# Different Color Waistcoat With A Suit



## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

Is it acceptable to wear a waistcoat that has a different color than the suit?Example:I have a grey waistcoat that I would like to wear with my three roll to two button navy suit.


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## Chase Hamilton (Jan 15, 2007)

I believe it is perfectly acceptable, WDF. Isn't that called wearing "an odd waistcoat?"



Kind Regards,

Chase


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## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

Chase Hamilton said:


> I believe it is perfectly acceptable, WDF. Isn't that called wearing "an odd waistcoat?"
> 
> Kind Regards,
> 
> Chase


You know,I was going to use that term but I was afraid it that it wouldn't be the correct term.By the way,since most people refer to me as WDF,I think I'm going to make that my signature.:icon_smile:


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## Ay329 (Sep 22, 2007)

Navy and grey are friends...nice combo per the navy suit with grey waistcoat


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## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

Thanks for the replies.Now that I know it's acceptable,I'm tryiong to think up other suit/waistcoat combos.Suggestions?


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## Aaron in Allentown (Oct 26, 2007)

I've been thinking about this myself. I have a stroller where the jacket and vest are both the same charcoal fabric.

I was thinking of getting a second vest for summertime wear, probably in buff linen.

I was wondering if it would be okay to wear this buff linen vest with my black and white glen plaid suit (1B SB peak lapel jacket).

I was thinking a SB vest with lapels.


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## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

Aaron in Allentown said:


> I've been thinking about this myself. I have a stroller where the jacket and vest are both the same charcoal fabric.
> 
> I was thinking of getting a second vest for summertime wear, probably in buff linen.
> 
> ...


I have a buff linen waistcoat which I use for morning dress and stroller in the Summer,but it's DB PL.


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## Aaron in Allentown (Oct 26, 2007)

welldressedfellow said:


> I have a buff linen waistcoat which I use for morning dress and stroller in the Summer,but it's DB PL.


Would you wear it with a lounge suit?


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

I was also wondering about wearing a vest with a sportcoat. I bought a three-piece, but I was thinking about mixing it up a bit and wearing the vest with a sportcoat and trousers or a suit. The three-piece can be seen here: https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showpost.php?p=832248&postcount=6543


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## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

Aaron in Allentown said:


> Would you wear it with a lounge suit?


No.I think DB waistcoats should be reserved for formalwear.


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## Sator (Jan 13, 2006)

Odd waistcoats are a wonderful way of giving your wardrobe a lot more variety. Try having them made up with understated checks or narrow pinstripes on a cream or dove grey background. Linen and cotton is more of a summer thing. 

I am also less fussy with the weight of cloth for waistcoating. I am quite happy for it to be 7 Oz or 20 Oz, silk, mohair, cotton, linen, cashmere or even super wools.


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## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

brokencycle said:


> I was also wondering about wearing a vest with a sportcoat. I bought a three-piece, but I was thinking about mixing it up a bit and wearing the vest with a sportcoat and trousers or a suit. The three-piece can be seen here: https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showpost.php?p=832248&postcount=6543


Both outfits look very nice!I could see that with a solid navy blue blazer.And congrats on proposing!I assume she said yes?


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## GrumF14 (Aug 25, 2008)

Sator said:


> I am also less fussy with the weight of cloth for waistcoating. I am quite happy for it to be 7 Oz or 20 Oz, silk, mohair, cotton, linen, cashmere or even super wools.


Oh no, Sator! But your standards! I actually wonder what you look like dressed up. I'd probably be very impressed, though I don't think I could pull much of it off.

That having been said, Welldressedfellow, you DO ask really good questions, many of which you beat me to!


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

welldressedfellow said:


> Both outfits look very nice!I could see that with a solid navy blue blazer.And congrats on proposing!I assume she said yes?


That is exactly what I was thinking of wearing it with. I recently aquired an Oxxford jacket on ebay, and am putting some silver buttons on it.

She did indeed say yes. That was perhaps the most nerve-wracking moments of my life. I was pretty confident on the answer, and I'm not a nervous person, but man...

And I thank you for your kind words. :icon_smile:


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## ErikinWest (Jun 18, 2008)

welldressedfellow said:


> Is it acceptable to wear a waistcoat that has a different color than the suit?Example:I have a grey waistcoat that I would like to wear with my three roll to two button navy suit.


Well I wear knitted vests (cashmere and cotton) over my jackets, and I think it's quite acceptable (in some of the Jeeve and Wooster episodes, Bertie wears knitted vests under his sports coat). Since I assume you're talking about the waistcoat designed to go with a suit, I think it could work, BUT, the waistcoat needs to be a different enough colour that it shows it's deliberate.

Post us a picture! I'd love to see it.
Cheers,
Erik


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## Bog (May 13, 2007)

GrumF14 said:


> Oh no, Sator! But your standards! I actually wonder what you look like dressed up.


When dressed, Sator is in white tie, just like his avatar.


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## Sator (Jan 13, 2006)

Suitable waistcoating is one of the hardest types of cloth to find. I like subtle designs in mine, however they needn't be as understated as coatings ('suitings'). Checks need to be smaller scaled, and stripes narrower than coatings.

