Waistcoats aren’t difficult to wear, but there are a few important dos and don’ts to keep in mind. Remember, above all, the clue is in the name; waistcoats are designed to show off your waist, not to hang shapelessly from your frame.
When wearing a waistcoat, do:
1. Master the waistcoat fit
Waistcoats are designed to be cinched in at the back to flatter the natural lines of your waist – if it’s too loose or too roomy, the impression is lost. A waistcoat should hug your torso, not hang loose from your shoulders. The second is the waistcoat’s length: it should always cover your trouser waistband – if it doesn’t, either your trousers are sitting too low, or your waistcoat’s too short. More on that later.
2. Do double-up
Double-breasted waistcoats can seem a little intimidating to wear, but if you want to look the business there’s nothing quite like them. The key to wearing one well is to keep the rest of your outfit restrained. Try a plain navy blue suit with a double-breasted waistcoat beneath for a polished look, and finish with a dark textured tie and soft white shirt.
3. Make a statement
That said, if you are confident dresser, a contrasting waistcoat is an easy solution to set you apart from the crowd. Traditionally, morning suits worn to weddings or the races are finished with a contrasting waistcoat, and this approach works just as well with a dark suit.
4. Dress your down
You don’t always have to treat a waistcoat as a formal piece in your wardrobe. Worn separately with relaxed open-neck shirts, chinos or even jeans, a waistcoat can be a sharp alternative to a blazer or sports coat on the weekends.
5. Experiment with different fabrics
Waistcoats come in all shapes and sizes, and are a smart way to add some diversity to your wardrobe. Pairing a classic wool dinner suit with a silk brocade waistcoat is cool for black tie event, and having a couple of checked tweed or flannel waistcoats in your wardrobe for smart-casual days makes sense too.
Now to the don’ts of wearing waistcoats:
1. Fasten the bottom buttom
Of the waistcoat’s faux pas, this is the most important to avoid. On a business suit, wedding suit or a casual waistcoat, you never fasten the bottom button. Leaving it undone helps the waistcoat to sit cleanly on your hips, and looks more natural to boot. The only exception is black tie. Traditional rules state you do button all the buttons on a dress waistcoat because it is deemed appropriately formal, but otherwise, leave it loose.
2. Show your shirt beneath
A waistcoat is intended to cover your waist and hips, but often fashion-led brands cut trousers so low that your shirt will peep out beneath a waistcoat. Try to avoid this at all costs – it looks ungainly and negates the benefit of wearing a sophisticated three-piece suit.
3. Wear with a belt
Belted suit trousers and waistcoats don’t mix. A waistcoat is designed to cover your trouser waistband. To look flattering, it needs to be able to sit flush over your trousers without a belt getting in the way. Instead, choose trousers with side adjusters, and if they won’t stay up, that’s another reason to get into braces.
4. Wear a tie clip
Tailoring is all about balance, and one of the often forgotten rules of a three-piece suit is that you should never wear both a tie clip and a waistcoat together. Both do the same job of keeping your tie in check, so you don’t need both from a functional perspective. Plus, adding a tie clip to a three-piece suit is a bit too flashy.
5. Go double breasted
If you want to wear a waistcoat beneath a double-breasted jacket, make sure it’s single-breasted. There is nothing wrong with wearing two double-breasted designs together per se, but it looks old fashioned, and whichever way you cut it you’re going to get very warm with both jacket and waistcoat wrapped across your front. Stick to a single-breasted waistcoat beneath a double-breasted suit for a contemporary look.