern matching at pockets especially checks.
I wonder the smaller pattern is popular these days because it’s easier to cut to pattern matching.
At least you all aren’t expecting the stripes to match at the shoulder seam! That nonsense drives tailors up the wall when customers demand it, because it’s not only unnecessary, it’s not possible to cut the jacket properly while doing it.
That’s interesting Giselle. Here is a pattern matching question for you/any others with knowledge.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-cary-grant-adjusting-his-tie-late-1940s-128452419.html
In this picture of Cary Grant, there are these V shapes in the side of the jacket. I assume that this is due to the side darts, but I have never seen/noticed this on any gun club jackets I have. Is it due to a change in the darts we use nowadays or some other construction aspect? It’s also possible I’ve just never noticed, I usually only am looking for matching on the front and it’s also not something I always think about with small checks in general.
This is an older way of cutting. The front has a fisheye dart that doesn’t extended below the pocket, and the side dart ends just below the pocket. Unlike the typical modern jacket, there’s no sidebody, which is why you see the check shaped like that.
Well now I know, thanks Matt.
Honestly, I sort of like the V effect and wouldn’t mind a jacket cut in this way. But maybe I’m just a fan of older things; I rarely wear stripes, but when I do, they are comparatively on the wider side.
Doesn’t he though? I’ve always thought I never much liked striped suits, opting instead for semi-solids or checks, but in the last year or two I’ve slowly learned that it’s more that I just don’t like modern narrow stripes. The wide, bold stripes on M look incredible and he exudes quiet power sitting there that one would strive to accomplish.
The OHMSS, CR, and QoS striped suits have my preferred level of spacing. Not too narrow or wide apart.
Ditto
Is it just me or does M’s pinstripe look have more than a hint of Sir Winston Churchill to it?