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103-489: The bijia originated from a long-length Mongol vest . According to the Yuan shi , the invention of bijiia is attributed to Empress Chabi during the Yuan dynasty . Empress Chabi designed the bijia so that it would be a convenient form of attire while riding horses and shooting arrows. The front region of the bijia designed by Empress Chabi was made of 1-piece of fabric, and its back region

206-452: A dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear . It is also sported as the third piece in the traditional three-piece male suit . Any given waistcoat can be simple or ornate, or for leisure or luxury. Historically, the waistcoat can be worn either in the place of, or underneath, a larger coat, dependent upon the weather, wearer, and setting. Daytime formal wear and semi-formal wear commonly comprises

309-415: A lounge suit , business suit , dress suit , or formal suit is a set of clothes comprising a suit jacket and trousers of identical textiles generally worn with a collared dress shirt , necktie , and dress shoes . A skirt suit is similar, but with a matching skirt instead of trousers. It is currently considered semi-formal wear or business wear in contemporary Western dress codes , however when

412-579: A 75-to-90 degree "notch" at the point where the lapel meets the collar. Peaked lapels have sharp edges that point upward towards the shoulders. Double-breasted jackets usually have peaked lapels, although peaked lapels are sometimes found on single breasted jackets as well. Shawl lapels are a style derived from the Victorian informal evening wear, and as such are not normally seen on suit jackets except for tuxedos or dinner suits. For black tie events , only jackets with pointed and shawl lapels should be worn. In

515-580: A belt may allow the trouser waist to slip down on the hips or below a protruding midsection, and requires constant repositioning; also, they allow, indeed work best with, a slightly looser waist which gives room for natural expansion when seated. Suit trousers, also known as dress pants in the US, are a style of trousers intended as formal , semi-formal , or informal wear. They are often made of either wool or polyester (although many other synthetic and natural textiles are used) and may be designed to be worn with

618-526: A contrastingly coloured waistcoat, such as in buff or dove gray , still seen in morning dress and black lounge suit . For white tie and black tie , it is traditionally white or black, respectively. The term waistcoat is used in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries . The term vest is used widely in the United States and Canada , and is often worn as part of formal attire or as

721-694: A corseted look to a straighter line, with less restriction at the waist, so that the waistcoat followed a straighter line up the torso. Toward the end of the century, the Edwardian look made a larger physique more popular—King Edward VII having a large figure. Waistcoats are popular within the indie and steampunk subcultures in the United States. Vests are often worn both open or closed, over dress shirts and even t-shirts . Non-formal types of waistcoat have been used in workers uniforms, such as at Walmart prior to 2007, and as high-visibility clothing (usually

824-497: A diary entry of October 8, 1666 by Samuel Pepys , the diarist and civil servant. He noted that "the King hath yesterday in council declared his resolution of setting a fashion for clothes which he will never alter. It will be a vest, I know not well how; but it is to teach the nobility thrift." This royal decree provided the first mention of the vest or waistcoat. John Evelyn wrote about waistcoats on October 18, 1666: "To Court, it being

927-427: A different look. Waistcoats became shorter, ended at the waist, and were constructed similarly to the coat. This way of styling the vest also was popular in the 19th century throughout the advent of the modern Three-Piece Suit. In order to let the shirt show through, the neck of the vest was left undone. By the turn of the 19th century, it became popular to utilise embroidery and brocade material. The waistcoat in

1030-444: A flower just on the left), while single-breasted suits have just one on the left. Most jackets have a variety of inner pockets and two main outer pockets, which are generally either patch pockets, flap pockets, or jetted ("besom") pockets. The patch pocket is, with its single extra piece of cloth sewn directly onto the front of the jacket, a sporting option, sometimes seen on summer linen suits or other informal styles. The flap pocket

1133-598: A front closure. Bijia created an illusion of slenderness, which women in the Ming dynasty sought after. In the Qing dynasty , Han Chinese women were allowed to continue the Ming dynasty clothing customs. The bijia remained very popular in Qing dynasty, and it was one of the most common forms of female clothing worn in the 17th and 18th century. In the 21st century, the bijia regained popularity and

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1236-463: A garment of India, is commonly called a vest in Indian English. Diarist Samuel Pepys records "vest" in 1666 as the original English term for the garment; the word "waistcoat" derives from the cutting of the coat at waist-level, since at the time of the coining, tailors cut men's formal coats well below the waist (as with dress coats ). An alternative theory is that, as material was left over from

1339-432: A hidden button holds the underlap in place. The jacket's lapels can be notched (also called "stepped"), peaked ("pointed"), shawl, or "trick" (Mandarin and other unconventional styles). Each lapel style carries different connotations and is worn with different cuts of suit. Notched lapels, the most common of the three, are usually only found on single-breasted jackets and are the most informal style. They are distinguished by

1442-453: A low gorge (the point on the jacket that forms the "notch" or "peak" between the collar and front lapel). Current (mid-2000s) trends are towards a narrower lapel and higher gorge. Necktie width usually follows the width of the jacket lapel. Lapels also have a buttonhole , intended to hold a boutonnière , a decorative flower. These are now only commonly seen at more formal events. Usually, double-breasted suits have one hole on each lapel (with

1545-516: A matching suit jacket. Suit trousers often have a crease in the front of each pant leg, and may have one or more pleats. Suit trousers can be worn at many formal and semi-formal occasions combined with a shirt that has no tie and a more relaxed fashion, which can be considered smart casual dress. As an alternative to trousers, breeches (or knickers in variations of English where this does not refer to underwear) may be worn with informal suits, such as tweed. These are shorter, descending to just below

1648-536: A pocket or sitting down, to improve the hang of the jacket, so are now used on most jackets. Ventless jackets are associated with Italian tailoring, while the double-vented style is typically British. Dinner jackets traditionally have no vents. Waistcoats (called vests in American English) were almost always worn with suits prior to the 1940s. Due to rationing during World War II , their prevalence declined, but their popularity has gone in and out of fashion from

1751-432: A suit with more than four buttons, although zoot suits can have as many as six or more due to their longer length. There is also variation in the placement and style of buttons, since the button placement is critical to the overall impression of height conveyed by the jacket. The centre or top button will typically line up quite closely with the natural waistline. The bottom button is usually not meant to be buttoned and so

1854-424: A waistcoat or cardigan, but now it is more frequent to button on the inside of the trouser. Trousers taking braces are rather different in cut at the waist, employing extra girth and also height at the back. The split in the waistband at the back is in the fishtail shape. Those who prefer braces assert that, because they hang from the shoulders, they always make the trousers fit and hang exactly as they should, while

1957-607: Is also used, and in the Southern United States, cotton seersucker is worn. The main four colours for suits worn in business are black, light grey, dark grey, and navy, either with or without patterns. In particular, grey flannel suiting has been worn very widely since the 1930s. In non-business settings or less-formal business contexts, brown is another important colour; olive also occurs. In summer, lighter shades such as tan or cream are popular. For non-business use, tweed has been popular since Victorian times and still

2060-501: Is called a surgeon's cuff and "working button holes" (U.S.). Some wearers leave these buttons undone to reveal that they can afford a bespoke suit, although it is proper to leave these buttons done up. Modern bespoke styles and high-end off-the-rack suits equipped with surgeon's cuffs have the last two buttons stitched off-centre, so that the sleeve hangs more cleanly should the buttons ever be undone. Certainty in fitting sleeve length must be achieved, as once working button holes are cut,

2163-421: Is commonly worn. A wide range of colour is available, including muted shades of green, brown, red, and grey. Tweeds are usually checked, or plain with a herringbone weave , and are most associated with the country. While full tweed suits are not worn by many now, the jackets are often worn as sports jackets with odd trousers (trousers of different cloth). The most conventional suit has two or three buttons and

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2266-484: Is denominated by the weight of a one-square yard piece; thus, the heavier wools, suitable for winter only, are 12–14 oz.; the medium, "three-season" (i.e., excluding summer) are 10–11 oz.; and summer wools are 7–8 oz. (In the days before central heating, heavier wools such as 16 oz. were used in suits; now they are used mainly in overcoats and topcoats.) Other materials are used sometimes, either alone or blended with wool, such as cashmere . Silk alone or blended with wool

2369-412: Is either medium-to-dark grey or navy. Other conservative colours are grey, black, and olive. White and light blues are acceptable at some events, especially in the warm season. Red and the brighter greens are usually considered "unconventional" and "garish". Tradition calls for a gentleman's suit to be of decidedly plain colour, with splashes of bright colour reserved for shirts, neckties or kerchiefs. In

2472-561: Is fastened, the bottom of the waistcoat pulls sideways causing wrinkling and bulging, since modern waistcoats are cut lower than old ones. This convention only applies to single-breasted day waistcoats and not double breasted, evening, straight-hem or livery waistcoats that are all fully buttoned. Waistcoats worn with lounge suits (now principally single-breasted) normally match the suit in cloth, and have four to six buttons. Double-breasted waistcoats are rare compared to single but are more commonly seen in morning dress . These may either match

2575-470: Is large choice of outlines for the tips, ranging from pointed to flat or rounded. The colour normally matches the tie, so only black barathea wool, grosgrain or satin and white marcella, grosgrain or satin are worn, although white waistcoats used to be worn with black tie in early forms of the dress. Waiters , sometimes also waitresses, and other people working at white-tie events, to distinguish themselves from guests, sometimes wear gray tie, which consists of

2678-402: Is one of the most challenging tailoring tasks, even for very experienced tailors. The width of the lapel is a varying aspect of suits and has changed over the years. The 1930s and 1970s featured exceptionally wide lapels, whereas during the late 1950s and most of the 1960s suits with very narrow lapels—often only about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide—were in fashion. The 1980s saw mid-size lapels with

2781-402: Is shaped from the neck to the chest and shoulders to drape without wrinkles from tension. Shape is the essential part of tailoring that often takes hand work from the start. The two main cuts are double-breasted suits, a conservative design with two columns of buttons, spanned by a large overlap of the left and right sides; and single-breasted suits, in which the sides meet in the centre of

2884-410: Is sometimes used. Synthetic materials, e.g., polyester , while cheaper, are very rarely recommended by experts. At most, a blend of predominantly wool may be acceptable to obtain the main benefit of synthetics, namely resistance to wrinkling, particularly in garments used for travel; however, any synthetic, blended or otherwise, will always be warmer and clammier than wool alone. For hot weather, linen

2987-426: Is standard for side pockets, and has an extra lined flap of matching fabric covering the top of the pocket. A jetted pocket is most formal, with a small strip of fabric taping the top and bottom of the slit for the pocket. This style is most often on seen on formalwear , such as a dinner jacket. A breast pocket is usually found at the left side, where a pocket square or handkerchief can be displayed. In addition to

3090-453: Is widely worn as a hanfu item. The Chinese opera beixin ( Chinese : 背心 ), also known as kanjian , majia , and beida , were sleeveless vests which originated from both the Ming dynasty's long-length bijia worn by women from the lower-middle class and from the Qing dynasty's majia ( Chinese : 马甲 ), a type of vest which were worn by the Manchu . The majia ( Chinese : 马甲 ),

3193-509: The French suite , meaning "following," from some Late Latin derivative form of the Latin verb sequor = "I follow," because the component garments (jacket and trousers and waistcoat ) follow each other and have the same cloth and colour and are worn together. As a suit (in this sense) covers all or most of the wearer's body, the term "suit" was extended to a single garment that covers all or most of

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3296-505: The United Kingdom . The predecessors to the waistcoat are the Middle Age -era doublet and gambeson . Various types of waistcoats may have been worn in theatrical manners such as performances and masquerades prior to what is said to be the early origins of the vest. The brightly coloured silk waistcoats popularised in France and England from the 17th century – influenced by

3399-502: The counterculture of the 1960s in Western culture . Informal suits have been traditionally worn with a fedora , a trilby , or a flat cap . Other accessories include handkerchief, suspenders or belt, watch, and jewelry. Other notable types of suits are for what would now be considered formal occasions—the tuxedo or dinner suit (black tie) and the black lounge suit (stroller)—both which originally arose as less formal alternatives for

3502-407: The military —wore corsets . The waistcoat served to emphasise the new popularity of the cinched-in waist for males, and became skin-tight, with the overcoat cut to emphasise the figure: broader shoulders, a pouting chest, and a nipped-in waist. Without a corset, a man's waistcoat often had whalebone stiffeners and were laced in the back, with reinforced buttons up the front, so that one could pull

3605-440: The sack suit , a loose American style. There are three ways to buy suits: The acid test of authentic tailoring standards is the wrinkle that comes from poor tailoring. Rumples can be pressed out. For interim fittings, "Rock Of Eye" (which means trained freehand based on an experienced artistic eye to match the item to the wearer, trusting the eye over unyielding scripted approach), drawing and cutting inaccuracies are overcome by

3708-409: The 1910s to 1920s, before the invention of sports jackets specifically to be worn with odd trousers, wearing a suit jacket with odd trousers was seen as an alternative to a full suit. However, with the modern advent of sports jackets, suit jackets are always worn with matching trousers, and the trousers are worn with no jacket or the appropriate jacket. Trouser width has varied considerably throughout

3811-417: The 1920s to the 1940s, that would be unusual today (one point of a double-breasted jacket being, it may be supposed, to eliminate the waistcoat). Traditionally, the bottom button of a waistcoat is left undone; like the vents in the rear of a jacket, this helps the body bend when sitting. Some waistcoats can have lapels; others do not. Suit trousers are always made of the same material as the jacket. Even from

3914-402: The 1960s and 70s, as many as eight were seen. Six buttons are typical, with two to button; the last pair floats above the overlap. The three buttons down each side may in this case be in a straight line (the 'keystone' layout) or more commonly, the top pair is half as far apart again as each pair in the bottom square. A four-button double-breasted jacket usually buttons in a square. The layout of

4017-416: The 1970s onwards. A pocket watch on a chain, one end of which is inserted through a middle buttonhole, is often worn with a waistcoat; otherwise, since World War I , when they came to prominence of military necessity, men have worn wristwatches, which may be worn with any suit except the full evening dress ( white tie ). Although many examples of waistcoats worn with a double-breasted jacket can be found from

4120-506: The 1970s women began wearing waistcoats as part of their work attire. By the late 1990s and early 2000s it became fashionable for women to wear waistcoats as part of their casual wear. Today, there are many types of vests. Some types of vests include but are not limited to: Lounge suit [REDACTED] = Day (before 6 p.m.) [REDACTED] = Evening (after 6 p.m.)     = Bow tie colour [REDACTED] = Ladies [REDACTED] = Gentlemen A suit , also called

4223-467: The 1980s, double-breasted suits with notched lapels were popular with power suits and the New Wave style. In the late 1920s and 1930s, a design considered very stylish was the single-breasted peaked-lapel jacket. This has gone in and out of vogue periodically, being popular once again during the 1970s, and is still a recognised alternative. The ability to properly cut peaked lapels on a single-breasted suit

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4326-430: The 1980s, these styles disappeared in favor of tapered, slim-legged trousers. One variation in the design of trousers is the use or not of pleats. The most classic style of trouser is to have two pleats, usually forward, since this gives more comfort sitting and better hang standing. This is still a common style, and for these reasons of utility has been worn throughout the 20th century. The style originally descended from

4429-504: The British term waistcoat in American common vernacular. Waistcoat style followed the guidelines of 1700s England using the same fabric for the three-pieces, and sometimes used patterns of plaid or checks for contrast purposes. Around the turn of the 20th century, men were still wearing waistcoats for luxurious occasions. Waistcoats sometimes even included embroidery or hand-painted designs. At

4532-498: The United States and the United Kingdom, around the start of the 20th century, lounge suits were never traditionally worn in plain black, this colour instead being reserved for formal wear (including dinner jackets or strollers ) and for undertakers . However, the decline of formal wear since the 1950s and the rise of casual wear in 1960s allowed the black suit to return to fashion, as many designers began wanting to move away from

4635-429: The United States originated as formal wear to be worn underneath a coat. Waistcoats became more ornate including colour and decor. Waistcoats were styled with new and patterned fabrics but just on the front. Around this time it became popular to use less expensive, contrasting fabric on the back of the waistcoat design, allowing the owner to not spend as much money on the waistcoat as a whole. The fabrics utilised in

4738-474: The black frock coat in the early 20th century as regular daywear, a sober one-coloured suit became known as a lounge suit. Suits are offered in different designs and constructions. Cut and cloth, whether two- or three-piece, single- or double-breasted, vary, in addition to various accessories . A two-piece suit has a jacket and trousers; a three-piece suit adds a waistcoat. Hats were almost always worn outdoors (and sometimes indoors) with all men's clothes until

4841-522: The body, such as boilersuits , diving suits , and spacesuits . The suit's origins trace the simplified, sartorial standard established by the English king Charles II in the 17th century, following the example of his one-time host King Louis XIV 's court at Versailles , who decreed that in the English Court men would wear a long coat, a waistcoat (then called a " petticoat "), a cravat (a precursor of

4944-514: The bright " safety orange " colour). During the 2018 FIFA World Cup , the manager of the England football team , Gareth Southgate , was often seen wearing a waistcoat. British retailer Marks & Spencer , the official suit provider for the national team, reported a 35% increase in waistcoat sales during England's first five games at the tournament. Fashion search platform Lyst also reported that online waistcoat searches increased by over 41% during

5047-424: The business suit toward more fashion suits. Traditional business suits are generally in solid colours or with pinstripes ; windowpane checks are also acceptable. Outside business, the range of acceptable patterns widens, with plaids such as the traditional glen plaid and herringbone, though apart from some very traditional environments such as London banking, these are worn for business now, as well. The colour of

5150-411: The buttons and the shape of the lapel are co-ordinated in order to direct the eyes of an observer. For example, if the buttons are too low, or the lapel roll too pronounced, the eyes are drawn down from the face, and the waist appears larger. There seems to be no clear rule as to on which side the overlap should lie. It usually crosses naturally with the left side to the fore but not invariably. Generally,

5253-465: The buttons are in relation to the natural waist. In some (now unusual) styles where the buttons are placed high, the tailor would have intended the suit to be buttoned differently from the more common lower stance. Nevertheless, some general guidelines are given here. Double-breasted suit coats are almost always kept buttoned. When there is more than one functional buttonhole (as in a traditional six-on-two arrangement), only one button need be fastened;

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5356-442: The century, waistcoats became longer and overlapped with the breeches . Stylistically waistcoats and the rest of the suit began to change in that they matched less. Instead of consisting of the same, highly decorative fabric, it became popular to wear a waistcoat that complemented the coat and breeches instead of matching it perfectly. For instance, men would mix solids and patterns within the waistcoat, coat, and breeches to create

5459-409: The chain if it were dropped or pulled. Wearing a belt with a waistcoat, and indeed any suit, is not traditional. To give a more comfortable hang to the trousers, the waistcoat instead covers a pair of braces underneath it. A custom still sometimes practised is to leave the bottom button undone. Several explanations are popularly given for the origin of this practice. One often-cited one claims that

5562-460: The charity, while also supporting the England team. King Charles II inaugurated the "vest" (waistcoat) along with the modern ideal of the three-piece suit. The waistcoats of these three-piece ensembles were the same length as the coat worn over it, most likely knee length, and could be worn for either warmth or display. The coat, waistcoat, and breeches were crafted from the same fabric. Around

5665-416: The cloth used matches the jacket and trousers. Waistcoats can also have lapels or revers depending on the style. Before wristwatches became popular, gentlemen kept their pocket watches in the front waistcoat pocket, with the watch on a watch chain threaded through a buttonhole. Sometimes an extra hole was made in line with the pockets for this use. A bar on the end of the chain held it in place to catch

5768-449: The colour of the morning coat or be in a contrasting colour, commonly buff , dove gray , or powder blue . The waistcoats worn with white- and black- tie are different from standard daytime single-breasted waistcoats, being much lower in cut (with three buttons or four buttons, where all are fastened). The much larger expanse of shirt compared to a daytime waistcoat allows more variety of form, with "U" or "V" shapes possible, and there

5871-412: The concept of suit separates in the U.S., which are widely found in the marketplace today. There are many possible variations in the choice of the style, the garments, and the details of a suit. The silhouette of a suit is its outline. Tailored balance created from a canvas fitting allows a balanced silhouette so a jacket need not be buttoned and a garment is not too tight or too loose. A proper garment

5974-511: The course of the World Cup. Part-way through the tournament, the Museum of London announced that it hoped to acquire Gareth Southgate's waistcoat in order to display it as part of its permanent collection of historic clothing. In the run up to England's semi-final match against Croatia , the blood cancer charity, Bloodwise , encouraged fans to take part in 'Waistcoat Wednesday' to help raise funds for

6077-450: The creation of these plain, unseen back panels were linen, cotton, or any other type of fabric used to line clothing items. Waistcoat collars became longer and visible outside of the coat worn over it. These collars were stiffened and would peak out over the coat's lapel . For both warmth against cold weather or to show off special weaves and contrasting colours, men often would layer their waistcoats. The term vest completely replaced

6180-465: The custom was started by King Edward VII (then the Prince of Wales), whose expanding waistline required it. Variations on this include that he forgot to fasten the lower button when dressing and this was copied. It has also been suggested that the practice originated to prevent the waistcoat riding up when on horseback. Undoing the bottom button avoids stress to the bottom button when sitting down; when it

6283-492: The decades. In the 1920s, trousers were straight-legged and wide-legged, with a standard width at the cuff of 23 inches (58 cm). After 1935, trousers began to be tapered in at the bottom half of the leg. Trousers remained wide at the top of the leg throughout the 1940s. By the 1950s and 1960s, a more slim look had become popular. In the 1970s, suit makers offered a variety of styles of trousers, including flared, bell bottomed, wide-legged, and more traditional tapered trousers. In

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6386-417: The dress coat of white tie (a squarely cut away tailcoat) with the black waistcoat and tie of black tie. The variant of the clergy cassock may be cut as a vest. It differs in style from other waistcoats in that the garment buttons to the neck and has an opening that displays the clerical collar . Sometime around 1830, a new Church of England clerical waistcoat was given the epithet "M.B. Waistcoat" when

6489-448: The exaggeratedly widened Oxford bags worn in the 1930s in Oxford, which, though themselves short-lived, began a trend for fuller fronts. The style is still seen as the smartest, featuring on dress trousers with black and white tie. However, at various periods throughout the last century, flat-fronted trousers with no pleats have been worn, and the swing in fashions has been marked enough that

6592-470: The exotic Indian and other "Eastern" attire of returning English travellers – became an element of the ensemble that presaged the development of the three-piece lounge suit , together with the cravat , derived from a scarf worn by Croatian mercenaries fighting for King Louis XIII of France , and the justacorps , a coat influenced by the long zupans worn in Poland and Ukraine. In France, from

6695-446: The fineness of the fibres measured by average fibre diameter, e.g., Super 120; the finer the fabric, the more delicate and thus less likely to be long-wearing it will be. Although wool has traditionally been associated with warm, bulky clothing meant for warding off cold weather, advances in making finer and finer fibre have made wool suits acceptable for warmer weather, as fabrics have accordingly become lighter and more supple. Wool fabric

6798-620: The first time his Majesty put himself solemnly into the Eastern fashion of vest, changing doublet, stiff collar, bands and cloak, into a comely dress after the Persian mode, with girdles or straps, and shoestrings and garters into buckles... resolving never to alter it, and to leave the French mode". While Evelyn designated the costume Persian, it was more directly influenced by the Turkish. The general layout of

6901-540: The fitting. Suits are made in a variety of fabrics, but most commonly from wool, silk or cotton. The two main yarns produce worsteds (where the fibres are combed before spinning to produce a smooth, hard wearing cloth) and woollens (where they are not combed, thus remaining comparatively fluffy in texture). These can be woven in a number of ways, producing flannel , tweed , gabardine , and fresco among others. These fabrics all have different weights and feels, and some fabrics have an S (or Super S) number describing

7004-456: The formation of such a mode of dress acted as a response to French fashion being so dominant in the time period. While in the 17th and 18th centuries, waistcoats were often elaborate and brightly coloured, changing fashions in the nineteenth century narrowed this to a more restricted palette, leading to the matching waistcoats worn with lounge suits. The garment – and Charles II's championing of it – is mentioned in

7107-596: The garment was introduced by High Church clergy: "M.B." was intended to be a pejorative or jocular reference to the " Mark of the Beast ", applied by non-High Church Anglicans . In the Girl Scouts of the USA , vests are used as an alternative to the sash for the display of badges. Waistcoats, alongside bowties , are commonly worn by billiard players during a tournament. It is usually worn in snooker and blackball tournaments in

7210-412: The hips. Other changing aspects of the cut include the length, which determines the break, the bunching of fabric just above the shoe when the front seam is marginally longer than height to the shoe's top. Some parts of the world, such as Europe, traditionally opt for shorter trousers with little or no break, while Americans often choose to wear a slight break. A final major distinction is made in whether

7313-435: The jacket is cut such that buttoning the bottom button would ruin the lines and drape of the jacket. It is customary to keep the jacket buttoned while standing and to unbutton the jacket while seated. Double-breasted jackets have only half their outer buttons functional, as the second row is for display only, forcing them to come in pairs. Some rare jackets can have as few as two buttons, and during various periods, for instance

7416-408: The jacket's edges after some use or a few dry cleanings. However, some selling this type of jacket claim that the difference in quality is very small. A few London tailors state that all bespoke suits should use a floating canvas. Most single-breasted suits have two or three buttons, and four or more buttons are unusual. Dinner jackets ("black tie") usually have only one button. It is rare to find

7519-412: The jacket. Originally, vents were a sporting option, designed to make riding easier, so are traditional on hacking jackets, formal coats such as a morning coat , and, for practicality, overcoats. Today there are three styles of venting: the single-vented style (with one vent at the centre), the ventless style, and the double-vented style (one vent on each side). Vents are convenient, particularly when using

7622-420: The knee, but riding breeches, worn with long boots such as top boots , are long enough to meet the boot and display no sock. Accessories for suits include neckties , shoes , wristwatches and pocket watches , pocket squares , cufflinks , tie clips , tie tacks, tie bars, bow ties , lapel pins , and hats . The buttoning of the jacket is primarily determined by the button stance , a measure of how high

7725-407: The knees, fastened closely at the top of the calf by a tab or button cuff. While once common, they are now typically only worn when engaged in traditional outdoor sports, such as shooting or golf . The length and design is closely related to the plus-fours (and plus-sixes etc.) worn for sport, but differ in having no bagginess. They are usually designed to be worn with long socks meeting just below

7828-410: The lacings in tight to mould the waist into the fashionable silhouette. Prince Albert , husband of Queen Victoria , had a reputation for his tight corsets and tiny waist; and although he lacked popularity during his early reign, men followed his style, and waistcoats became even more restrictive. This fashion remained throughout the 19th century, although after about 1850 the style changed from that of

7931-418: The lining colour appeared on the outside) and removing the sleeves. The term "waistcoat" might therefore also be derived from the wastage of the old coat. A waistcoat has a full vertical opening in the front, which fastens with buttons or snaps. Both single-breasted and double-breasted waistcoats exist, regardless of the formality of dress, but single-breasted ones are more common. In a three piece suit,

8034-426: The mid-17th century, the " veste " was worn to mid-thigh or knee-length, beneath a justacorps . The garment was sleeved. Both veste and justacorp were worn in court circles in highly ornate styles. In October 1666, King Charles II of England launched a new fashion in men's wear for the English. The item was a long piece donned beneath the coat that was meant to be seen. Scholar Diana De Marly suggests that

8137-410: The more fashion-oriented ready-to-wear brands have not produced both types continuously. Turn-ups on the bottom of trousers, or cuffs, were initially popularised in the 1890s by Edward VII , and were popular with suits throughout the 1920s and 1930s. They have always been an informal option, being inappropriate on all formalwear. Other variations in trouser style include the rise of the trouser. This

8240-646: The necktie), a wig , knee breeches (trousers), and a hat. The paintings of Jan Steen , Pieter Bruegel the Elder , and other painters of the Dutch Golden Era reveal that such an arrangement was already used in Holland, if not Western Europe as a whole. The current styles, founded in the Great Male Renunciation of the late 18th century, sharply changed the elaborately embroidered and jewelled formal clothing into

8343-485: The patterned element (stripes, plaids , and checks ) varies by gender and location. For example, bold checks, particularly with tweeds, have fallen out of use in the US, while they continue to be worn as traditional in Britain. Some unusual old patterns such as diamonds are now rare everywhere. Inside the jacket of a suit, between the outer fabric and the inner lining, there is a layer of sturdy interfacing fabric to prevent

8446-401: The persisting usage of bijia. The bijia became a type of women clothing in the Ming dynasty, and by the middle of the Ming dynasty it had become a favourite form of dress for women, especially young women. In the Ming dynasty , the bijia was long in length and would reach below the knee level. It was embroidered on woven textile and a jade ornament would be attached at the front of the bijia as

8549-543: The prior formal wear standards known as white tie , which incorporated items such as the dress coat , and of morning dress , which incorporated items such as the morning coat with formal trousers . Originally, suits were always tailor-made from the client's selected cloth. These are now known as bespoke suits, custom-made to measurements, taste, and style preferences. Since the 1960s, most suits have been mass-produced ready-to-wear garments. Currently, suits are offered in roughly four ways: The word suit derives from

8652-475: The same time, men began wearing the waistcoat apart from the totality of the three-piece suit and more casually with a variety of bottoms beyond the suit pant (khaki or jean). Waistcoats can be double-breasted with buttons set in a horseshoe pattern. The lower and top buttons may be left undone although not for riding or hunting. Beyond this, some waistcoats were made of certain durable fabrics to withstand being worn for outdoor sport such as fishing or hunting. In

8755-565: The simpler clothing of the British Regency period, which gradually evolved to the stark formality of the Victorian era . In the late 19th century, it was in the search for more comfort that the loosening of rules gave rise to the modern lounge suit. Brooks Brothers is generally credited with first offering the "ready-to-wear" suit, a suit that was sold already manufactured and sized, ready to be tailored, while Haggar Clothing first introduced

8858-457: The sleeve length essentially cannot be altered further. A cuffed sleeve has an extra length of fabric folded back over the arm, or just some piping or stitching above the buttons to allude to the edge of a cuff. This was popular in the Edwardian era, as a feature of formalwear such as frock coats carried over to informalwear, but is now rare. A vent is a slit in the bottom rear (the "tail") of

8961-399: The sleeveless riding vest of the Qing dynasty, evolved from the bijia which was popular among women during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Waistcoat A waistcoat ( UK and Commonwealth , / ˈ w eɪ s ( t ) k oʊ t / or / ˈ w ɛ s k ə t / ; colloquially called a weskit ) or vest ( US and Canada ) is a sleeveless upper-body garment . It is usually worn over

9064-447: The standard two outer pockets and breast pocket, some suits have a fourth, the ticket pocket, usually located just above the right pocket and roughly half as wide. While this was originally exclusively a feature of country suits, used for conveniently storing a train ticket, it is now seen on some town suits. Another country feature also worn sometimes in cities is a pair of hacking pockets, which are similar to normal ones, but slanted; this

9167-449: The suit was originally developed it was considered an informal or more casual option compared to the prevailing clothing standards of aristocrats and businessmen. The lounge suit originated in 19th-century Britain as sportswear and British country clothing , which is why it was seen as more casual than citywear at that time, with the roots of the suit coming from early modern Western Europe formal court or military clothes. After replacing

9270-480: The suit; a very casual summer sports jacket might traditionally (1930s) have had only one button, while tweed suits typically have three and city suits four. In the 1970s, two buttons were seen on some city suits. Today, four buttons are common on most business suits and even casual suits. Although the sleeve buttons usually cannot be undone, the stitching is such that it appears they could. Functional cuff buttons may be found on high-end or bespoke suits; this feature

9373-437: The tailoring of a two-piece suit, it was fashioned into a "waste-coat" to avoid that material being wasted, although recent academic debate has cast doubt on this theory. During the 17th century, troops of the regular army – and to some degree also local militia – wore waistcoats which were the reverse colour of their overcoats. It is believed that these were made by turning old worn-out standard issue overcoats inside-out (so that

9476-608: The third piece of a lounge suit in addition to a jacket and trousers. The term vest derives from the French language veste "jacket, sport coat", the term for a vest-waistcoat in French today being gilet , the Italian language veste "robe, gown", and the Latin language vestis . The term vest in European countries refers to the A-shirt , a type of athletic vest. The banyan ,

9579-440: The torso with a single column of buttons, overlapping only enough for one, two or three buttons to close, with by convention the jacket front cut so that the lowest button is not designed to close. Good tailoring anywhere in the world is characterised by strongly tapered sides and minimal shoulder, whereas rack suits are often padded to reduce labour . More casual suits are characterised by less construction and tailoring, much like

9682-445: The trousers take a belt or braces (suspenders). While a belt was originally never worn with a suit, the forced wearing of belts during wartime years (caused by restrictions on use of elastic caused by wartime shortages) contributed to their rise in popularity, with braces now much less popular than belts. When braces were common, the buttons for attaching them were placed on the outside of the waistband, because they would be covered by

9785-415: The turn of the century, the waistcoat became shorter, ending just below the waistline, allowing the breeches to stick out. When the weather was cold men often would wear more than one waistcoat to stay warm. As time went on, the vest that matched the coat and trousers was worn for formal wear while a vest of different type or fabric acted as a more casual mode of contrasting dress. Nearly halfway through

9888-399: The vest at its introduction by Charles II was: buttons very closely sewn together, arranged in two rows, lining the front body of the vest, visible underneath a wide-open coat face. The vest was only popular for about seven years after its introduction by Charles; the king soon reverted to French styles. While the vest died out in elite city spaces, it lingered on in the provinces. In 1678 it

9991-412: The wearer may elect to fasten only the bottom button, in order to present a longer line (a style popularised by Prince George, Duke of Kent ). Single-breasted suit coats may be either fastened or unfastened. In two-button suits the bottom button is traditionally left unfastened except with certain unusual cuts of jacket, e.g. the paddock. Legend has it that King Edward VII started the trend of leaving

10094-484: The wool from stretching out of shape; this layer of cloth is called the canvas after the fabric from which it was traditionally made. Expensive jackets have a floating canvas , while cheaply manufactured models have a fused (glued) canvas. A fused canvas is less soft and, if poorly done, damages the suppleness and durability of the jacket, so many tailors are quick to deride fused canvas as being less durable, particularly since they may tend to permanently pucker along

10197-406: Was larger than ever. With the new dandyism of the early 19th century, the waistcoat started to change roles, moving away from its function as the centrepiece of the visual aspect of male clothing, towards serving as a foundation garment , often with figure-enhancing abilities. From the 1820s onwards, elite gentlemen—at least those among the more fashionable circles, especially the younger set and

10300-401: Was originally designed to make the pockets easier to open on horseback while hacking . Suit jackets in all styles typically have three or four buttons on each cuff, which are often purely decorative (the sleeve is usually sewn closed and cannot be unbuttoned to open). Five buttons are unusual and are a modern fashion innovation. The number of buttons is primarily a function of the formality of

10403-574: Was reintroduced throughout Europe, attaining high-fashion status again. After the French Revolution of 1789, anti-aristocratic sentiment in France (and elsewhere in Europe) influenced the wardrobes of both men and women, and waistcoats followed, becoming much less elaborate. After about 1810 the fit of the waistcoat became shorter and tighter, becoming much more secondary to the frock coat and almost counting as an undergarment, although its popularity

10506-458: Was twice longer than the front region. It was collarless and sleeveless, and there were two loop straps which attached to it. It also had no lapels. The bijia was first worn by the Yuan dynasty emperor but it later became popular among commoners. After the fall of the Yuan dynasty, Mongol fashion of the Yuan dynasty continued to influence some styles of clothing worn in the Ming dynasty ; this included

10609-485: Was very high in the early half of the 20th century, particularly with formalwear, with rises above the natural waist, to allow the waistcoat covering the waistband to come down just below the narrowest point of the chest. Though serving less purpose, this high height was duplicated in the daywear of the period. Since then, fashions have changed, and have rarely been that high again, with styles returning more to low-rise trousers, even dropping down to have waistbands resting on

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