Vintage British-Made Men's Gilets, Vests and Body Warmers — Voted by the Community

The words “gilet” and “vest” both describe sleeveless upper-body garments, but they have different histories. “Gilet” is French for waistcoat, and dictionaries trace it through Spanish to the Turkish word yelek. In Britain today a gilet usually means a sleeveless jacket that closes at the neck, often padded for warmth. “Vest” has a British story of its own. In October 1666 King Charles II introduced a new fashion at court, which the diarist Samuel Pepys recorded as “a vest”. This long garment, worn under an open coat, developed into the waistcoat, a lasting part of men’s tailored dress. In British English “vest” now usually means a close-fitting undershirt, while in American English it still means a waistcoat. In modern menswear, gilets and vests are worn for practical layering in cooler weather and as part of casual, country and smart-casual dress, keeping the body warm while leaving the arms free. British makers draw on both tailoring and outdoor wear, using good cloth and careful construction to make garments that balance warmth, freedom of movement and everyday use.