WAISTCOATS

Functioning doubly as a necessary undermost layer for formal dress and off-kilter outfit centrepiece, the waistcoat enjoys a sustained prominence in the contemporary man’s wardrobe. Designer renditions succeed in creating a diverse framework for the fairly straightforward style to orbit in, bringing an unlikely sense of finesse to a style rooted in formality. Originating in Restoration-era England, the waistcoat was adopted as the era’s de-facto uniform, a context that subtly informs the nostalgic undercurrents of its present incarnations. Whether by indirectly alluding to the ubiquitous regalia of decades past or proposing refreshing new means of invoking the garment’s unmistakable sleeveless silhouette, the waistcoat’s ability to integrate into a surprisingly wide variety of sartorial contexts attests to the way it has benefitted from its outlying status in the gamut of menswear staples. With its rich history fostering associations to traditional 1920’s suiting and revisionist countercultural movements in equal measure, contemporary designer waistcoats epitomize the aesthetic value of time-enduring conceptions.