“I’m looking for a man in finance. Trust fund, 6 feet tall, blue eyes.” He could have added this to the lyrics of Man in Finance, his earworm hit song about bankers that took over the airwaves earlier this year: wearing a vest.
Also known as the “financial bro vest” or “city boy vest,” the sleeveless layer has been in the spotlight with its fashion comeback this month. Industry On our TV screens.
In the third season of the espresso-paced show about young bankers paving their way in the corporate world, the vests almost become a character unto themselves. Some bear the logo of the fictional Pierpoint investment bank and are worn by employees over shirts and ties in the boardroom and trading floor.
“As a piece in the show, the vest can reach a wider audience,” costume designer Laura Smith said.[It] “It does a lot of work to show how people fit into show business and how they approach their identities.”
It’s a look we’ve seen on Tom Wambsgans before, loaded with meaning – and ready to be mocked. Inheritance. As Roman Roy’s character says: “It’s so fluffy. What is it filled with? Your hopes and dreams?
But for all IndustryLarger-than-life depictions of banking, the vest’s ubiquitous presence in the series is rooted in reality. At Hackett, “popularity has grown steadily, with sales increasing by approximately 10% year over year,” according to chief product officer Gianni Colarossi.
Sales of Grasmere waistcoats at Marylebone tailors William Crabtree & Sons have increased by 20% year-on-year since they opened their brick-and-mortar store four years ago. “It’s hard to say whether the increase in sales is directly due to the show,” owner James Priestley said. Industry but there seems to be an overall increase in sales of our vest.” Charles Tyrwhitt reported a vest-driven surge in sales earlier this year and predicted business would grow 20% next year.
Along with the quarter-zip sweater, the vest has become synonymous with corporate, perhaps especially banker, attire. “This is a very special piece of clothing that people really recognize and associate with the banker brothers industry,” said TJ Sidhu, style and culture writer and editor. Sometimes padded, sometimes woolen, sometimes microfleece (Patagonia branded ones are particularly popular), it’s a unique piece of clothing, so it’s meaningful as a symbol that people can hold on to; It’s more visually appealing than a suit or shirt.
“It has almost started to represent the banking style and has become a kind of parody,” says a graduate who works in banking in London and wishes to remain anonymous. In the viral TikTok video from clothing brand Reiss, which has over 3 million views, a flashmob pretending to be finance brothers dances with the Man in Finance, each clad in identical vests.
But for those working in the industry, the graduate said: “We are not part of this parody. This is what we wore before this trend started and we’ll continue to wear it after.
Its appeal, first and foremost, is its practicality, especially for commuting. The vest means “you can keep your body warm but not sweat too much.” Moreover, “you can take it off and put it in your bag,” he said.
Part of its dominance in recent years is due to office attire becoming more casual post-pandemic. With the rise of working from home, vests have become one of the sartorial answers to the need to be smart, like being at least belly button up for Zoom calls, but also slightly more relaxed to reflect that you’re not actually within 10 metres. from a photocopier. Now even in the office, the vest’s less formal aesthetic is a nod to the continuing softening of acceptable office attire.
Sidhu said that in industries like banking, people tend to prefer uniformity in style. For men, she added: “I think it really gives them a sense of belonging.” He likens it to venues such as football terraces and bars “where we see these particular types of clothing”.
whether or not IndustryIn addition to attracting attention on social media, it is not yet known whether it will increase gilet sales outside the Square Mile. Could the sleeveless garment start to gain recognition in the fashion industry? “Never say never,” Sidhu said.
“Over the past decade, we’ve seen many trends come and go that we never thought would be fashionable, quote-unquote.” There are many examples of how “‘ugly’ clothes somehow reflect the zeitgeist,” he points to Crocs.
Maybe the situation may be different if more efficient options emerge. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a banker brother wearing a patterned dress. [or] “It’s a nice, juicy color,” he said.
With the so-called “corcore” trend bringing us a new take on the usual 9-to-5 outfits, perhaps the next item to be given a new twist to Generation Z will be vests. “In the right hands, the banker bro vest it could be could potentially be knocked down to quite stylish effect.