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.

Yoyo Cao wears a pink shirt, pink vest, brown leather blazer with matching skirt and black boots.

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

A girl wears a light wash denim vest and matching jeans.

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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.

Twinset Waistcoats, female, Blue, S, Vests

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Waistcoats, female, Blue, S, Vests

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2. Wear nothing underneath

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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!

3. Matching sets: choose a fun colour!

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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.

Frankie Shop

Gelso Waistcoat - Womens - Rayon/TENCEL/Wool Black

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£225.00

Browns

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Frankie Shop

Gelso vest Pink

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£140.00 ~~£200.00~~

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Gelso Oversized Blazer - Womens - Rayon/TENCEL/Wool - XXS Black

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£310.00

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Frankie Shop

Gelso high-rise wide-leg pants Black

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£175.00

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Gelso Straight-Leg Trousers - Womens - Rayon/TENCEL/Wool Black

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£190.00

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Frankie Shop

Gelso wide-leg pants Beige

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£215.00

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Frankie Shop

Gelso Straight-Leg Trousers - Womens - Rayon/TENCEL/Wool Grey

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£190.00

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Frankie Shop

Gelso high-rise wide-leg pants Grey

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£165.00

Mytheresa

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4. Trousers: dos and don'ts

A guest wears black sunglasses, a black buttoned sleeveless gilet, a black shiny leather blazer jacket, a black shiny leather belt, blue denim faded ripped wide legs pants, a pale blue shiny faux leather handbag from Stella McCartney.

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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.

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Cotton Mathilde Relaxed Bootcut Jeans, Size: 25 Blue

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Diesel

Stretch Denim Jeans SLANDY High Rise 11cm L.32 size 26

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5. Be mindful of proportions

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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!

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Octavia Front Flap Top Handle Bag Brown

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Blue Cotton Red Ami De Coeur Hoodie Blue - XXL - Unisex

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Mens Tektrel in Black/Grey/Beige Synthetic, size 12.5

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Polyester Kaye Straight Fit Drawcord Trousers, Size: XS Blue

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Harem Pants NEVAL with Pleats size 40

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6. Shoes and accessories: dos and don'ts

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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!