How to wear a vest and not give waitress vibes
Did you buy a vest, but just can’t figure out how to style it without looking like a waitress? Yeah, me too. I bought a black waistcoat from Zara last summer and only wore it once, with a pleated mini skirt and chunky sneakers; but every time I tried to style it with trousers, it never felt quite right.
Fast forward to now: spring has arrived, and with warmer days on the horizon we must figure out how to style those vests! For both our sakes–we’re in this together, dear reader–I have been researching, moodboarding, and observing… and I think I finally figured it out. Here are six tips on how not to give waitress vibes when wearing your tailored vests.
But first, a general word of advice…
I think this general rule applies to all the six tips I’m about to share: in order for your vest to work, you need to take it as far away from business casual as possible. NO business, ALL casual. Got it? Great. Let’s dive in.
1. Choose a casual fabric
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If you haven’t bought your fated vest yet, this is for you: rather than the classic navy or black cotton, go for a more casual and unusual material: denim, leather, linen, etc.
-30%
Twinset
Waistcoats, female, Blue, S, Vests
£139.20
£198.36
Miinto
-40%
Sir.
Leone draped vest Grey
£192.00
£320.00
Mytheresa
-26%
HUGO BOSS
Waistcoats, female, Black, L, Black Vest 3-Button Jacket
£108.75
£147.91
Miinto
Sportmax
Dama denim vest Blue
£290.00
Mytheresa
For the ultimate effortless look, wear your vest with nothing underneath–except maybe a bra or a bandeau top–. If sleeveless isn’t your vibe, a baggy white t-shirt works too!
If you’re in the market for a two-piece suit, I would suggest going for a fun, casual colour: any shade of pink, bottle green, even cream or off-white. Avoiding classic “office” colours like black, navy, or grey will help you feel less stuffy.
-20%
Frankie Shop
Gelso vest Pink
£160.00
£200.00
Mytheresa
Frankie Shop
Gelso high-rise wide-leg pants Grey
£165.00
Mytheresa
-50%
Pinko
Cardigans, female, White, XS, Transparent Tulle Cardigan
£115.28
£230.55
Miinto
Frankie Shop
Gelso wide-leg pants Beige
£215.00
Mytheresa
-20%
Frankie Shop
Gelso vest Grey
£156.00
£195.00
Mytheresa
4. Trousers: dos and don'ts
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Since “chill and effortless” is our goal here, it might be a good idea to pair your vest with the chillest trousers of all: jeans. Any colour vest will work great with medium wash, dark wash, and even black denims. This, of course, doesn’t mean you necessarily have to stay away from slacks! I have found that slacks work best when in contrast with your vest: so, say, a dark vest with light slacks, or vice versa.
-33%
AllSaints
Cotton Ember Sparkle Embellished Jeans, Size: 27 Blue
£106.00
£159.00
AllSaints
-74%
Diesel
Stretch Denim Jeans SLANDY High Rise 11cm L.32 size 26
£40.89
£159.73
GLAMOOD
Ganni
Soft Rigid Denim Baggy Jeans Blue
£275.00
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Taking the time to reflect on proportions will most definitely help you feel cool in your vest. Pair cropped, fitted, or skin-tight vests with baggy trousers, and oversized vests with shorts or mini skirts. Amy Smilovic, founder and creative director of Tibi, always stresses the importance of balancing “big/slim/skin” in an outfit. Words to live by!
-30%
Clarks
Howard Cap Standard Fit Black
£49.00
£70.00
Clarks
Burberry
Cotton Polo Shirt White
£325.00
Burberry
Clarks
Wallabee Standard Fit Brown
£135.00
Clarks
-30%
New Balance
Womens 327 in Grey Suede/Mesh, size 3.5 Narrow
£70.00
£100.00
New Balance
-30%
New Balance
Mens 237 in Green/White Suede/Mesh, size 10.5
£63.00
£90.00
New Balance
New Balance
Mens 327 in Black/White Suede/Mesh, size 10.5
£100.00
New Balance
-50%
AllSaints
Polyester Leanne Straight Leg Trousers, Size: UK 16/US 12 White
£59.00
£119.00
AllSaints
Roman
Wide Leg Ponte Stretch Trouser Black
£25.00
Roman
MR MARVIS
Midnights * The Coolerdays Blue
£119.00
MR MARVIS
-80%
Ql2 Quelledue
Flared Corduroy Pants with Patch Pocket size 44
£67.35
£336.73
GLAMOOD
Vivienne Westwood
Lauren Trousers Hemp-wool Drill Black-beige 40 Women
£550.00
Vivienne Westwood
-41%
Fat Face
FatFace Luna Bright Red Wide Leg Trousers
£35.00
£59.00
FatFace
Roman
Front Seam Stretch Trouser Blue
£28.00
Roman
I have found that, when styling a vest, your choice of shoes and accessories has the power to make or break your outfit. As we were saying before, our goal is to stay away from business casual as much as possible, and our accessories should reflect that.
As for the shoes, a pair of flat sandals or dad sneakers will do the trick. When picking your handbag for the day, go for a slouchy pouch, a tote bag, or a chill shoulder bag.
Remember, NO business, ALL casual!
Antler
Icon Slingbag In Sand
£55.00
Antler
-25%
Clarks
Topsham Willow Standard Green
£45.00
£60.00
Clarks
-40%
Fat Face
FatFace Natural Straw Shopper Bag
£24.00
£40.00
FatFace
Clarks
Organic Cotton Tote Bag Standard Black
£9.00
Clarks
-38%
Emporio Armani
Shopper-type bag Black
£172.26
£277.53
Miinto
Burberry
Mini Freya Tote Brown
£995.00
Burberry
-25%
Ralph Lauren
Shopping Bags, female, Black, ONE SIZE, Keaton 31 Tote Large
£138.33
£184.44
Miinto
Clarks
Topsham Willow Standard Brown
£60.00
Clarks
And there you have it! Now go dust off your waistcoat, follow these tips, and show them how it’s done!
-34%
AllSaints
Cotton Laura Embellished Denim Waistcoat, Size: XS/S Blue
£131.00
£199.00
AllSaints
-50%
AllSaints
Womens Lyocell Averie Tencel Relaxed Fit Waistcoat, Size: UK 8/US 4 Blue
£79.00
£159.00
AllSaints
-54%
Frenken
Waistcoat Oversized Black
£205.00
£449.00
Labels
-60%
AllSaints
Womens Lyocell/Modal Averie Tencel Relaxed Fit Waistcoat, Size: UK 10/US 6 Blue
£64.00
£159.00
AllSaints
DUSK
Buttoned Knit Waistcoat Grey
£32.00
Roman
-40%
AllSaints
Lyocell Averie Tencel Wide Leg Linen Blend Trousers, Size: UK 14/US 10 Grey
£107.00
£179.00
AllSaints
-40%
Sandro
Cable knit jacket Beige
£125.40
£209.00
Sandro
