Fashion Brief
I’m not gonna lie; there is no sense in which this week’s look is one of life’s essentials. “If my house was on fire, the first thing I would save would be my long waistcoat,” said nobody, ever. And yet. The very nonessential-ness of the long waistcoat is what makes it worthwhile. Like an architectural hat, or nail art, or five-inch heels, it is the very above-and-beyond nature of the look that makes a statement.
This doesn’t mean a long waistcoat serves no practical purpose. Think of it as a sleeveless coat. In the summer, you need an outer layer that is in some way a devolved version of the coat. You can lop the bottom half off a coat and call it a jacket; you can take out the lining and call it a duster-coat, or cut the arms off and… you get the idea.
Most summer wardrobes are gorgeous so long as the sun keeps shining, but go off the boil as soon as the cloud cover comes in. Summer fashion mistake number one: a great outfit in which the top layer is too obviously an afterthought. A pretty dress with a lumpen jacket thrown over the top; pert shorts-and-a-shirt let down by a droopy cardigan… The advantage of a long waistcoat is that it retains a sense of ceremony, which can be missing from most summery outer layers.
Have a look at the spring/summer 2015 Christian Dior collection, which layered mid-calf-length, brightly coloured long waistcoats over sleeveless black T-shirts and Bermuda-length white shorts. This shouldn’t work, but it did. Suddenly, shorts-and-a-T-shirt was elevated into a longline, Gainsborough-portrait elegance.
Summer clothes have a tendency to look casual, and the long waistcoat is a fast sharpener. Despite the Gainsborough silhouette, it looks modern. (Avoid, for instance, frogging. Obviously.) The classic waistcoat has a tendency to twee vibes (Annie Hall, in pinstripe; Woodstock, in suede), but the longline version, just by being surprising, doesn’t. “Indispensable” might be pushing it, but this is a piece that will prove itself useful – in non-emergencies, at least.
• Jess wears blouse, £27.99, mango.com. Waistcoat, £60, warehouse.co.uk. Skirt, £240, by DKNY, from harrods.com. Shoes, £65, office.co.uk.
Photograph: David Newby for the Guardian. Styling: Melanie Wilkinson. Fashion assistant: Hannah Davidson. Hair and makeup: Sharon Ive at Carol Hayes Management.
