How to Properly Fit and Wear a Suit Vest

Wearing a suit vest is often considered old-fashioned, but it’s making a notable comeback.

In the past few decades, this traditional look has fallen by the wayside, but it was never considered out of style.

Thankfully, more men are rediscovering how sophisticated this style is.

Now is a great time to fall back in love with the classic three-piece suit! You can very easily incorporate a suit vest into your wardrobe, and it will instantly revitalize your look.

What is a Vest?

A vest is any piece of fabric without sleeves worn over another piece of clothing, generally a shirt.

You may sometimes hear it called a waistcoat. You’ll find many different types of vests in fashion, in both women’s wear and men’s wear.

When men wear a vest, it is most often the third part of a three-piece suit. In fact, it’s the main distinguishing feature of a two vs. three-piece suit.

The word “vest” is originally a French term, “veste,” meaning either a jacket or a sports coat. Today, the French use the term “gilet” instead to indicate a vest or waistcoat.

One can trace the term back to the Ottoman Empire, when the Turks called this garment “yalek.” Thus, this style of men’s fashion has a long, deep-rooted history.

Vest vs. Waistcoat

So, what exactly is the difference between a vest and a waistcoat? Most people use the two terms interchangeably, even though they differ.

As I stated above, a vest is any sleeveless garment you wear over another article of clothing on your torso. Technically, a vest can be very informal.

It can be made of any material. It can be knit, such as a sweater vest. In fact, it can even be worn as outerwear in cool weather.

On the other hand, a waistcoat must be worn with a jacket and a tie. It is a dressier vest style. It’s usually cut lower in the front; it may have only a few buttons, while a vest can button much of the way up your torso.

When referring to either of these articles of men’s clothing, you can call a waistcoat a vest, but not the other way around. All waistcoats are types of vests, but not all vests are waistcoats.

Single-Breasted Vest

The single-breasted vest is a far more common variant. It usually comes with 3 to 6 buttons. The most traditional choice is the five-button single-breasted vest.

Your vest should have at least one more button than your suit. Thus, if you’re wearing a three-button suit, your vest should have at least four buttons.

Double-Breasted Vest

The double-breasted vest is less common but more formal than the single-breasted. Most double-breasted vests have 4 to 8 buttons, the most common being six.

Double-breasted vests should always be fully buttoned. Usually, they feature peaked lapels, making them more sophisticated and stylish.

How to Fit the Suit Vest

As with all clothes, the proper fit is important for comfort and appearance. Many men claim they hate wearing suits because they feel uncomfortable.

What they don’t realize is that the nature of the clothes isn’t the cause of this discomfort. It’s because the suit fits badly.

A suit vest, and indeed your entire suit, should feel so comfortable you could almost forget you’re wearing it.

A well-fitting outfit will always make a good impression. You’ll look organized and trim and come across as professional.

On the other hand, if your suit is too big, you will look disheveled and possibly older than you really are.

If it’s too tight, you will look like you’ve gained weight or borrowed someone else’s clothes.

The Front

A suit vest should be slim cut and tapered slightly at the waist. This creates a very tailored look, which is what you want from your vest. You’ll look baggy and unkempt if it just hangs straight down your torso.

The shoulders should be snug and lie flat against your body. There shouldn’t be any gapping of the shoulder line.

The armholes should sit high on your underarms for a better fit. If the vest buttons strain or pull, it’s too small and needs some alterations.

The neckline of your vest creates a V-shape and rises relatively high against your chest. The shape of the V should be narrow enough so that others can see a hint of your vest when you button your suit jacket.

Your vest should have at least one more button than your suit jacket. And remember to leave your bottom button undone.

Generally, most suit vests will be single-breasted. However, in those rare instances when you are wearing a double-breasted suit vest, it will likely have lapels.

Most commonly, you’ll find peak or shawl lapels on double-breasted vests. But again, you should always keep your jacket on because it will be a more formal occasion.

The Back

Suit vests almost always have a buckle at the back to adjust the waist. This can help make the vest slimmer or give you breathing room.

