White formal vest?

[Chrome]

I bought this vest from Ebay and I thought to ask about usage. Is it formal wear or older use as please vest?

And can someone say anything about only manufacturer marking in it.

Thanks!

 

[Tomasso]

It was either part of a suit or an odd vest. It is not formal wear.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

White cotton piqué? I rather doubt there was a full suit made from that.

 

[Tomasso]

White cotton piqué? I rather doubt there was a full suit made from that.

OK, so then it's formal wear........

 

[Edward]

I doubt it was a suit, but it's too high for evening wear. Summer wedding wear, perhaps... (of course, we assume here that it was made by or at the instruction of someone who followed what was "correct").

 

[Qirrel]

Are the buttons detachable? If so, it is probably a washable summer vest. I haven't seen any 30s or 20s examples, but I know that they were common well into the edwardian period.

 

[Stanley Doble]

In late 19th century was summer day wear for well dressed merchant or professional man especially in Europe. Today is considered formal wear.

There must be mention of white pique vests in Finnish novels of the Victorian era.

 

[WH1]

Could it be a vest for use with a stroller?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

.
It was probably meant for use with a frock coat for a daytime summer event.


Here is Theodore Roosevelt, wearing a similar one at his daughter's wedding:

 

[Qirrel]

And here is an example with lounge suits. (Early 1900):

 

[Shangas]

Damn you! I want a white waistcoat!!

It's a regular-wear vest. Part of a summer suit or just an odd waistcoat to be worn with contrasting jacket and/or trousers.

A formal white waistcoat (such as with White Tie) is lower cut. The buttons are closer together. There would be four (sometimes three) of them, instead of the five or six (or even up to eight) that regular waistcoats (which is what this is), would have.

 

[Chrome]

Thanks for answers and photos.

I hoped that it wouldn't be for formal use, goody goody. Reason I asked is that I knew that current formal vest is low opening model but as in other items things change. All is well and now I have nice vest for summer use, I only lack the jacket now

And yes, vest has removable buttons.

 

[Shangas]

No, no, no. The formal white vests are MUCH lower-cut at the front. Something like this would've gone with summerwear or with a contrasting jacket and trousers or something else along those lines. This wasn't something you wore to dinner with the Vanderbilts.

It's a very handsome waistcoat. Now I want to see a photo of what it looks like when you're wearing it!!

 

[avedwards]

It's a regular-wear vest. Part of a summer suit or just an odd waistcoat to be worn with contrasting jacket and/or trousers.

Whilst it's definitely not evening wear I wonder whether it was ever intended to be worn with morning dress, possibly underneath another waistcoat (back in the days when gentlemen occasionally wore two waistcoats but now only wear one with a slip underneath).

 

[Shangas]

I doubt if it would go with morning dress. I think it might possibly have gone with just a white suit. Something like this:

 

[avedwards]

I doubt if it would go with morning dress. I think it might possibly have gone with just a white suit. Something like this:

It looks like it's made of marcella though, and I have yet to see a marcella suit (though that would be an interesting idea).

I didn't mean wearing it by itself with morning dress but under another waistcoat like a waistcoat slip, since waistcoat slips started off as white waistcoats worn under a darker waistcoat:

 

[Shangas]

But it's got pockets. Wouldn't they be rather inaccessible if it was worn as an undergarment?

 

[kimhellen88]

It is not formal wear.

 

[avedwards]

But it's got pockets. Wouldn't they be rather inaccessible if it was worn as an undergarment?

That's true. I overlooked that fact :eusa_doh:. Perhaps a multi-use garment usable as an under-waistcoat and summer waistcoat?

 

[Yeps]

That's true. I overlooked that fact :eusa_doh:. Perhaps a multi-use garment usable as an under-waistcoat and summer waistcoat?

This doesn't seem to pass Occam's Razor particularly well. I would assume that it is the contrasting waistcoat shown in some earlier pics, designed to be worn either with morning dress or with a lounge suit.