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| You can visit the market in style wearing your waistcoat. |
Anyone who once in his lifetime have worn a suit, attended any special occasion or watched how men with style and power dress in the movies will with no doubt know what a waist coat is. Waistcoats are a part of the fashion world as we know it and is a piece most people can't do without.
It has become an integral part of the suit-tuxedo outfit. And a tuxedo without a waistcoat is just not complete. A single sight and you know something is missing.
Seeing how important waistcoats are to a classy and stylish image, there is the need to know how to really pick and wear it. The fit, the design, the size has to be just right for the perfect classy appeal we are looking for.
So in this article, I will be addressing the following:
1. How a waistcoat should fit / mistake that can ruin your style.
2. Type of waistcoat.
- By lapel.
- By pockets.
- By botton.
3. Ways to wear your waistcoat.
Okay let's move forward....
How a waistcoat should fit; common mistakes to avoid.
When you talk about fit in general, unless we are purposefully going for larger sizes, our wears shouldn't be too loose or too tight - it should be just right for our body size.
And just right can be stated in these few points I will be listing below.
The shoulder of the waistcoat should always be flat on your body. No puffs or folds should be visible.
The vest must be long enough to cover your belt. And I mean long enough. Not too long that it extends more and not too short that your beltline is visible.
The waistcoat should not be too tight that it becomes uncomfortable or too loose that the form is destroyed in the process.
Also, adjusters should be included in the waistcoat during design so it can be used to tighten or loosen the vest as the case may be. There are two types of adjuster a waist coat can have; the side adjuster and the back adjuster.
And as a rule of thumb, some stylist advises that you should always unbutton the last button on your waistcoat. Do you think so? For me that's a yes if I feel like wearing a waistcoat.
Aside from leaving the last button free, you should ditch the belt and use suspenders when going for a three-piece suit format. It frees the waist.
Types of Waistcoat.
Talking about the types of waistcoats, will involve more than just numbers of button and lapel types, so I broke it down into three sections for easier understanding and application. So we will discuss waistcoats under these types: Lapels, Pockets and Buttons.
By lapel.
For types according to lapels, there consist three major ones; the notched lapel, the peak lapel and the shawl lapel.
Lapels are, if I may put it in my terms, a form of collar that trails the neck line of vest on both sides. Some waistcoat don't have it while others do.
By pockets.
For pockets there exist four basic types based on design choice; it goes along in this format.
No pockets. These are vest with no pockets. The designer didn't see any need for pockets in this type.
Two lower pockets. These waistcoats comes with two lower pockets, one on each side.
Two lower, one upper. Adding to the two lower pocket is a breast pocket at either side making the pocket count three.
Two lower and two upper. A total of four pockets for a waistcoat. If you ask me, I think that's too much but if it's what you like no prob, go for it
By button.
For waistcoats buttons are essential, but they come in three styles: the single, the double and the asymmetrical button. And nomatter which style you pick, it comes with a variety of bottom numbers that counts from one up to six as the case may be.
There is even a basic botton style that do away with the need for the v shape and instead make the neckline a turtle neck.
Ways to wear your waistcoat.
After conducting my research on this waistcoat guide, I decided to add a few waistcoat wearing and styling ideas so I don't leave you without any inspiring visage to make you thirsty, thereby invoking your style sense a little bit.
So let's move forward...
The Regular Suit Combo
When we hear the line: wearing a waistcoat. What we instinctively think about is this. The waistcoat on a classic long sleeve shirt and a matching suit on. This is just the basic format of the waistcoat world. Men love it, women love it. The classic 3-piece.
Without an Outer Coat
Closely following the first is the second. Here you don't need the suit or the coat. The waistcoat is the last layer you highlight to pull off this other facet of the classic look.
With the classic long sleeve shirt properly tucked in and a vintage tie. It's like a formula to untapped classic vibes.
Untucked and Unbuttoned.
Coming to the casual side of things, the waistcoat never fails to deliver a special touch to any style you're planning to pull off.
Waistcoats with Zippers.
With the creativity of man, someone thought of giving zips to waistcoats in place of unzipped pockets. I think that's a quirky move that has a very good intention behind it. At least your wallet or phone won't fall off anything you bend down.
With the Notched Lapel.
If you want to add more style to the one you have designed, then you can substitute your vest for the kind with the notched lapel. So you can take that outfit up a notch. 😉
As the Hook for your Pocket Watch.
For those of you who love the vibes of yesteryears, the waistcoat gives you an excuse to bring your Pocket watch along with you for the occasion. With this, you can stylishly expose the links in a creative and attractive style.
With an Overcoat.
At times you just don't want to wear a regular cat even if you feel like wearing one then you can always style your best with an overcoat. You shouldn't be surprised with this one, I am sure you must have seen this style in one or two movies.
Without a Neck Tie.
One of the numerous ways to pull off a waistcoat and suit combo is to do away with the necktie. This is a smartcasual setup for the more casual work day.
With a Bowtie and a Flower.
With this photo I am thinking a wedding or for lack of better words, a special event. Its a little bit painful that I couldn't lay my hand the whole photo. This is just so nice to look at.
Waistcoats for a Casual Outing.
As I have said, there are a lot of ways to wear your waistcoat and this is one of them. So relax and not on edge, finding happiness in your fashion or... passion.
With a Scarf for the Road.
When wearing a vest it is easy to switch your necktie for a scarf. It's not a common outfit but it's sure to grab attention and make a good first impression for this seeing it for the first time.
Solid Colored Waistcoat on a Body fitting Long sleeve Shirt.
Since no one said waistcoat are for button down tops only, I think you can always try a vest on your next fitted buttonless top and drum away as your sing. This color combo is one perfect combo for the night.
On Casual Tops without Collars.
Time to let go of your collars, I mean shirt collars. With or without collars waistcoat can and will look good on you. So long as you know the setting you are gracing with your presence and style.
Waistcoat as a wear is a stable for some special events and casual days, so knowing how to style it for optimum effect is a compulsory skill we all must be armed with.
Thanks for reading and see ya...
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