Just don’t loosen the buckle so much that your vest looks baggy.

Again, there should be no gaps around the armholes or the shoulder straps, even in the back. A good fit will sit smoothly against the body.

Suit Vest Length

The length of your suit vest is crucial. It needs to cover your whole waist and fall past your pant line. In addition, it needs to fall around 1″ below the waistline of your pants.

At no time should your dress shirt poke out from underneath your suit vest.

If this happens, your vest is most likely too small. You can fix this issue by moving up a size, even if you need a tailor to adjust the shoulders and armholes.

A suit vest will often be longer in the front than in the back, forming points on either side of the opening.

How to Wear the Vest with a Suit

The secret to wearing a vest is choosing the right one for your suit. You have two options when going with a vest.

Your first choice is to wear a vest that’s part of a three-piece suit. It will usually be an exact match to the suit jacket and pants; the material and the fabric will be the same.

If you are not looking for a vest that matches your suit, you can go with a contrasting vest. This choice will still need to be the right material and color for your vest.

The details of your vest matter, as well. It should be made from quality material, with buttons that aren’t cheap plastic.

The Vest as Part of a Three-Piece Suit

A three-piece suit is a formal approach to the standard suit. It is a very traditional look and gives off an air of extreme professionalism.

The vest of a three-piece suit is usually the same color and material as the jacket and pants, but it doesn’t have to be.

For example, if your suit is black, you may substitute another very dark color for the vest.

This only goes, however, if you are not attending a black-tie event. If your event is black-tie, the vest (or waistcoat) must also be black.

With a three-piece suit, if the material of your suit jacket is a solid color, the vest must also be solid. However, if you have a patterned suit jacket, the vest should be patterned as well. The patterns must match.

Wearing a Contrasting Vest with a Suit

Mixing things up a bit is perfectly fine, and opt for a vest that stands out from the rest of your suit. However, it is best to coordinate your colors according to the color wheel.

You don’t want to go for too great a contrast, but something complementary in color. For example, a pale yellow vest would look stunning with a royal blue suit at a spring wedding.

Another way to break the mold would be to mix patterns and solids. If your suit is a solid color, you can try a lightly patterned suit with it.

When you opt for a contrasting vest with your suit, it becomes the focal point of your outfit. Typically, it is only meant to blend in. A contrasting vest is a greater fashion risk but has high rewards.

Suit Vest Color Combinations

As said, the vest can always be paired with the original suit. Broadly speaking, you should always be able to match the vest with the same color suit.

But a contrasting vest can completely change the look and feel of a suit.

Wearing a suit with a different color vest immediately makes you look less formal and less intimidating. It can also be helpful if the vest color is in some way linked to the rest of your outfit.

Black Vest

A black vest is extremely versatile. It goes well with several looks, from formal to almost casual. For the most formal look, pair your black vest with a black suit. This is ideal for formal occasions and weddings.

At the other end of the fashion spectrum, your black vest can also create a relaxed and comfortable look. Simply wear it with casual black trousers, a light blue chambray shirt, and black or brown leather boots.

You can wear a black vest with charcoal grey trousers, a light blue chambray shirt, and brown leather boots. Alternatively, wear it with a navy suit and black shoes.

Add a crisp white shirt, and you’re good to go. A contrasting red tie would look great here, too. You can also combine your black vest with charcoal grey pants, but avoid wearing a jacket.

Blue Suit Vest

A blue suit vest offers a fresher, slightly less formal look than darker tones. It pairs well with grey or charcoal trousers and a crisp white or light blue shirt. For a cohesive outfit, add a navy jacket and brown leather shoes.

Blue also works nicely with burgundy or patterned ties, adding a subtle touch of color without overwhelming the outfit.

To move it up a notch, a navy suit vest is one of the most versatile options a man can own.

The safest and most classic choice is to wear it with a matching navy suit, creating a polished and elegant appearance suitable for business settings or formal events.