I saw a 1960's TV programme the other day, and saw someone in a grey lounge and a cream waistcoat with a small, window pane check on it that I would love to get my hands on. The trouble is nobody designs cloths specifically as waistcoating any more.

Waistcoating also needn't be as heavy as coatings. Silks and linens were popular for waistcoatings precisely because they could be woven lighter than their woollen brethren. So there is a tradition of using lighter and rarefied cloths as waistcoating. That's why I'm quite happy to scour the Scabal and Zegna 8 Oz books of S150-200s looking for designs that would be a bit too much for a coat, but interesting enough for a waistcoat.

There is a tradition of wearing quite extravagantly fancy waistcoats:





































The extravagance got turned down after reaching its pinnacle in the early to mid-Victorian era, after which waistcoats were still fancy, but without being so loud:



















It used to be that the waistcoat - not the neckwear - was the point that a man could show off unique fancy designs. Fancy can indicate a fancy cloth or a fancy cut or both. This recent waistcoat is a fancy cut:










Those of you wary of the expense of bespoke should still consider a waistcoat. Some tailors charge quite reasonable prices for them. To get the interesting cuts, it has to be bespoke.


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## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

brokencycle said:


> That is exactly what I was thinking of wearing it with. I recently aquired an Oxxford jacket on ebay, and am putting some silver buttons on it.
> 
> She did indeed say yes. That was perhaps the most nerve-wracking moments of my life. I was pretty confident on the answer, and I'm not a nervous person, but man...
> 
> And I thank you for your kind words. :icon_smile:


Well congraulations!!I wish you all the best!


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## Aaron in Allentown (Oct 26, 2007)

Sator,

If I were able to find buff or sable colored fabric that had a luxurious but discreet self-color pattern woven into it (e.g. a damask with paisley or medallions), do you think it would be appropriate for wear with formal or semi-formal day wear? If so, would silk be acceptable, or just wool or linen?

Thanks for your help. I appreciate your insight on these matters.


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## Jim In Sunny So Calif (May 13, 2006)

A long time ago I had a cream with black and red tattersall vest that I wore with a blue blazer and with a hopsacking blue suit. I don't know if it would have gone well with a more formal blue suit - I expect not.

If you fancy an odd vest to wear with a tweed jacket, you might get a catalog from:

https://www.theandovershop.com/

They usually show some that I think look very nice.

Btw, you really need their catalog as their website does not show anything very well.

Cheers, Jim.


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## 82-Greg (Apr 13, 2008)

Sator: Love the peacock feather waistcoat.

I love the look of a contrasting or complementary colored odd waistcoat. In Ocean's 11, Carl Reiner wore a red odd waistcoat with a blue double-breasted coat. Looked fantastic.


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## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

Sator said:


> Odd waistcoats are a wonderful way of giving your wardrobe a lot more variety. Try having them made up with understated checks or narrow pinstripes on a cream or dove grey background. Linen and cotton is more of a summer thing.
> 
> I am also less fussy with the weight of cloth for waistcoating. I am quite happy for it to be 7 Oz or 20 Oz, silk, mohair, cotton, linen, cashmere or even super wools.


I have a black/white herringbone waistcoat that looks grey,could that be worn with a navy suit?


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## omanae (Aug 19, 2008)

Yeah, I think the gray appearance will make it work with the blue suit. Try it out once and see if your comfortable in it and have some accessories to bring it together. I really like the look of odd waistcoats, and am going to have more individual waistcoats made to mix and match with suits very soon.


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## Sator (Jan 13, 2006)

welldressedfellow said:


> I have a black/white herringbone waistcoat that looks grey,could that be worn with a navy suit?


It sounds good to me. I would prefer a charcoal grey lounge suit myself but navy will do just nicely.

The trick is to make sure you wear a plain shirt and tie, to allow the waistcoat to take over as the new centre of attention. That's how they put things together in the old fashion plates, and that timeless principle remains effective today.


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## thunderw21 (Sep 21, 2008)




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## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

Sator said:


> It sounds good to me. I would prefer a charcoal grey lounge suit myself but navy will do just nicely.
> 
> The trick is to make sure you wear a plain shirt and tie, to allow the waistcoat to take over as the new centre of attention. That's how they put things together in the old fashion plates, and that timeless principle remains effective today.


You know,I think it would look better with charcoal.


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## Aaron in Allentown (Oct 26, 2007)

thunderw21 said:


>


Well that settles it, then. I'm getting a buff colored vest. Now.... linen, silk or wool... pattern woven into the fabric?????

I'd like to be able to wear it with my stroller as well as with my black and white glen plaid suit....

Thoughts???


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## Blueboy1938 (Aug 17, 2008)

*With a suit?*

No.

With a stroller, morning coat, SB tux, sport coat? Yes.

Of course, a white or ivory vest is worn with a tail coat, but not other colors.


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## Sator (Jan 13, 2006)

Blueboy1938 said:


> Of course, a white or ivory vest is worn with a tail coat, but not other colors.


It depends on what type of tailcoat as there quite a few different types:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morning_coat#Morning_coat

Quite a variety of different colours may be worn with morning coats. With a levee dress coat a white satin or black velvet waistcoat is worn. With a clerical dress coat or a butler's dress coat the waistcoat should match the coat.


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