Waistcoat

thumb|right|A traditional waistcoat, to be worn with a two-piece suit or separate jacket and trousers

A waistcoat (UK and Commonwealth, or ; colloquially called a weskit) or vest (US and Canada) is a sleeveless upper-body garment. It is usually worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear. It is also sported as the third piece in the traditional three-piece male suit. Any given waistcoat can be simple or ornate, or for leisure or luxury. Historically, the waistcoat can be worn either in the place of, or underneath, a larger coat, dependent upon the weather, wearer, and setting. The term waistcoat was also used to refer to a type of short jacket worn by women in England since at least the 16th century.

Diarist Samuel Pepys records "vest" in 1666 as the original English term for the garment. The word "waistcoat" derives from the cutting of the coat at waist-level, since at the time of the coining, tailors cut men's formal coats well below the waist (as with dress coats). An alternative theory is that, as material was left over from the tailoring of a two-piece suit, it was fashioned into a "waste-coat" to avoid that material being wasted, although recent academic debate has cast doubt on this theory. During the 17th century, troops of the regular army – and to some degree also local militia – wore waistcoats which were the reverse colour of their overcoats. It is believed that these were made by turning old worn-out standard issue overcoats inside-out (so that the lining colour appeared on the outside) and removing the sleeves. The term "waistcoat" might therefore also be derived from the wastage of the old coat.

Characteristics and use

thumb|A young man wearing a modern waistcoat

A waistcoat has a full vertical opening in the front, which fastens with buttons or press studs (snaps in North America). Both single-breasted and double-breasted waistcoats exist, regardless of the formality of dress, but single-breasted ones are more common. In a three piece suit, the cloth used matches the jacket and trousers. Waistcoats can also have lapels or revers depending on the style.

Before wristwatches became popular, gentlemen kept their pocket watches in the front waistcoat pocket, with the watch on a watch chain threaded through a buttonhole. Sometimes an extra hole was made in line with the pockets for this use. A bar on the end of the chain held it in place to catch the chain if it were dropped or pulled.

Wearing a belt with a waistcoat, and indeed any suit, is not traditional. To give a more comfortable hang to the trousers, the waistcoat instead covers a pair of braces underneath it.

A custom still sometimes practised is to leave the bottom button undone. Several explanations are popularly given for the origin of this practice. One often-cited one falsely claims that the custom was started by Edward VII (then the Prince of Wales), whose expanding waistline required it. Variations on this myth include that he forgot to fasten the lower button when dressing and this was copied.

It has also been suggested that the practice originated to prevent the waistcoat riding up when on horseback. Undoing the bottom button avoids stress to the bottom button when sitting down; when it is fastened, the bottom of the waistcoat pulls sideways causing wrinkling and bulging, since modern waistcoats are cut lower than old ones.

alt=Man wearing waistcoat without shirt|thumb|Man wearing waistcoat without shirt

Scouting

In the Girl Scouts of the USA, vests are used as an alternative to the sash for the display of badges.

Sport

Waistcoats, alongside bowties, are commonly worn by billiard players during a tournament. It is usually worn in snooker and blackball tournaments in the United Kingdom.

History

right|thumb|Man's sleeved [[waistcoat (Garthwaite/Lekeux)|waistcoat of silk woven to shape, 1747.]]

The predecessors to the waistcoat are the Middle Age-era doublet and gambeson.

Various types of waistcoats may have been worn in theatrical manners such as performances and masquerades prior to what is said to be the early origins of the vest.

The brightly coloured silk waistcoats popularised in France and England from the 17th century became an element of the ensemble that presaged the development of the three-piece lounge suit, together with the cravat, derived from a scarf worn by Croatian mercenaries fighting for King Louis XIII of France, and the justacorps, a coat influenced by the long zupans worn in Poland and Ukraine.

17th–18th centuries

In France, from the mid-17th century, the "" was worn to mid-thigh or knee-length, beneath a justacorps. The garment was long-sleeved. Both and justacorps were worn in court circles in highly ornate styles. In 1662, Louis XIV granted, as a mark of special favour, select courtiers (around forty) permission to wear exclusive justaucorps and , elaborately styled to echo the king's own.

