In Defence of the Vest

We wouldn’t recommend wearing vests to the office, but struggle to find a reason not to include them in our holiday wardrobe. We encourage it actually, because after a year of being buttoned up we relish in the guilty pleasure of showing some skin.

At the most basic level, that's the point: they're an item of clothing that covers up enough so that you’ll still be served at your favourite beach bar, but which still allows you to catch some extra rays of sun on your skin.

Here are some things to factor in when going sleeveless this summer... 

If you’re feeling underdressed you should style up your basic flip flop and swimshorts look with a fresh pair of sunglasses, a necklace, headwear, a timepiece and other accessories. You’ll be amazed how these subtle tweaks can set you apart from the rest of vicars of vest-ville. 

Be sure not to wear anything that allows your nipples to peek out the sides – RIP to our eyeballs – and steer clear of anything with a neckline that plunges deeper than your sternum. Anything with a skewed fabric-to-skin ratio is a red flag.

Night on the town? Wear a vest with trousers, sneakers and an unbuttoned tropical print shirt for a Nick Slaughter aesthetic. This look slays and can be effortlessly mixed with the other items in your summer rotation. If you’re feeling bold, you could wear a vest underneath a light unstructured jacket, worn with chinos and brogues. They were never ready. 

It's important to remember that not all vests are created equal. A singlet held up by two fragile and flimsy straps is best left to those with an equally fragile masculinity. Anything too tight will make you sweat – the likes of which no amount of roll-on can stop. A tank top is less form-fitting, looser, and sits away from the body. 

Remember that because a vest is a casual piece of clothing you don’t have to stick to the type of plain white vest you’d wear under your work shirt. Prints, pattern and colours are encouraged!

We do, however, have one request though: please first spend some time in the sun to get rid of any tell-tale T-shirt tans. Thereafter, have a quick look at your shoulders and upper arms and see if there are any scraggly hairs that need to go.