Vest question

[matei]

Greetings all!

I have a number of single-breasted suits, and none of them have vests. Is it poor form to wear a suit sans vest?

Was it done "back in the day"?

[Chamorro]

Of course it was done back in the day. You're fine without. Doesn't mean you can't mix it up once in a while though.

[Mr. Rover]

I think the vest was done year round, but in the hotter months, I believe you could go around vest-less. In movies I see that take place in the winter, the vest is worn, obviously because it's cold and it adds additional warmth. But if you watch a movie, say Casablanca, Bogey isn't wear a vest in the marketplace scene, simply because it's uncomfortable to.

[Mycroft]

I agree with Ghos7a55assin, don't where it in warm climates or weather. I like vests, but I have not got a suit with one yet.

[matei]

Thanks fellas for the sound advice as always.

That is what is really cool about this board... For years I have had all this little, niggling questions - but there was no one to pose them to!

[Mycroft]

No problem.

[Matt Deckard]

I need more vested suits.

[Mycroft]

Me too Matt.

[Mr. Rover]

I need a double breasted suit! I have 2 vintage suits, but they're both single breasted 3-piece suits. I'm not complaining though. They're both great suits. Good place to start a collection, I think. But I think the double breasted jacket screams 30's and 40's film noir. So keep an eye out for any super small sized suits! Like 36S sized.

[Mycroft]

I prefer single, maybe since I never had double. How is a vest with a double-brested like?

[Wild Root]

Double breasted suits with matching vest are the best! They had them all through the 20's and into the 50's! In the 40's they didn't make vests because of the war.

The vest played a big roll in suits mostly from the 20's to the early years of the 40's. But, if you don't have a vest with your vintage suit, what's the big deal? You'll just see more of the tie then. You could find a nice sweater vest and wear it with your suit. That was done many times!

Good luck,

Root.

PS. If you look close, you can see vests on the Double breasted suits.

http://img218.exs.cx/img218/3958/searscat19367ug.jpg

[Wild Root]

http://img60.exs.cx/img60/1248/brpinstripedtweedsuit21ln.jpg

This was a photo I saved from an ebay auction I saw. It's very hard to find a three piece double breasted, but they were very common back then!

Root.

[Mycroft]

Thanks for the info and pics Root. Also, the father (Mr. Banks) in Mary Poppin's wears a suit with a red sweater vest.

[Mr. Rover]

The fact that they were common means there are less of them now, because everyone wore them day-in, day-out.
Anyways, I read that the reason why double breasted suits got so popular in the 30's and 40's, especially with the younger scene, was the fact that you DIDN'T need to wear a vest with it. The vest was integral to a single breasted suit because people wanted to cover up more of the tie, considering the ties in fashion were so short. Double breasted suits, because the overlap of lapels is so much higher, can be worn without a vest and still have that higher, smaller-cut V around the chest, which was the look back then.

ray

[Mycroft]

Wow, I did not know that, thanks for the history.