When clients contact us online to order a suit––or make an appointment to meet with us about a suit here in our workshop in Denver, Colorado––one of the first questions we ask is, “Do you want a vest?”
A Classic Business Look
Around 75% of our clients answer “Yes.”
Part of this is just the fact that most shops don’t carry 3pc suits. Here in Denver, one can visit the retail stores of some of the hottest international designers an not find a single 3pc suit.
Dressing up With Peak Lapels
And this isn’t because vests aren’t trendy. 3pc suits have been a major trend for the past 6 years.
The reason that one can only find 2pc suits is that not all guys want a vest, and it is just too much of a risk to stock vests in every size if half of the guys won’t want them.
But, as all of our suits are completely custom, we don’t have that problem. So many of our clients contact us specifically because they know they want a vest and haven’t been able to find a suit that they liked anywhere else.
A Workingman Look
But for the client that isn’t sure which way to go, what kinds of questions should he consider?
The clients who buy 3pc suits fall into 2 categories:
1. Men who love a really formal look (and a vest completes this).
and
2. Men who like a more relaxed “working man” look.
If these reasons for wanting to add a vest seem to contradict each other, this is simply because one can take one’s jacket off in modern social situations.
Even Tweed Sportswear Can Feel Formal in 3pcs
With a jacket and a vest, even the most sporty plaid or houndstooth fabrics take on a very formal look. A 3pc suit feels more formal and put together on virtually every occasion.
This is particularly the case if one is attending a daytime wedding or an important business meeting.
Contrast Vest
On the other hand, if one takes the jacket off and wears simply the vest and pant, the look becomes altogether sporty and casual. The look transforms from “wedding attire” to “party attire,” from “garden party” to “picnic.”
The result is that a vest is a great choice when one wants to really “dress up” and for when one wants to “dress down.”
An Outdoor Fall Wedding
Whether or not a vest is the right choice for your suit really depends on where you will wear the suit and how many occasions one has at either of the extremes.
We sell the fewest 3pc suits to men who wear the suits simply for everyday business.
That said, if one is going to take off one’s jacket at work during part of the day, wearing a vest can certainly be an improvement over simply dressing in shirt sleeves.
For guys who are on the fence, we can always design a vest to go with your jacket and you can decide whether or not you feel that it compliments the look.
