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How Do You Wear a Formal Vest?
Not sure if you’ve done a video on this, but I wanted to know how to wear a formal vest. How should the color scheme work, and also what are the rules with wearing one, can it be worn casually or is it something that is very formal?
A “formal vest” would usually refer to the waistcoat worn with a black-tie or white-tie outfit, in which case pretty strict rules apply. A proper black tie vest is plain black, with lapels, and often has a simple adjustable strap across the back rather than a full piece of cloth.
Colored vests with tuxedos are basically novelty wear, and shouldn’t appear at a true black tie function. A dark-colored cummerbund may be appropriate instead, if it is subdued and is the only colored element in the ensemble, but a vest is too much for the simplicity of black tie.
Colored vests do appear in the even rarer “morning dress,” a style of daytime formal wear that’s mostly the province of European aristocrats and historical recreators these days. Those will usually be gray or buff, although black is also appropriate (and preferred at very formal occasions and funerals).
The waistcoats worn with business suits are not formalwear, and can have a wider variety of color and pattern. They are traditionally matched to the suit (a “three-piece” suit), but unmatched (or “odd”) vests are sometimes worn, more often in continental Europe than in the U. K. or U. S.
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LikeDislikeFor more on formal wear specifics, check out our Real Men Real Style video on black tie:
Black Tie Style Tips – Men’s Formal Clothing Advice
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