How Should a Vest Fit?

Start with the shoulders and chest

The shoulders set the frame for the whole vest. The shoulder seam should sit at the point where your shoulder meets your arm, not drooping down the upper arm and not pulled in toward the neck. When the shoulder seam sits in the right place, the front panels hang straight and the armholes fall where they should. If the seam droops, the vest is too large across the top, and if it pulls inward, the vest is too small across the chest.

The chest should lie flat across the front without gaping between the buttons or along a zip. A small amount of ease is normal, because a vest needs room for the shirt beneath it and for breathing, but the fabric should not stand away from the chest when you stand still. Raise both arms and then lower them. The front should settle back into place without bunching at the chest or pulling sideways across the buttons.

Waist, hem and armholes

The waist of a vest should follow the body without squeezing it. On a casual vest or a puffer vest, the hem should sit level around the body and cover the waistband of your trousers when you stand. On a suit vest, the hem should cover the waistband fully so no shirt shows between the vest and the trousers. A hem that rides up when you sit or reach is too short, and a hem that covers the hips on a suit vest is too long.

The armholes deserve close attention because a vest has no sleeves to hide a poor cut. Each armhole should sit close to the body without gaping open at the front or back, and it should not cut into the underarm when you raise your arms. A gaping armhole shows too much of the shirt beneath and makes the vest look loose, while a tight armhole restricts movement and pulls the front panels sideways.

Fit across vest types

A casual vest, a puffer vest and a suit vest share the same shoulder and chest checks, but they differ in how close they should feel. A puffer vest is filled and quilted, so it stands a little away from the body and should still close without the filling bunching at the front. A casual vest in a flat fabric should skim the shirt with a little air between the layers. A suit vest should be the closest of the three, with a smooth front and a neat line from the chest to the hem.

Judge each vest against its own purpose. A vest worn as an outer layer over a thick shirt needs more room than the same style worn over a thin shirt, and a vest worn under a jacket needs to be slim enough that the jacket still closes comfortably. Try the vest with the layers you plan to wear with it, not over a bare top or over a bulky jumper you will never pair with it.

Test the fit by moving

Stand, sit, reach and walk before you decide. Sit down and check that the hem still covers the waistband and the bottom button still fastens without strain. Reach both arms forward as if you were picking something up, then raise them overhead. The vest should move with you and settle back without the shoulders riding up or the front pulling open. Walk across the room and check that the hem stays level rather than swinging from side to side.

Look at the vest from the side as well as from the front. From the side, the front and back should hang at the same length, and the shoulder seam should stay in place. If the back rides up while the front stays put, the back length is short for you. If the front flares away from the body while the back lies flat, the chest or waist is too large for the cut.

Quick vest fit checks

• Shoulder seam sits on the shoulder, not on the upper arm.
• Chest lies flat without gaping between buttons or along the zip.
• Bottom button fastens without pulling or dragging the fabric.
• Hem covers the waistband when you stand and sit.
• Armholes sit close without gaping or cutting into the underarm.
• Arms move freely and the vest settles back into place after you reach.