Waistcoats are dangerous. On the one hand, they’re a great way to layer up in fall + winter… yet on the other hand they can make you look like you fell out of the 19th century, or worse, the 1990’s.
When executed well, waistcoats or vests do the exact same thing that a sportcoat does: It cleans up your lines. Even the most tailored of shirts will bunch out ever so slightly throughout the day. A waistcoat keeps the lines at your sides clean, all while being more casual than a blazer and offering more range of motion. But buy the wrong waistcoat or pair it up with the wrong stuff, and you might end up looking like you’re on your way to a costume party. Here’s a few guidelines plus ten of the best options out there right now:
When shopping for a waistcoat
- Natural fabrics are key: Wool, cotton, linen. All poly is a big no.
- Fit has to be good if not great: Too big = you’re wearing a barrel. Too small = corset.
- Texture wins: Tweed, thicker wools, brushed cottons, corduroy, etc…
- A matte back is a plus: Super shiny poly backs look like it’s an orphaned 3-piece.
When wearing a waistcoat
- Jeans & OCBDs are your friend: They’re a natural fit and keep the vest grounded.
- Don’t go with stark contrast: White shirt + black/navy vest = Wild Wild West.
- Chambray shirts are a perfect match: They deliver a bit of a modern “I’ve been workin’ on the railroad” vibe.
- Unbutton the bottom button: Sorta like wearing a sportcoat or suit jacket.
- But never wear it fully unbuttoned: Don’t flap in the breeze now. Defeats the purpose.
Claiborne Glenn Plaid or Herringbone Wool Blend – $40.00
Could be a huge value at just forty bucks… assuming the description of “wool/poly/rayon/other” is accurate and there’s a decent amount of wool in there. Efforting an in person with one of these. Couldn’t find them in-store. From Claiborne, so fingers crossed that the fit is like their sportcoats. Meaning: spot on.
J. Crew Ludlow vest in blue or brown English wool – $98.00 ($138)
Like their tweedy fall sportcoats, only without the sleeves. Or lapels. Or… you get the idea. Made from Moon Mills wool and even lined in Bemberg. The lining does carry across the back so it’ll be easier to layer, and at least it’s a higher quality, less shiny lining compared to poly. Big fan of that shade of blue. Recently added to the sale section.
L.E.C. Mourning Stripe Vest – $69.99 ($100)
The best side of this one just might be the back. Chambray on the back plus side tabs instead of the standard center cinch. Multi stripe and a five button front step away from the micro patterns and six-button fronts you usually see. Should come down further in price the next time they run a code.
Wallin & Bros Navy Wool Herringbone Vest – $125.00
Might be the one to try first if you’re not sure about jumping on board this trend. Ships & returns free, which is key, through Nordstrom. Claims to be all wool but that back panel sure appears to be chambray. Five button front with a deeper V than most waistcoats. Claims to be a trimmer fit. A note about this specific “look”… The dressy pants + stark shirt isn’t easy to pull off. Better to wear this navy vest in a more casual way.
Banana Republic Herrinbone Cotton Vest – $78 – $130
This seems to have disappeared off the BR site in the last few days, but you might want to check in store. About as good as it gets for a stand-alone vest. Grey herringbone pattern on a soft, brushed-cotton front. Smoother cotton herringbone back with no shine. Size shown here and at top of page is a 38R, which is just a touch tight on a 5’10” 170lb athletic frame.
J. Crew Factory Thompson Herringbone Vest – $78.00
Of course Factory produced a “Thompson” labeled, cheaper version of the Ludlow vests. Wool/nylon blend here, and the back is a black poly. Should drop further with codes.
Filson Mackinaw Wool Vest – $135.00
Looks like something Professor Henry Jones Jr. might wear during weekend office hours at the University. An original. Tough as nails, not going to be cut super slim so consider sizing down. They are made in chest/jacket sizes instead of Small, Medium, Large, etc. Made in the USA.
Suitsupply Double Breasted Waistcoat – $99.00
Easily the riskiest. Double breasted, loud pattern, but being that it’s from Suitsupply you should be able to expect an impeccable fit. Washed Italian wool, and the styling here is dead on.
That J. Crew Ludlow is so awesome.
Thoughts on wearing a non matching one with a 2 piece suit?
While I love me a 3-piece suit, I could never rock a waistcoat on its own. I get it in theory, and feel all the time like it should work, but whenever I try it or see it, it still seems a bit costumey, like either trying too hard or not hard enough.
If you can pull it off, good for you… not a good look for me.
