There are many other alternative terms for a sleeveless jacket. Some examples are:
All of the above can loosely fall under the bracket of 'vest', with subtle differences between them. A waistcoat is a sleeveless under-jacket, named waistcoat in the UK and many other commonwealth countries, but referred to simply in the US and Canada as a vest. These pieces of clothing are usually worn as part of formal attire, or as the third piece of a lounge suit.
Undershirts are normally worn under a shirt are commonly known as vests in the UK and many other commonwealth countries, a singlet in Australia and Asia, and is usually in the form of a t-shirt of sleeveless top.
The term vest can refer equally as accurately to sports clothing such as tanks tops or padded sleeveless jacket popular for hunting, known commonly as a hunting vest. A vest which carries a profusion of external pockets for carrying fishing tackle and other such paraphernalia is know as a fishing vest, and the term 'jerkin' is also used to refer to this kind of sleeveless outdoor coat.
Other names include sweater vests - also know as slipovers, sleeveless sweaters or tank tops (which may also refer to a type of sleeveless shirt), and a banyan, which is a type of traditional Indian ware.
The word 'vest' comes from the French 'veste' (jacket, sport coat), the Italian 'vesta/veste' (robe, gown) and the Latin vestis. It is believed that the sleeveless garment worm by men beneath a coat was first made popular by King Charles II of England, since an entry from the diary of Samuel Pepys (dated October 8th 1666) declares that 'the King hath yesterday, in Council, declared his resolution of setting a fashion for clothes... It will be a vest, I know not well how; but it is to teach the nobility thrift.'
- Waistcoat
- Undershirt
- Vest
- Tank top
All of the above can loosely fall under the bracket of 'vest', with subtle differences between them. A waistcoat is a sleeveless under-jacket, named waistcoat in the UK and many other commonwealth countries, but referred to simply in the US and Canada as a vest. These pieces of clothing are usually worn as part of formal attire, or as the third piece of a lounge suit.
Undershirts are normally worn under a shirt are commonly known as vests in the UK and many other commonwealth countries, a singlet in Australia and Asia, and is usually in the form of a t-shirt of sleeveless top.
The term vest can refer equally as accurately to sports clothing such as tanks tops or padded sleeveless jacket popular for hunting, known commonly as a hunting vest. A vest which carries a profusion of external pockets for carrying fishing tackle and other such paraphernalia is know as a fishing vest, and the term 'jerkin' is also used to refer to this kind of sleeveless outdoor coat.
Other names include sweater vests - also know as slipovers, sleeveless sweaters or tank tops (which may also refer to a type of sleeveless shirt), and a banyan, which is a type of traditional Indian ware.
The word 'vest' comes from the French 'veste' (jacket, sport coat), the Italian 'vesta/veste' (robe, gown) and the Latin vestis. It is believed that the sleeveless garment worm by men beneath a coat was first made popular by King Charles II of England, since an entry from the diary of Samuel Pepys (dated October 8th 1666) declares that 'the King hath yesterday, in Council, declared his resolution of setting a fashion for clothes... It will be a vest, I know not well how; but it is to teach the nobility thrift.'
