Posted on by Miguel

 

While men prefer keeping it classic with a suit, they should surely accentuate their appearance with a vest from time to time. Additionally, adding a three-piece suit to your wardrobe will also instantly boost your confidence.

Although quite a lot of people mistake a vest and a waistcoat to be entirely different entities, the only difference is that the English mostly go for the word waistcoat while Americans prefer to call it a vest.

Having said so, knowing why and when to wear one is a must!

When to Wear a Vest with a Suit

Why Wear a Vest with a Suit Jacket?

Suits are an ever-classic way to move with poise and look like an absolute gentleman. That being said, we often find men wearing a vest as an addition to their two-piece suit for undivided attention from the crowd. To be quite frank, we find the inclusion pretty neat and classy as well!

Why Wear a Vest with a Suit Jacket

To have you on board with us on this "vest style,"  here are a few reasons why you should:

Easy-to-Wear Addition

We understand and sympathize with how men are hardly left with ways to accessorize their plain and boring wardrobe options. Particularly for a suit, its formal outlook makes it quite hard to pair with many add-ons.

A well-deserved savior in such cases would be a simple vest. Although a suit vest, when worn, should abide by some strict rules of fashion, it can serve as a quick fix to enhance your finesse in a matter of minutes.

Great Fit for Your Suit

A suit vest will flawlessly contour the shape of your body and allow your suit to give off a much cleaner look. Besides, provided that your suit is a bit loose on the chest or armholes, wearing a vest can be an easy way to solve the issue.

If you really think about it, a vest also saves you from the utter embarrassment of a wrinkled dress shirt by concealing it even after prolonged hours.

Adds Dimension

Given that you decide to wear a vest, you'll certainly hit the milestone for a uniform look.

It helps keep your shirt and tie in place and increases the depth of your outfit. Similarly, although bow ties don't require to be held flat against your chest like ties do, they still contribute to the sheer elegance of suits and complement vests in the best way.

Even if you're aiming for a smart casual look, supposedly with a gray vest, a white dress shirt, and gray pants, you'll notice the difference instantly. Just remember to play around with colors and patterns while sticking to the basic rule of thumb, and you'll be good to go!

Means to Stay Warm

Despite the fact that vests stir up a lot of controversy in terms of weather demands, we give them a positive nod for both summer and winter. The only key to acing this, however, is to choose the fabric wisely.

On gloomy, cold days, vests serve as an extra layer to your suits, providing thermal insulation to your body. Sweater vests, in this case, are somewhat akin to angels. Remember to keep one on hand for winter events to avoid shivering in your best tailored suit! 

Wearing a Suit Vest: When and Where

Wearing a Suit Vest: When and Where

Formal Events

Since we've already cleared up the misconception regarding a typical vest and a waistcoat when it comes to formal wear, you can already guess our take on this.

Vests can be a great addition to formal attire, especially because it's an easy way to add dimension, texture, or personality to your already perfect suit.

Besides, if you're planning to hit the spotlight at black-tie events, you can simply work around with either a vest or cummerbund. Vests, while a little more traditional, will shape up your body into a rigid yet upright posture, which works even better with classic tuxedos. Don't forget to add a bow tie as a cherry on top!

Business Casual Look

Depending on the dress code, wearing a vest can be done in a variety of ways. Based on the fabric and color wheel you choose, this piece of clothing will instantly enhance your outfit style and make you appear sophisticated among the crowd.

If you need a business casual look, a vest with your suit trousers and a solid shirt will do the trick. You may also dress semi-formally with a vest, a t-shirt and smart casual jeans, but we'll leave this matter for another day's discussion.

Single Breasted Suit Jackets

Single Breasted Suit Jackets

Even though vests and suits go hand in hand pretty well, there's also a little limitation to it that most men mistakenly ignore mistakenly.

In simple words, wearing a vest with suits is alright, but should definitely be avoided with double breasted suits. These types of suits are themselves quite chic and need no additional clothing pieces that may, in turn, make your whole outfit look a little off balance.

Single breasted suits are therefore ideal if you care to wear a vest.

During Summer

Summer days are surely hard to deal with, especially if you're invited to an event that you simply can't ignore. Hence, in order to steal the spotlight and seem eye-catching, go for vests! Even on the dance floor, when you just can't wear a suit jacket due to the heat, a vest will keep your attire organized and elegant.

Assuming that you simply want to go without a suit jacket and stick entirely with the shirt-pant-vest combo, we'd suggest you pick out a lighter waistcoat or vest. Ones that are made from linen, wool blends, or even cotton will make your fit look complete without the need for a three-piece suit.

Winter Events

Winter Events- Suit Vest

Cold and crisp weather is the perfect excuse to put on some extra layers that will keep you both warm and fashionable. However, wearing the right vest in the right way should be your focal point when dressing up for winter events.

To begin, a well-blended vest is required to function as a statement piece. Not all vests go well with a suit, and this is where most men go wrong.

For instance, a lot of people around us may find a sweater vest to be a fashion faux pas, but it is indeed a great option to go for without compromising your comfort and style. Moreover, you can even settle on a complementary color for your suit and keep things a little interesting!

For instance, if you're looking forward to incorporating a black suit and black tie look, you might want to switch up a black vest with a white sweater vest instead. This will not only make your black trousers and suit jacket pop but also allow the suit vest to appear striking and bold.

Besides, a gray vest could be another alternative to be worn with suits to show off your color coordination skills and distinct persona.

Wear Suit Vests with Style: Top Tips

Wear Suit Vests with Style: Top Tips

Finding yourself confused about how to put together a vest with your beloved suit can often feel tiresome. With a view to assisting you in this regard, we've compiled a few points as an absolute reminder when needed:

  • Single-breasted vests are ideal for both formal and casual looks. However, if your approach is a more traditional yet elegant one, a double-breasted vest works best by accentuating your shoulders.
  • Vests should be out of the picture when slipping on a double-breasted jacket.
  • Make sure that your vest fits well with enough wiggle room. Appearing suffocated in your own suit will only make you look more unattractive!
  • Since vests are quite visible when the suit jacket is unbuttoned, always remember to opt for high-quality buttons for your vests.
  • Avoid wearing a vest that is made from an entirely different material than your suit, as it ends up looking tacky. Instead, focus on finding vests with the same fabric.
  • Have fun with color coordination when it comes to a vest. Try out a beige or brown vest with dark blue trousers rather than going for a similar shade of blue. You'll look stunning, trust us.
  • Don't just stick to the basics; explore patterns as well! Experiment subtly with a grey suit and a grey checkered vest or go bold with a black suit and a blood red pinstripe vest—the choice is yours!

We hope you enjoyed reading through our take on wearing a vest with suits. And now that you know these bits and pieces of information, don't forget to slay in style!