The childhood comfort of a sweater vest

It's my birthday month, so we're getting sentimental.

The sweater vest is misunderstood. What was once firmly associated with grandfathers, golfers, and Steve Urkel in Family Matters, this chameleon piece of athleisure has re-entered the modern day zeitgeist, ready to be interpreted and worn by anyone willing to try. With subverted references and styling, sweater vests have become a mainstay on the runway and to streetwear alike.

Aside from the sweater vests connotations in popular culture—It’s a garment that makes me feel like “me,” is one of the easiest pieces to layer despite the weather, can be sexy, modest and most importantly, fun.

Me in my purple sweater vest and bangs, 1998.

For my ninth birthday, my god sister bought me a lilac Mudd Jeans sweater vest. I felt so cool wearing it for my 4th grade school photo, proudly matching the purple background to my purple sweater. At that same time, I was devouring dELiA*s magazine and watching Clueless past my bedtime. Of course I wasn’t thinking too critically about why I liked wearing a sweater vest, I just knew I did.

Icons Cher and Dionne discussing logical attraction norms in sweater vests

Vintage 1998 dELiA*s magazine from the same year of my sweater vest grade school photo

There isn’t a ton of information about when the sleeves got cut off of a sweater, but one of it’s first sightings was in 1907 when Michigan football players showed up to a game wearing them. At first, athletes wore sweaters so that they would literally sweat more while working out, but this new vest allowed their arms to be free while keeping their core warm. By the 1930s, sweater vests were seen as an everyday part of menswear. Soon after, Eleanor Roosevelt started wearing them and brought women into the the sweater vest conversation of the 40s.

Woman exercising in a sweater vest, 1959.

For years, stylists and costume designers used the sweater vest as a way to morph our perception of others. It can make you look like a square (re George Michael Bluth trying to dress like Steve Holt), the often unbuttoned deep v-neck sweater vest of Chandler Bing signals that he’s looking for love, or the very meta superstar sweater vest on Michael Jackson in the 70s before his big breakout from the Jacksons. TLDR; it’s less about the vest, and more about the person wearing it.

Princess Diana looking demure in a structured sweater vest with cotton poplin skirt, 1980s.

Sweater Vests of Today

As I continue to think too deeply about the clothing I wear and why, I realized that the few sweater vests in my closet allowed me to add texture and interest to any outfit I put together. They breathe new life into the clothes I’m tired of wearing. As someone who runs hot, a sweater vest is a perfect in-between, like a comma for your body. And finally, there are endless styling opportunities that fit any aesthetic.

Although I’ve never been a Ganni Girl™ their sweater vests are one of their best-selling items and folks pairing them with peter pan collars has turned into an epidemic. To help get into the fantasy of other ways the sweater vest can be worn, let’s take a look at how they’re styled on the runway:

The chic sweater vest

Even the difference of a structured button up and belt in The Row reference (left), versus Dries Van Noten (right), untucked and with a sheer layer, they’re both styled simply and to the point.

The femme sweater vest

Cecilie Bahnsen (left) and Molly Goddard (right) are queens of balancing soft and hard. Each look is intricately layered but somehow displays a sense of ease on the wearer.

The kinky sweater vest

Kinky subverted sweater vests by Maison Margiela (left) and Raf Simons (right). Of course the habit sends us into one specific direction, but styled with an oversized leather jacket, pumps and pencil skirt take us into cunty territory. For Raf, the oversized fit paired with the skinny jeans and necktie begs us to pull that strap a little closer.

The sporty sweater vest

Two of my forever favs J.W. Anderson (left), and Prada (right). They both have a plethora of looks that fit into every sweater vest category, but here they take on sporty oversized layering and with unexpected fabric and bright colors.

My three sweater vests

Over the past few yers I’ve thrifted three sweater vests: a hand-knit striped Molly Goddard sweater with pep in it’s step, my beloved Fall 2018 Prada spider sweater and a navy merino wool Barney’s New York v-neck. My preferred textile is wool (breathable, good for every season) with a slightly oversized fit.

If you’ve gotten this far and you’re still thinking to yourself there’s no way a sweater vest is for me—I hear you. Maybe it’s not! To help you envision wearing one out in the world I’ve come up with some scenarios. Keep in mind sweater vests come in all shapes and sizes: cropped, oversized, fitted, with buttons or without, v-neck, round-neck, etc.

A sweater vest can be worn: 

• Over a button up when you want to feel assertive and in control

• Under a dress out to dinner so you can sit inside with a/c or outside if there’s a slight chill

• With a suit and no shirt to a wedding to signal that you’re from a city

• Over long sleeves at the movies as an extra layer to catch rogue snacks

• Over short sleeves to the park, ready to remove if sunbathing

• With a blazer to the theater to show some respect

• Over a dress to comfortably run errands, a sibling to the “subway shirt”  

• With a sheer blouse or sheer/slip skirt to the club (why not show a little skin?)

• Under a light jacket to visit family and remind them you’re responsible

• With an unexpected bottom (i.e. tulle skirt, basketball shorts) to an art gallery

• With nothing underneath when you’re feeling hot (figuratively and literally)

Me, in the Molly Goddard sweater vest fit of my dreams.

That’s all for now! Sound off in the comments if you love sweater vests as much as I do. We can wax poetic about them together.

Xo Kalli