Vests, or waistcoats as they're formally known as, have a history dating back to the late 1600s. First popularized by King Charles II, the waistcoat has underwent several different changes over the past 300 years, both in terms of construction and meaning. However, regardless of these changes, it has always been a more eloquent, luxurious piece of attire.
Despite the wide popularity of the waistcoat through the early twentieth century, today vests are rarely seen. It is surprising because a lot of business outfits worn by men today could be worn with a vest, but for some reason, they choose not to wear one. Maybe they think it is an antiquated piece of attire or perhaps they don't even know how to properly wear one; whatever the reason is, the fact is that most men no longer wear waistcoats. And that's unfortunate.
I would definitely consider the waistcoat to be my signature piece; i.e. the piece of clothing that defines your sense of style. I think there are just so many options when it comes to wearing one, and not only that, but it shapes the the body nicely which is a plus because, let's face us, most of us don't have that Greek god physique.
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| Brown/Blue waistcoat with t-shirt (casual) |
In my opinion, whether you wear it with an Oxford or t-shirt, wearing a waistcoat takes any outfit to the next level.
I would highly recommend you add at least a few waistcoats to your wardrobe. Even if you don't wear them as frequently as I do-- i.e. daily-- wearing one can change the message conveyed by your outfit. For instance, consider this classic black waistcoat worn over a grey and white checkered dress shirt. The shirt itself is business casual at most, but worn with the vest, it becomes a more apropos outfit for a professional setting.While the vest/shirt combination is definitely professional on its own, you can add a sports jacket or blazer to take the look even further. This is a great option too because you can take the jacket off and put it back on throughout the day; essentially giving you two different outfits. Consider, how different this outfit looks with the jacket on and without it:
While pink is a more casual, fun color than something you'd typically wear to the office, note how different the first picture looks from the second one. I'm wearing the same blue and white striped Oxford shirt in both pictures, but in the first picture, you can only see the color and cuffs of the shirt whereas in the second picture the shirt stands-out.
Another great reason to get into vests is that there are so many different styles to choose from, and this drastically increases the number of potential outfits you could wear. Do you feel like wearing a solid black vest with your blue plaid shirt or a plaid white vest with your solid light blue shirt? The options really are endless. This is especially true if you have several different waistcoats. Personally, I have ten in my closet, which is probably more than I need, but I have a lot of choices when it comes to choosing my outfits.
When worn on their own, waistcoats have the potential to make any business casual-- or even just casual-- outfit look a bit more dapper, but I feel like I wouldn't be doing the waistcoat justice if I didn't talk about the three-piece suit.
A three-piece suit consists of a jacket, pair of pants, and a waistcoat; most of the time, consisting of the same fabric, although I sometimes wear a different waistcoat if the color is the same. For example, my three-piece black suit consists of a matching jacket and pants with a different black vest. But what message does a three-piece suit convey?
I feel like by wearing the waistcoat, that it, the third piece you posit yourself into a higher position than men who just wear a two-piece. The waistcoat symbolizes power and potentially wealth, and at the very least, it conveys uber confidence. When people see you wearing a three-piece suit they are automatically going to assume you're a guy who deserves respect. Consider these two pictures:
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| Plaid off-white vest from Zara's |
When worn on their own, waistcoats have the potential to make any business casual-- or even just casual-- outfit look a bit more dapper, but I feel like I wouldn't be doing the waistcoat justice if I didn't talk about the three-piece suit.
A three-piece suit consists of a jacket, pair of pants, and a waistcoat; most of the time, consisting of the same fabric, although I sometimes wear a different waistcoat if the color is the same. For example, my three-piece black suit consists of a matching jacket and pants with a different black vest. But what message does a three-piece suit convey?
I feel like by wearing the waistcoat, that it, the third piece you posit yourself into a higher position than men who just wear a two-piece. The waistcoat symbolizes power and potentially wealth, and at the very least, it conveys uber confidence. When people see you wearing a three-piece suit they are automatically going to assume you're a guy who deserves respect. Consider these two pictures:
While a suit may tell people that you're professional, wearing the optional waistcoat tells people that they better watch out because you're confident and ambitious.
At least that's what I think when I see someone wearing a three-piece suit.
I love waistcoats because of their versatility, how they shape my physique, and just overall, how they make me feel. While I understand that frequently wearing one might not be for everyone, vests can be a fun and classy addition to any man's wardrobe.
-Ryan S.
At least that's what I think when I see someone wearing a three-piece suit.
I love waistcoats because of their versatility, how they shape my physique, and just overall, how they make me feel. While I understand that frequently wearing one might not be for everyone, vests can be a fun and classy addition to any man's wardrobe.
-Ryan S.
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