Those chambray backs are nice. One of my biggest hold-ups is the nice, wool front with a shiny back makes it look incomplete.
That Filson vest… must resist…
Weird how I decided to wear my B.R. waistcoat seen above and this post comes out. A coincidence 0.o?
I like it in order to drop the formality of the suit. I think good rules of thumb are to match fabric textures—so no sleek Super 150s suit with a chunky tweed vest—and to go with a waistcoat either a shade lighter or darker than or in a complimentary color to your suit (i.e. navy suit/charcoal waistcoat). You could probably also contrast patterns if you wanted to, like a herringbone or glen plaid vest with a solid suit.
Likewise. If you wear the vest on its own, you might as well wear a fedora with it.
Most of these looks only seem to work with jeans or five-pocket pant styles. Can you pull these off with chinos as well?
I always get compliments when I wear mine. I tend to pair it with a gingham shirt and jeans.
When even the models look silly wearing waistcoats it may be best to steer clear…
I’ll rock a waistcoat without hesitation. Thanks for this post, Joe.
I don’t know if I’d go that far, but I hear you. I just always feel like it falls between “I left my blazer in the car” and “Can I make you another gin rickey?”
The Filson vest looks like it’d be great for keeping you warm on your next hunting trip, not so much under a blazer at the office.
I tried one last weekend. Not sure if I like it.
I’m not much of a vest wearer, but I find myself sometimes tempted by the Filson Western vest, and I kinda wonder why you featured their Mackinaw vest instead of this one. The western vest with it’s lapels looks cool, and definitely doesn’t leave you loking like you lost your jacket. http://www.filson.com/products/mackinaw-wool-western-vest.10057.html?fromCat=true&fvalsProduct=mens/vests-liners&fmetaProduct=1011
It’s a high degree of difficulty, but if you can do it, it will look great. Make sure the suit and waistcoat are properly tailored and the colors contrast, but the color “tones” match (e.g. a “cool” blue with a “cool” grey). Everything else should be fairly conservative-this is your “flair.”
I’ve worn darker color waistcoats with tan chinos/khakis. Wear it with confidence and you’ll be fine.
I’m ambivalent to say this for fear of scaring people off, but Justin Timberlake has been able to successfully use this look. So if you want additional visuals, Google is your friend.
Easiest way to layer in the brutal South Florida climate. I love them.
My only issue with most off the rack waistcoats is that they are too short. As someone with a longer than average torso, my choices are the extra large waistcoats that are too big, but long enough, or the medium or large that are the right size, but too short. Any suggestions of where to go?
Before I began reading about style and really trying to figure things out, I really really liked the way waistcoats looked. Sure, there were some guys who tried and failed, but I had seen plenty of guys who killed it.
After becoming a member of the online style community, I began trying to force the waistcoat admiration from my mind – I’ve been very wrong before, and I find that in many instances, I need to just open my mind and go with the flow (there’s usually a good reason so many people are on the same page). Still, no matter how much people rant about waistcoats, I can’t help but think “they really can look great, and though it’s more difficult than pairing a shirt and pants, it’s nowhere near as hard to nail as everyone says.”
At this point, I still don’t own a standalone vest, but this article has brought them back to the front of my mind – I’m going to start looking for one. I can’t buy into the hive-mind on this one. Vests clean up your lines, introduce a little (but hopefully not TOO much) contrast into your outfit, and ads a dash of prep/formality which is perfect for a whole slew of situations where a suit wouldn’t be appropriate and maybe a blazer is even a bit much (in terms of formality and heat retention).
Thanks for taking an unbiased look at waistcoats, Joe. It’s refreshing to see you duck out of the [usually on-point] hivemind swarm on this one.
Careful with Filson. They are likely to fit like… uh… Filson.
I haven’t checked, but if you find one at BR or GAP, there’s a good chance they’ll offer tall sizes – they’re pretty good about that. If not them, you should probably just keep your eyes peeled for tall sizes elsewhere.
the suggestion to size down is probably a good one. I have one of their weekender coats, and the cut is perfect for what it is, a heavy wool coat, meant to be layered. I expect their new Seattle fit will be better for garments you don’t want to layer heavily with. As for the vests I haven’t tried them, but the Western Vest at least looks slightly more tailored than the Mackinaw vest which has barn straight sides.
I think odd waistcoats are something you have to rock if you’re going to wear them at all. They aren’t like blazers or suits, which are easy steps along a route that’s guaranteed to elevate your style. Odd waistcoats are a risk that won’t pay off on average, so the only reason to wear one is because you really like waistcoats. If you’re just looking to improve your style, there are much safer ways to go.
given the lack of sleeves, a waistcoat should be easy to take in on the sides. find something that fits in length and shoulders and take it to the tailor.
