Pinstripes are on catwalks and in the White House. Is there more to this look than money and privilege?

Conor McGregor knows his way around the octagon. He also knows his way around a courtroom – last November, the UFC fighter was found liable for rape in a civil case in Ireland. And now he knows his way around the White House too – the US seat of power that is all too welcoming for sexual predators. Visiting the American capital this week, McGregor met Donald Trump in the White House on Saint Patrick’s Day, wearing an outfit that had the markings of a man after the president’s own heart: a three-piece pinstripe suit.

Trump loves a suit, so you can also easily imagine that the New York tycoon in him loves a Gordon Gekko-esque pinstripe. McGregor’s meeting was strongly condemned by Ireland’s taoiseach, while an Irish rape crisis charity described it as “sinister”. But, with his sartorial choices, McGregor showed himself to be the latest Trump loyalist with a penchant for a strong-lined suit.

Robert F Kennedy Jr, Trump’s secretary of health and human services, has worn the delineated style to testify before the Senate, as well as in cabinet meetings. Stephen Miller, the ideological anti-immigration firebrand who is one of the architects of Trump’s callous “zero tolerance” family separation policies, is a fan. On this side of the Atlantic, Nigel Farage is also partial.

Not to be glib about the hate-filled politics of the Trumpian right, but, whether consciously or not, these outfit choices trace a through-line between the kind of politics these figures espouse and the kind of message a pinstripe signals – elitism, wealth, power and privilege.

But the fact that the manosphere and its adjacents are wearing the look hasn’t stopped the largely progressive fashion world from getting in on the trend of late. At the most recent shows, a subtle line was sketched up and down suits and overcoats at Calvin Klein in an ode to CK 90s chic. At the Coach show, watched over by Kamala Harris’s stepdaughter Ella Emhoff, pinstripe was styled in the kind of high-low petri dish way younger generations tend to throw outfits together – over boxer short-style shorts with T-shirts grunged with scribbled messages. It was there at the debut show of Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford, slinking out from underneath belted, croc-collared overcoats. As well as a glut of others: Armani, Khaite, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino, Ralph Lauren and Stella McCartney. In Berlin, the inclusive brand Richert Beil often uses pinstripe in its gender-questioning designs.

In the world of pop culture, pinstripe charts its own course. “Hot,” Charli xcx captioned on a picture of herself wearing a pinstripe Vivienne Westwood bustier earlier this year – a homage, surely, to Carrie Bradshaw when she got drunk at Vogue. A$AP Rocky would have looked like an extra from Bugsy Malone had he not had Rihanna on his arm, as he appeared outside an LA court after he was acquitted of two felony counts of assault last month.

While Trump’s supporters seem to favour bolder, brasher lines, even the most subtle pinstripe is instantly communicative of entitlement and excess – it feels ramped up in an 80s-coded Wall Street way. Perhaps that is what makes it so tempting to toy with. Worn by Charli xcx, its businesslike attitude makes the boardroom seem brat. It is corpcore rather than corporate, a kind of cosplay of the office rather than anything to do with actual spreadsheets and quarterly reviews.

The lines are loaded, and McGregor knows it, having used pinstripe in the past to transmit a very direct message to his opponent Floyd Mayweather Jr: written into the stripes of a suit he wore pre-fight were the words “Fuck You”. And Jeremy Corbyn also knows a thing or two about packing a punchy message in a pinstripe. On the campaign trail in Whitby in 2019, he touted a bespoke suit with his motto, “For the many, not the few” stitched into the Labour-red pinstripes. Pinstripe is clearly a stripe for all.

What’s hot – and what’s most definitely not – this week

Going up

Bullet bras | We see Skims’ nipple bra and we raise you Miu Miu and Givenchy’s 50s torpedo shapes.

Wrist flexor stretches | The Gucci and Simone Rocha catwalk shows inspired us to grip rather than carry our bags. Now our wrists are paying the price.

Dilly dally spring | New TikTok archetype just dropped (because our current always vibe is aimlessly wandering around with no agenda).

Going down

Pearl earrings | Demna is departing Balenciaga for Gucci. Dario Vitale is taking over the reins at Versace. And the singular silver portrait hoop is here.

Meme-ing | You know you have spent too long on the internet when you recognise the inspiration behind the teaser image for Haim’s new single Relationships. Yes, it’s Nicole Kidman’s gleeful divorce image, which turned out to be fake.

Coats | Happy trench season. Finally.

Morwenna Ferier, fashion and lifestyle editor, solves your wardrobe dilemmas

Q: I work in an environment without a strict dress code, but I prefer to avoid looking too casual. I enjoy wearing interesting blouses, striking colours, unique sleeves and bold prints. My challenge is finding the right layering pieces for colder days. Blazers often feel too formal, I worry cardigans can look frumpy, and jumpers don’t always create a flattering silhouette. What would you recommend for stylish yet practical layering? – Tanja

A: At first I thought you were asking for the moon on a stick. Then I read your email again. I agree about cardigans (although this by Staud is on sale and pleasingly nautical), and love a silk blouse but appreciate they’re draughty. But I am also an old millennial, don’t do formal and yet do love a fun blazer. Annoyingly, I found all of my bonkers Helmut Lang ones on eBay, but there are some fun faux-corporate styles by Ganni on The Outnet. This one ties at the side, meaning you don’t need to think about a vest (too Citibank). Plus, it’s partly viscose, so it’s warm. I also love this cornflower blue viscose version on sale at Maje. Something about the length feels relaxed, too. Wear with jeans or a knee-length skirt and loafers. Also, I hate to wade into the trouser shape fray, but wide-legged trousers – like these by Rejina Pyo – do tick every box. It’s also amazing what you can do with bold earrings to offset stuffiness: try Completedworks for colour.

Got your own style question? Send it to fashionstatement@theguardian.com.