No vests?
“I absolutely agree with everything above, except the no-vests.
If nothing else, the wedding porn my fiancée reads has some good points about menswear. For those of us not blessed with the above-listed slim and muscular frames, black vests are a welcome alternative to looking (and feeling) fat.
A good vest w/ a good cut and possible some kind of vertical stripe can really help downplay any… shall we say, extra, around the middle. Just because I’m a dude doesn’t mean I don’t care about looking fat… Although I agree that colored vests (anything besides neutrals) are a big no. Just, no.”
-The Plunge Reader
The reader is reacting to this principle in our 20 Rules on Formalwear:
17. Skip the cummerbund or vest
Heresy? So be it. A great tux does not need a cummerbund unless you have one of those shirts where the ruffles stop halfway down like a napkin. You should not wear one of those shirts, ergo, you don’t need a cummerbund. And colorful cummerbunds that match the bridesmaid dresses, while common, smack of prom and homecoming. Same for vests.
Update: A clarification is in order. You’re right. A simple, tasteful black vest can do the trick. The spirit of the original rule was more about garish cummerbunds and colorful vests–the kind you see in 70s movies. Simple is good. We like what you describe.
Thanks for the push-back. Always good to get other reactions. Anyone else? Agree? Disagree? Tell us.
Get all 20 rules here.