Lapels? I got one: http://dappered.com/2012/10/would-you-wear-it-the-4-corduroy-waistcoat/
Absolutely. It’s a look you must own and wear with total confidence. To me, they’re like bowties in that if you’re even a little self-conscious about wearing one, you’re better off not. But of you’ve got the swag, then by all means. I reckon I don’t have the swag.
I’ll take another gin rickey! Thanks!
On the contrary, I think if you’ve got a decent handle on your style and your eye has proven to be pretty good, you should be able to identify an incorporate a good looking waistcoat. Chances are, style community subscriber will see a waistcoat and default to thinking that you’re making a terrible faux pas, but almost everyone else will think “wow, that’s a good look”.
Personally think that the waistcoat-hate in the style community has been blown way out of proportion. It’s easy to see how this came to be – it’s easier to screw up a waistcoat than a blazer, which is seen as an easy alternative; given the style community’s propensity to exaggerate and often overreact, it’s not hard to see how waistcoats quickly could have developed the stigma that so many preach these days.
Anyway, I’ve said all of that to say this: I think if you’ve worked on training your eye, I think you’ll be able to choose waistcoats and cooresponding outfits that will work out most of the time (please do not mistake this for a recommendation to wear waistcoats often, though – never good to overdo a look, especially if it’s an irregular one).
Well thanks. I appreciate the feedback.
While a waistcoat might not work on everyone, I think it’s extra hard for it to work on someone who’s always dandied up (and likely a member of what you called “the hivemind swarm).
The waistcoat is more likely to look “right” on a guy who’s more of a minimalist, and more “costumey” on someone who’s always pushing boundaries. It doesn’t stand out as much on someone who isn’t always standing out… if that makes any sense.
Thanks again for the comment diversification.
Am I the only one who just can’t seem to get on board the herringbone party bus? I mean, I like herringbone in theory, but every time I’m confronted with it in person, it just oozes *old*. I say this as someone who loves tweed and corduroy dearly, so it’s not that I’m against texture — just this particular texture.
Too barbershop quartet for me.
So it just doesn’t suit you personally 🙂 Nothing wrong with that. I love Ray Ban Wayfarers, but they look horrible on my face.
Hey Joe, I’m curious about the waistcoat viability in an office setting. Obviously not a suit and tie type of office, but business casual up to that.
Obviously Joe will have his own take on it, but here’s my take. A waistcoat adds a bit of prep / formality to your outfit, when done properly; they also can add flair, given the number of waistcoats that come with patterns. A charcoal or navy blazer is likely to look more formal (depending on the fabric), but I don’t think that’s always called for. In fact, a waistcoat may be even more appropriate if your workplace is one where the typical “business-casual” is seen as bordering on too formal.
I’d say go for it. If you’re in an office where wool pants fit in or where an OCBD paired with some polished chinos is a solid look, a waistcoat should play nicely.
Can I petition to have the back of every vest also displayed? Those non-matching, shiny vests don’t really do it for me, but most are made that way. :-S
Waist coats are super-easy to tailor since, in my experience, there’s not much (if any) difference in the shoulders from one size to the next. Put it on inside out, pin the sides, and sew one quick seam up each side. As long as you have someone to pin the sides for you, it’s maybe a ten to fifteen minute job, tops.
I have the J Crew one from about a half-decade back, when people first started wearing vests again. My memory of the ’90s differs from Joe’s – I don’t recall anyone wearing vests back then. Maybe as an odd waiscoat under a jacket and dress pants (I think Frasier Krane rocked that look), but not a vest by itself with jeans. But maybe my memory of the 90s is faulty.
Mine’s the same Yorkshire tweed, though, and it’s really nice tweed – in charcoal grey, which they seem to have discontinued. I don’t wear it that often, but do sometimes wear it as part of a cowboy getup for halloween. You’d be surprised how many women have cowboy fantasies. It works best with the look Joe suggests 0 OCBD and jeans, but you have to be comfortable sporting a somewhat unconventional look or youll feel a little self-conscious. Hence why I don’t wear it all that often.
This question is almost completely unrelated, but does anybody know how this BR mystery sale works? Is there a promo code that I can’t find, does it get deducted at checkout, what?
I think the 90s vests were more of the poly/shiney stuff. Often worn unbuttoned. So, basically the opposite of the wool waistcoat buttoned up.
http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/22100000/nkotb-new-kids-on-the-block-22148918-607-797.jpg
http://www.mtv.com/content/style/photos/flipbooks/jared-leto-evolution/1991-10-jared-leto-wire.jpg
NKOTB influence. Eesh.
