Vested Interests : Men and Women Are Snapping Up Fall’s Newest Accessory
It’s a rare moment when men and women agree about something, even if it is only a fashion trend. And right now, the object of their mutual affections is the vest.
Ironically, many of the menswear vests include surprisingly bold prints, along with decorative embroidery and even sequins, while those for women are closer to traditional menswear. Tweeds and pin stripes for starters, and just recently, floral prints and embroidered choices.
Most men haven’t worn vests much since John Travolta discoed his way through “Saturday Night Fever” in the late ‘70s. This time out, vests are worn casually with a T-shirt and a pair of jeans for day, while some physically fit and fashionably fearsome strap them over a bare chest for club-hopping at night. But professionals who want to keep a low fashion profile might add a traditional vest to update a requisite office suit.
Designers who dress men encourage the free-wheeling approach. At last month’s New York menswear shows Donna Karan put an oversized leather vest on top of a blazer. Giorgio Armani used a vest in place of a shirt and tie, under a sports jacket.
Wide variations in price are a good barometer of a trend’s success and by that standard, vests for both men and women appear to be bound for glory. For men, I. Magnin’s wool vests from Italy’s body-conscious design team, Dolce & Gabbana are priced up to $375. The Broadway has novelty printed rayon vests by Attitudes that sell for $22. Some discounters, like Marshall’s and Ross Dress for Less, have them for $11.99.
I. Magnin stores are displaying their men’s vests with everything from sweaters to tuxedos.
For a twist on a men’s classic there are women’s vests in menswear fabrics, such as pin stripe, feminized with decorative gold coins or floral embroidery. Wear one with a crisp shirt and a pair of jeans, suggests Mariana Keros of the Limited stores. A beaded vest at the store can be worn as a blouse over soft, slouchy pants for a menswear-inspired evening outfit.
For something closer to unisex, women’s vests in tapestry and ethnic-print are two bestsellers at the May Co. At Clothestime stores, teen-age girls want all manner of vests for their back-to-school wardrobe, says the stores’ Ray DeAngelo, who says prices range from $12.99 to $30. Expect to pay about $35 to $80 for women’s vests in specialty boutiques and department stores.
They may be hot sellers for women right now, but store buyers predict vests will hold fashion’s fast lane through fall, not longer.
That’s about the time the trend should be hitting its stride for men. Vests still represent a fashion risk to many men. Some want to consider it long and hard before they actually make a purchase, says Kambia Moezzi, a sportswear buyer for the Broadway. “I’d give them a month before they break down and buy one.” That’s a fashion trend’s lifetime, by most women’s definition.
