Let’s Talk About Vests -

On this chilly, rainy Monday morning, I wanted to take the opportunity to talk to you about something that’s become very near and dear to my heart…

Vests.

(Because heaven knows, I’m so sick of hearing about the election that I could just weep.)

So…vests.

I used to be very “meh” about The Vest—I mostly bought a few because I thought they were “professional” and good for helping me land a teaching job (and then, once I’d landed said job, they were good for making me not look like one of the students), but that was about all I felt about the matter. And, truth be told, I didn’t even used to wear them very much, even though I owned around four or five at the time.

Fast forward to now—

I still only own about four or five (some the same as before, some different), but my philosophy about the versatility and loveability of The Vest has completely changed.

In fact, I might venture to say that The Vest could become many a woman’s new best style friend, especially if she tends to store weight in her midsection (like myself), has a postpartum pooch to hide (like myself), or is trying to subtly hide the early stages of pregnancy (not like myself—don’t get excited).

This is how happy vests should make you, people–

So happy that you awkwardly throw leaves around in order to make it look

like you spontaneously ended up in a land of golden leaves,

chocolate bubbles, and bathtubs filled with pumpkin-scented foam.

I have found that no matter how little attention I give to the other pieces I am wearing, if I throw on a vest that semi-coordinates, it almost always elevates the outfit to The Next Level (or, at the very least, to the level of I-Actually-Put-Effort-Into-Dressing-In-Real-Clothes-Today).

Through my forays into vest-wearing on a regular (and casually dressed) basis, I have found that there are 3 favorite ways that I rock my vests—

Exhibit A: The Wrapped-and-Belted Look.

While the top I have on in this pic is “technically” a short-sleeved cardigan, I have found that you can do the exact same thing with vests that zip or that are open in the front.

Fall weather, I’m cool with you staying here indefinitely. Bring it on. #atthepark #autumnlove

A post shared by Torrie Lynn Meidell (@torriemeidell) on Oct 11, 2016 at 2:41pm PDT

Exhibit B: The open/zippered vest (unbelted) over a neutral tee

(I’ve done this look several times but with no other picture than this one, of me when I was still a teacher and doing crazy stunts in the commons. And it’s WAY too cold and wet outside for me to be thinking of taking another one just for this post! #sorrynotsorry)

Exhibit C: The sweater-vest-and-collared-shirt combo.

This is the way that I rock the vest the most, which works basically over any button-up shirt (and I’ll sometimes even throw on a necklace, too, if I’m feeling extra-coordinated).

Also–BONUS!–it gets rid of the gap-button syndrome us busty gals are always trying to deal with. (Side note: no matter how large I buy my button-up shirt, I ALWAYS seem to get a gap across the chest, so I basically just always vest it. Yes, that’s a verb now.)