There are plenty of pictures of models looking awesome in waistcoats. There are plenty of pictures of models looking horrible in blazers. Your comment sounds like one generated by the typical style-community-hivemind; it attempts to quickly dispatch waistcoats as a valid option without much logical reasoning. Yes, they are more difficult to pull off than a blazer, but that doesn’t mean it can’t or shouldn’t be done.
SSSHHH, the angry waistcoat mob will hear you!!! THEY HAVE PITCHFORKS
I mean specifically in this article, all of those guys look goofy to me(and others who have voted this up).
Well, the upvoting shouldn’t surprise you – the style community screams that waistcoats are the devil, so why wouldn’t everyone believe it? Just because a group of people is preaching something doesn’t mean it’s right (I’m certain I don’t need to give you examples to make my point here). Joe has laid out a number of reasons that they aesthetically make sense (I expanded upon the idea in my one comment). I rarely hear why dissenters seem to hate them, though. “It should only be worn with a suit!” Why? “Well they’re like ties!” No they aren’t, waistcoats serve other purposes (again, already discussed).
Anyway, I can’t change the fact that you dislike the way the pictures look, but I’d urge you to consider why you dislike them. I have given both schools of thought a chance and ended up on the “like” side of things. If you’re feeling up to it, I’d be interested to hear why exactly you think all these pictures look goofy.
I’m not a huge fan of waist coats but damn that one is pretty.
I dislike them because:
1. They look costumey
2. They make you look like you lost your jacket
3. I file them under the “outdated fashion items that look out of place” along with fedoras/trilbys, bow ties, and suspenders without a jacket
4. They were originally made as formal wear and as such look strange with jeans and the like(I think a lot less blazers and sport coats work with jeans than many men seem to think as well)
5. They serve no functional purpose(cue Demetri Martin hot arms joke)
6. They scream “look at me! look at how well dressed I am.” They’re the fashion equivalent of the dude that learns one song on guitar and sits in a park to try to attract girls
I just think they are silly.
Must have supressed those memories. Thanks for bringing them back.
Where’s that photo from? I’d wear that in a heartbeat. Great colour and texture, and the lapels are a nice touch.
1) To you, maybe, but I reject that notion. I see a huge amount of people rocking glasses, suits, ties, etc, on Halloween, so I’m not willing to concede that waistcoats are ‘costumey’.
2) Not really, unless you’re wearing them with matching trousers.
3) Fedoras are hard to pull off because it’s SO easy to go too big, too small, too tall or to short. To add to the difficulty, certain facial features will greatly impact the way a hat looks. Waistcoats are nowhere near this difficult. The perception that they are outdated may be a misguided one, especially given their prominence at both clothing retailers and the frequency with which they pop up in style magazines.
4) The type of jeans and the look of the blazer or waistcoat can be a bit tricky to nail down, no doubt. It takes time and patience to get it right. A waistcoat is probably more difficult to do than a blazer, I will grant you that, but both can look amazing if done right.
5) They most certainly serve a functional purpose – done right, waistcoats clean up your lines, introduce a touch of charming contrast into your outfit, and add a dash of prep / formality which can be perfect for a whole slew of situations where a suit wouldn’t be appropriate and maybe a blazer is even a bit much (in terms of formality and heat retention)
6) So essentially what you’re saying is that someone who wears a waistcoat looks good, knows it and may want to be noticed, but has no clue what they’re doing outside of waistcoats. So then why did Joe write this post? Why do well known style-icons utilize them? Your analogy is just an attempt to liken them to something you feel is distasteful behavior, but you aren’t really telling me why it’s distasteful (at least no solid reasoning, IMO).
Is that enough? For you, it appears to be and I’m certain I’m not going to change your mind, so I guess the answer is yes and no, because as you can see, I’m left unsatisfied with your arguments.
Hmm, I thought someone would’ve mentioned Han Solo by now.
Yeah, we just disagree on this. I wasn’t referring to halloween. I meant costumey in that way that someone wearing prohibition era clothing is costumey. And for me it’s not an issue of being difficult to pull off. If that was the case I would have at least once in my life seen someone pulling it off and looking good wearing a waistcoat without a suit. I have not. To that point I can’t say why Joe and style icons may wear them. They look just as bad in them(sorry Joe, personal preference). As for the last point that was meant to be jokey but your retort “knows it and may want to be noticed” is exactly the problem. It’s blatant peacocking.
