# Must the vest match the suit?



## kevinsean (Jan 4, 2012)

I have seen a lot of really great three piece suits out there lately, and would love to start wearing three pieces myself. Trouble is, most of my suits are two piece, and the prospect of finding a matching vest is fairly slim to none.

So aside from buying a new wardrobe, what say the group, must the vest match the suit?


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## ismailmurtadza (Aug 4, 2009)

kevinsean,
Odd vest can be stylish.

murtadza


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## RM Bantista (May 30, 2009)

One does the odd vest at times. This is something that is not easily done, but it can be done with a bit of style. One thing, don't try to match the odd vest to the suit. It should complement but not copy. Bit tricky, but not out of the mainstream.
YMMV,
rudy


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## zzdocxx (Sep 26, 2011)

Seems like there was a rash of posts lately about tweed and tattersall and bright yellow and red vests, the kind that absolutely don't "match", there were posted some links to websites of places in England that had them for sale, can't think which off the top of my head.

It was within the last month or two if I am not mistaken.

Good luck!


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

A tattersall vest with a suit is an old classic. Will Boelke in A Suitable Wardrobe wrote a blog about it and it looks wonderful. If you don't have a tailor in mind, you could look up . Vests are all they do.


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

For business purposes, I think a waistcoat in the same cloth as the suit is advisable.


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## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

Bjorn said:


> For business purposes, I think a waistcoat in the same cloth as the suit is advisable.


I agree. And only a waistcoat in the same cloth will make it a 3-piece suit. Otherwise it's a 2-piece suit with an odd waistcoat. Tattersall waistcoats work well with casual tweed suits. With a dark city suit a light grey or buff waistcoat looks great for more formal daytime occasions.


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## Anthony Jordan (Apr 29, 2005)

While agreeing with the suggestion of a light grey or buff waistcoat, I also find that maroon or cream waistcoats can work in some contexts. Consider linen as well as light wool. It can also be a good opportunity to try some more unusual waistcoat types, such as lapelled or double-breasted waistcoats.


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## TheSubmariner (Mar 3, 2012)

One idea not brought up is to mix and match some of your casual suits with a complementary vest - think tweed jacket, cream vest, gray trousers, or something similar.


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

Yes, it can be done. Here are the conventions, as they appear to me:

1. Solid colored vests in light, neutral tones (pale grey, buff, ivory) read as very formal, since the same sort of vest is worn with morning dress or a SB stroller. These work best with a solid suit in traditional business colors - navy or grey. They can also work with a striped suit in city colors for something lightly more rakish. Either way, wearing such a vest will mark you as a dandy (or dandy-wannabe if you do it poorly). I will say that I do it a couple of times a month and have never been beaten up after school for it yet.

1a. Same as #1 but in linen for hot weather. Can read just as formal as 1, or slightly less formal, depending on how cut and worn.

2. Solid colored vests in country tones (burgundy, gold, bottle green) are inherently "country," and work best with suits of similar character. These are a slightly more polished substitute for a sweater vest.

3. Noisy tweed plaids are very country, and represent the full descent into country-squire patterns-everywhere indulgence. Better have at least 2 different animal species represented between your tie and pocketsquare to do it properly. Proceed at your own risk.

4. Tatersall plaids (smallish, open plaids showing more background than check, and most traditionally with a cream/ecru background) are of country descent, but have some precedent for being combined with city suits. Slightly rusticating, somewhat anglicizing in America (particularly if you've got tea stains and moth holes in it).

Those are the conventions as I perceive them. Others may view things differently.

Oops, just remembered a 5th option:

5. Brocaded/embroidered vest, usually in silk. I once had a law school prof who was also a sitting judge... he wore a different one of these every single day, at least when class or court was in session. You already know whether you can make this work. If there's any question, then you cannot. If you even have to *ask *the question, you cannot. If the question so much as *occurs* to you for a fleeting second as you fall asleep at night, you cannot. This one is way out there in the dandy stratosphere.


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## Showsomecuff (Sep 24, 2008)

I always thought an unmatching vest looked better. The matching 3 piece is okay too, but unmatching seems stylish to me.


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

I am thinking to perhaps get a cream, ivory or off white heavier linen waistcoat to wear with a navy suit this fall.


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## jonesjones (Mar 4, 2012)

Sure, it can be done. You need to be clever about it, though. Definitely some people have made it work before, I don't see why you should be any different.


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