Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

A Decade Later, I’ve Returned to My High School Obsession-Vests

A Decade Later, I’ve Returned to My High School Obsession-Vests

In high school, I went through a serious vest phase. Not in a cute, minimal, Kendall Jenner–inspired way—in a Y2K, so-bad-it’s-good way. At the time, all the It girls (say, Nicole Richie or Lindsay Lohan) were wearing suit vests with graphic tees, and I wanted to replicate the à la mode look.

I remember going to our local mall and heading straight to Le Château, a now-defunct Canadian retailer that essentially specialized in outfitting teens for their proms. I bought two suit vests: a black button-up waistcoat, and a cream button-up waistcoat with a white satin back. I later showed up at school in my new vests—paired with my favorite band tees, emo hair, and skinny jeans, of course—and I felt like a true celebrity.

Looking back, the vest-styling approach was all wrong. I simply looked like an angsty teen who stole part of his dad’s suit and threw it over the top of his Evanescence tees. I’m scarred by any photographic evidence of me during this time period—so much so that I’ve avoided vests like the plague ever since. However, a decade later, I’ve begun seeing vests come back on to the street-style scene. This season, stylish stars like Kendall Jenner and Bella and Gigi Hadid have been wearing suit vests as tops, and pairing them with baggy trousers and designer bags. Suddenly, the vest feels cool again. The question is: Do I dare to revisit them myself?

Never being one to discount a trend, I decided to challenge myself to make a return to vests this fall season. Call it a redemptive styling moment, but with 10 years of fashion experience since high school, I was convinced I could create vest outfits that were grown-up, sophisticated, and not trying too hard (meaning, not just with a graphic tee). Lucky for me too, there are tons of great men’s vests on the market right now, and the new crop of vests come in a range of silhouettes and materials, including cozy knits, sleek leathers, or cool, techy fabrics.

Below, I put three vests to the test, and share my tips on how to wear them.

The Minimal Vest



To start off, I decided to test out a clean, minimalist vest like all the top models are wearing. I was instantly drawn to the muted color and elongated silhouette of this Peter Do vest. I leaned into a neutral color palette, and paired it with a white tank and jeans, a black Bottega Veneta Cassette bag, and black Christian Louboutin boots. As someone who rarely does minimalism, this new outfit felt fresh and exciting to me—like it’s a more elegant version of myself. I’d definitely wear this to the office. Is baring one’s arms in a professional setting weird? Whatever, I work in fashion!

The Cozy Sweater Vest



For my second vest, I wanted to experiment with a more seasonally-appropriate vest. It’s cold out, after all! I love the red color of this knit Bode cardigan vest, and how it subtly ties in the front—not to mention it’s super cozy too. Once again, I found myself drawn to pairing it with a white tank top (might as well really go for showing off my muscle-less arms!), and then I finished it off with classic blue jeans, Gucci loafers, and my favorite Éliou charm necklace. For a more covered look, this could also be layered with a black turtleneck, or underneath a coat on the weekends.

The Going-Out Vest


Last but not least, I wanted to push myself to see if I could put together a vest look for the evening. When you’re grabbing drinks with friends, you may not think about reaching for a suit vest—but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it can be both cool and dressy. I love the subtle logo flex on this black Prada vest. I paired it with my favorite groovy Raf Simons turtleneck, Wrangler dress pants, a black By Far patent bag, and my trusty Louboutin heeled boots. I have to say, this was my favorite look of the bunch. My high school self would be proud of how far we’ve come. I’ve officially redeemed myself!

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
×