I don’t completely agree. Bowties, don’t really do anything, besides possibly drawing attention to your face, or in the case of a tux, balancing white-space. Waistcoats, on the other hand, clean up your lines and can often help accentuate your masculine figure (the v-shape of your torso). I will say this; I agree that if you aren’t going to rock one with confidence, you’re better off not doing it, because your lack of confidence may very well be stemming from your inexperience with waistcoats and how to pull them off.
Agreed, we do not agree on this. While waistcoats may have their roots in the past, so do all clothes. Further, as our discussion shows, the only thing really wrong with them seems to be your perception of them and that’s ok. I suspect I’ve accurately identified some of the reasons you hold the negative perceptions, but I suppose that’s neither here nor there.
As for my retort, just because someone looks good and may want to be noticed, does not mean they’re peacocking. We dress well partially for ourselves, but most of us also want to look good to others, do we not? You automatically assume that because someone wears a waistcoat, they’re peacocking. Sure, maybe they are, but maybe they just think it looks good on them (like the rest of the clothes they wear) and think others would agree (a thought that almost always crosses our minds at some level when we select what we wear). If you happen to be someone who truly doesn’t take in to account if others may find what you’re wearing attractive, then more power too you. If you tell me that though, then I’ll also congratulate you on being the first person on Earth to think that way.
Of course I care what others think. But you don’t wear a top hat do you? Or a cape? Of course a waistcoat isn’t that extreme but I do think there’s something lame about wearing unusual pieces to garner attention.
Anyway, we’re going in circles. I don’t go off on a diatribe whenever I see someone wearing a waistcoat. People are welcome to wear what they want. I’m not going to like everything.
You meant: 7. I just think they are silly.
The original player.
With regard to the bowties comparison, I was really referring to form over function. A lot of garments serve the same functions as the vest while staying truer to form. I think Glenn O’Brien, who while certainly part of the style community, has consistently proven to be practical and level-headed in his approach to clothing, put it best when he said that the point of formalwear is an adherence to form, or convention. Waistcoats are vestiges of formalwear, which is why they read to many as looking “costumey” when paired with informal dress. To me, they just seem too much like #fashion, a bit too trendy, when worn on their own because of the purposeful mixing of forms. Which isn’t to say that others can’t pull it off. I want to like the look, mostly because, as you wrote, it makes perfect functional sense. But it simply always strikes me as somehow off. My issue with it is strictly personal style aesthetic. No hive swarming here.
We’ve been over why hats are abnormally difficult to wear, so I’ll skip that one. Don’t dis capes till you’ve tried one (jk). Obviously you’re stuck on the idea that wearing a waistcoat is automatically synonymous with peacocking. For some people, a blazer is unusual. For some people a pair of longwings is unusual. Worn [intentionally] in the wrong situation, in the wrong context or with the intent to be overly jarring, yes, it could be considered peacocking. Done correctly, in the right situation and with the intent to look good, it’s not peacocking. You can nitpick that commentary, but in general, that’s how it is (and it’s fine if it doesn’t change how you feel about waistcoats).
Well said, and well received. I think a good analogy to wearing a standalone waistcoat might be rocking a wool suit jacket with jeans; it’s still a bit taboo for the reasons you mentioned, it’s easy to do it wrong, but damn can it look good if done right.
http://dappered.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/welldressedtraveller3.jpg
Is it really “correct” style to wear a belt with a waistcoat, or is that just “incorrect” when worn with a suit?
I don’t have any other advice to add on to the other comments but did want to offer this look from TSBmen of Dan doing a non-matching waistcoat:
http://tsbmen.com/22513/suited-booted-feat-ariston-napoli/3/
I’m a waistcoat guy. They’re an option for me on warmer nights when I don’t feel like wearing an unlined jacket. Loving that Suitsupply waistcoat.
the key to this outfit is being a mixologist or barber, or else you will get laughed at any professional (suit and tie) work place
Have a couple from Woolrich (which should have gotten a mention next to Filson) and one in a diamond quilted nylon from a work wear brand called Snap-N-Wear. They are fantastic for a bit of early Fall/Spring warmth and a good addition for extra warmth in winter. I love ’em!
Heh. See, I think this is proof that this garment is so polarizing.
Who ever said you should wear it to a suit and tie work place? Jeans or 5-pockets. Chinos maybe.
If you are looking for something tailored I can make you a custom fit one for $90 that won’t make you look like you are wearing a barrel.
Great look! Although you have to be fairly slim or fit to pull it off. No Chris Farley’s please.