In October 1666, King Charles II of England launched a new fashion in men's wear for the English. The item was a long piece donned beneath the coat that was meant to be seen. Scholar Diana De Marly suggests that the formation of such a mode of dress acted as a response to French fashion being so dominant in the time period. While in the 17th and 18th centuries, waistcoats were often elaborate and brightly coloured, changing fashions in the nineteenth century narrowed this to a more restricted palette, leading to the matching waistcoats worn with lounge suits.

The garmentand Charles II's championing of itis mentioned in a diary entry of October 8, 1666 by Samuel Pepys, the diarist and civil servant. He noted that "the King hath yesterday in council declared his resolution of setting a fashion for clothes which he will never alter. It will be a vest, I know not well how; but it is to teach the nobility thrift." This royal decree provided the first documented mention of the vest or waistcoat.

John Evelyn wrote about waistcoats on October 18, 1666: "To Court, it being the first time his Majesty put himself solemnly into the Eastern fashion of vest, changing doublet, stiff collar, bands and cloak, into a comely dress after the Persian mode, with girdles or straps, and shoestrings and garters into buckles... resolving never to alter it, and to leave the French mode". While Evelyn designated the costume Persian, it was more directly influenced by the Turkish.

The general layout of the vest at its introduction by Charles II was: buttons very closely sewn together, arranged in two rows, lining the front body of the vest, visible underneath a wide-open coat face. The vest was only popular for about seven years after its introduction by Charles; the king soon reverted to French styles. While the vest died out in elite city spaces, it lingered on in the provinces. In 1678 it was reintroduced throughout Europe, attaining high-fashion status again.

French fashions were a dominant influence in the royal courts of Europe throughout the 18th century. From the late 17th century, Spanish royals and nobility were incorporating French garments such as the (as the "" in Spanish) and justacorps into male dress, at least for wear at private occasions. Away from court, Carlos II () dressed in the French style; outfits in the Spanish style continued to be worn by the king and his courtiers for official purposes and court events. By the end of Felipe V's reign () the waistcoat, along with other French men's garments, had been fully adopted in Spain. Wearing Spanish styles at court remained customary during Felipe's reign, however, as these were strongly associated with Spain's national identity.

Over the first half of the 18th century, the vest evolved from a collarless, sleeved, straight-cut garment, with closely spaced buttons from hem to neck. At first the same length as the covering jacket, by mid-century the vest was becoming shorter. Where the earlier models were left unbuttoned above the abdomen, so that the lace or fabric of the shirt could be seen, later, cutting the front panels to curve away at the top become more usual. The straight cut, with slits from the waist at the sides and back to allow free movement, gave way to fuller, flared skirts. In the early 18th century, the sleeves and back would often be made from plainer fabrics; by the end of the century waistcoats were often sleeveless.

19th century

thumb|upright=1.4|[[John Constable, detail from The Cornfield (1826), National Gallery, London]]

After the French Revolution of 1789, anti-aristocratic sentiment in France (and elsewhere in Europe) influenced the wardrobes of both men and women, and waistcoats followed, becoming much less elaborate. After about 1810 the fit of the waistcoat became shorter and tighter, becoming much more secondary to the frock coat and almost counting as an undergarment, although its popularity was larger than ever. With the new dandyism of the early 19th century, the waistcoat started to change roles, moving away from its function as the centrepiece of the visual aspect of male clothing, towards serving as a foundation garment, often with figure-enhancing abilities.

From the 1820s onwards, elite gentlemenat least those among the more fashionable circles, especially the younger set and the militarywore corsets. The waistcoat served to emphasise the new popularity of the cinched-in waist for males, and became skin-tight, with the overcoat cut to emphasise the figure: broader shoulders, a pouting chest, and a nipped-in waist. Without a corset, a man's waistcoat often had whalebone stiffeners and were laced in the back, with reinforced buttons up the front, so that one could pull the lacings in tight to mould the waist into the fashionable silhouette. Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, had a reputation for his tight corsets and tiny waist; and although he lacked popularity during his early reign, men followed his style, and waistcoats became even more restrictive.

This fashion remained throughout the 19th century, although after about 1850 the style changed from that of a corseted look to a straighter line, with less restriction at the waist, so that the waistcoat followed a straighter line up the torso. Toward the end of the century, the Edwardian look made a larger physique more popular—King Edward VII having a large figure.

