"Our editors are no strangers to a fad taking hold and running rampant through our office. Four years ago, you couldn’t enter the threshold of the door without spotting someone in this faux leather moto jacket. Then there was a winter where half of our editors were stomping through the Chicago slush in the same pair of waterproof Chelsea boots. And if you were a fly on the wall in our office the past month or two, you’d notice that the phenomenon has struck once again—this time, in the form of a linen vest.
At risk of being annoying, I do feel I deserve to take credit for this one. Yeah sure, vests are trending in general this year, but the chokehold didn’t start until I bought one and wore it to the office one Tuesday. It was impeccably styled, of course, with my favorite ballet flats and a blazer draped over my shoulders—a little suiting moment—and the people went wild. Wild! I watched my coworkers trickle in one by one over the next few weeks wearing a similar one and gave myself credit every time, whether they knew it or not. Delusional? Maybe… but the evidence has stacked up and I’d bet a jury of my peers would agree with me.
As all good things do, of course, my exact vest is sold out, but that didn’t stop my fellow editors from finding in-stock vests of their own (and frankly, since basically every brand came out with some variation of one this summer, with they all look identical). The effect is always summer fashion perfection: an androgynous, old-money vibe that’s effortless and versatile enough to wear on repeat. We’ve seen one come through our office’s doors with matching linen pants, shorts, jeans—even denim maxi skirts. It’s the solution to that I-don’t-know-what-to-wear-as-a-top problem when you want something that’s more than just a plain white tee or tank, but just as easy to throw on.
vest | bag (budget-friendly option) | pants | shoes
If you’re looking for a versatile, easy staple to add to your rotation this summer, our editors are unanimous in the decision that this is it. I’ve personally accepted that my reputation is about to have one more stigma attached to it: chronic outfit repeater.