For a slightly more relaxed style, pair a navy vest with grey or charcoal trousers and a white shirt. Burgundy, dark red, or patterned ties complement navy particularly well.

Navy also works nicely with brown leather shoes, making it easy to transition from formal to smart-casual outfits.

Grey Suit Vest

A grey vest and a pair of well-fitting black trousers or jeans are investment pieces every man should own.

Grey goes great with navy, black, and red. These colors suit most men. But if red isn’t your color, swap it for another hue, like burgundy.

Combine the grey vest with matching grey pants, but wear a dark navy jacket over the top. Alternatively, mix the grey vest and black jeans, but leave the jacket at home.

This look is perfect for autumn days when you can get by without wearing those extra layers.

Brown Suit Vest

A brown suit vest doesn’t just pair with its original brown pants and jacket. Brown pairs well with blue. For example, try navy pants with a light blue dress shirt and a brown vest.

Add dark brown shoes to your outfit. Pick a tie with a navy background, brown accents, and perhaps a few contrasts of an even lighter blue.

If you want to wear your brown vest in a completely different way, pair it with a well-fitting pair of blue jeans. Then, add a pair of brown leather shoes and don a white, open-neck shirt.

Finish the look off with your brown vest and matching jacket. Casual? Sure. But darned stylish, too.

How to Pair the Vest with Other Attire

Your suit isn’t the only thing you need to ensure that goes well with your suit vest. Many elements flow together, some better than others.

We’ve established that a waistcoat is meant for more formal wear, where there isn’t usually much room for play. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun with your suit vest.

Suspenders or Belt

Suspenders are your best choice to wear beneath your suit vest. A suit vest is designed to hide your suspenders very well.

It can also hide your belt reasonably well, but belts add bulk around your middle.

Since the vest is already an extra layer of fabric around your waist, why add another dimension with a belt? Not only will you look a bit slimmer, but you’ll feel less encumbered.

But don’t get me wrong. It’s still OK to wear a belt with a suit vest.

And suspenders are more fun than belts, anyhow. They come in various styles and colors, which you can change out for a new splash of color each time you wear your suit.

Necktie or Bow Tie

Bow ties are inherently more formal than neckties. A black-tie event not only means that the tie is black but is almost always a bow tie. They go best with formal vests or waistcoats.

Contrary to popular belief, bow ties can actually pair well with your standard three-piece suit, not just tuxedos.

Read more: How to match a bow tie with a suit.

Neckties are another excellent way to add color and personality to your suit. You can add a tie in a complementary or neutral color, depending on how flashy you feel like going.

This is also an excellent opportunity to add a tasteful pattern to your otherwise all-solid outfit.

Jeans for a Casual Look

If you aim for a smart-casual look, jeans paired with a vest are an excellent way to achieve that.

The right jeans are essential, though. They should be dark and preferably have a slim cut. In fact, this look is becoming very popular these days.

It’s a great way to convey “casual” while showing that you put significant effort into your appearance.

While jeans are acceptable for this smart-casual look, a t-shirt is never part of this look. It is simply too relaxed and can make you look sloppy.

But the good news is that you can leave off the suit jacket or blazer with this casual vest style!

Where to Wear a Vest

The most formal occasion where you will always need to wear a vest is a black-tie event.

In this case, your vest (or, preferably, waistcoat) can have lapels and be made from the same fabric and color as the rest of your tuxedo. Oh, and you have to wear a tuxedo for black-tie events, not a suit.

On the other side, you can wear a suit vest for business formal settings, semi-formal occasions, and other casual events.

A vest is useful for adding an extra layer of warmth on autumn days when a two-piece suit won’t keep out the cold.

Pairing a contrasting vest with a suit is considered inappropriate in most formal business settings. If you prefer a contrasting vest and suit, be aware that this look is best suited to more informal occasions.

Also, if you’re headed for a job interview, leaving the vest at home is probably best.

A simple two-piece suit combined with an unobtrusive tie is usually enough to convince HR of your sense of style. And the last thing you want is to appear overly flamboyant.