20th–21st centuries

Waistcoats are popular within the indie and steampunk subcultures in the United States. Vests are often worn both open or closed, over dress shirts and even t-shirts.

Non-formal types of waistcoat have been used in workers uniforms, such as at Walmart prior to 2007, and as high-visibility clothing (usually the bright "safety orange" colour).

During the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the manager of the England football team, Gareth Southgate, was often seen wearing a waistcoat. British retailer Marks & Spencer, the official suit provider for the national team, reported a 35% increase in waistcoat sales during England's first five games at the tournament. Fashion search platform Lyst also reported that online waistcoat searches increased by over 41% during the course of the World Cup. Part-way through the tournament, the Museum of London announced that it hoped to acquire Gareth Southgate's waistcoat in order to display it as part of its permanent collection of historic clothing. In the run up to England's semi-final match against Croatia, the blood cancer charity, Bloodwise, encouraged fans to take part in 'Waistcoat Wednesday' to help raise funds for the charity, while also supporting the England team.

Preliminary timeline and evolution

thumb|1800 British Male Court Coat and Waistcoat: Made of Embroidered Velvet and Satin|left

England

Circa 1660–1700

King Charles II inaugurated the "vest" (waistcoat) along with the modern ideal of the three-piece suit. The waistcoats of these three-piece ensembles were the same length as the coat worn over it, most likely knee length, and could be worn for either warmth or display.

Circa 1750–1770

Nearly halfway through the century, waistcoats became longer and overlapped with the breeches.

Bar vest: A leather vest that worn primarily by gay leathermen as a fetish garment. Usually it has no buttons on the front.
Robotic tech vest: a vest to ward off robots

Gallery

File:Vest MET CI39.13.136 F.jpg|1780-1795 American or European silk vest

File:Vest MET CI39.13.150 B.jpg|1795-1800 American or European silk vest

File:Vest MET CI39.13.154 F.jpg|1800-1815 American or European silk vest

File:Vest MET CI39.13.159 F.jpg|1823 American or European vest

File:Vest MET CI38.23.43 B.jpg|1830-1849 American or European vest

File:Evening vest MET 48.107.1 CP4.jpg|1838 American embellished evening vest

File:Vest MET CI43.126.93.jpg|1840 American or European vest

File:Vest MET CI46.87.7 F.jpg|1850 European silk vest

File:Vest MET CI53.15.4 F.jpg|Mid-19th century American cotton vest

File:Vest MET 1982.82.20 F.jpg|Mid-19th century American linen and wool vest

File:Vest MET C.I.38.23.272 F.jpg|1850-1889 American or European vest

File:Vest MET CI41.40.1 F.jpg| American silk vest

File:Vest MET CI39.13.9 B.jpg|1880 European leather and wool vest

File:Vest MET CI50.49.5 F.jpg|1885-1890 American or European vest

File:Vest MET CI42.90.1 B.jpg|1892 American silk vest

File:Al Capone in 1930.jpg|1930 Three-piece suit (worn by Al Capone)

File:Back of leather vest of a Latin American Motorcycle Association member.jpg|Cut-off biker vest

File:Argyle pattern sweater vest.jpg|Sweater vest

File:James Irwin, videographer.jpg|Fisherman's vest

File:French waistcoat.jpg|French waistcoat in silk, , LACMA.

File:Man's waistcoat with corded quilting c. 1760.jpg|French waistcoat in cotton, circa 1760, LACMA.

File:Child's Beaded Waistcoat, late 19th or early 20th century, X98.jpg|Child's beaded waistcoat, Sioux (Native American), late 19th or early 20th century, Brooklyn Museum

File:Ruthie Morris 1994 01.jpg|Guitarist Ruthie Morris of Magnapop wearing a leopard print vest on stage

File:Traditional suit with black waistcoat 2025.jpg|A woman wearing a black waistcoat

File:Sabaton – Elbriot 2016 08.jpg|Joakim Brodén of Sabaton is known for wearing a distinctive vest with metal plates when performing with the band.

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References

External links

Waistcoats in the collections of the Bowes Museum
Waistcoats in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Waistcoats on the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum