Well, we’re up to post 12 in Waistcoat Wednesday and yes, I still have a few waistcoats left to go.
This weeks waistcoat is another of my thrift-shop finds. It’s quite strange really to find nice waistcoats in the Salvation Army shops now, as waistcoats have been a bit out of fashion for a while. Naturally, suit-style waistcoats are always in style, but to my mind waistcoat intended merely to accessorise a suit are very much less interesting than waistcoats created to stand alone. There is plenty of scope within the confines of a waistcoat to create something entirely individual, from the cut, the pockets, the collar, the differing front and back, the buttons and of course, the material. We’ve previously looked at waistcoats in various tweeds and cottons, with backs in either the same or differing flavours. I have a clear preference for waistcoats with uniform material front and back, as this to me makes it more of a whole. Having a different back, and especially a shiny, silky type gives me more of a suit vibe, and I’m really not a suit kind of chap.
So, today’s waistcoat, a rank outsider really, as it’s an in-house brand piece by the small Norwegian chain Brandstand. Quality mid-range clothing, Brandstad do some own brand stuff, but also sell brands such as Scotch & Soda, Diesel, SuperDry etc. I’ve no idea what season this piece is from, but I imagine it is quite recent, given that waistcoats seem to have gained some popularity the past 3 years or so. The cut of this waistcoat is very traditional, in the style of a suit waistcoat. 2 front pockets of no particular utility, no inside pockets. The front cloth is a herringbone tweed in a pleasant white and black colourway. The rear and inside though is a vibrant paisley pattern. A little outside of what I’d normally wear, but it certainly puts some life into the piece!
What I really like about this one though is how well it fits. It’s not a fussy waistcoat with lots of details, it’s just a well-fitting piece with a nice tweed front. The buttons, while plastic, are in fairly good imitations of horn, with different patterns and hues. The hardware on the rear cinch does the job and aids in making it fit properly. Not bad for the paltry money I paid for it!
Would you like to see more waistcoats? You can find the Waistcoat Wednesday archive here.
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