I have a sneaking suspicion that the longline vest is going to be one of the biggest trends for the season – either in a cotton/linen fabrication, or a suiting fabric. Think of it like the older sister to the waistcoat; a more demure silhouette with the modest high neckline. And the longer length feels a bit more flattering too, cutting off just below the hip. A fun way to play with proportions, and easily winterised if you opt for one in a more robust, flat fabric and add a slim knit underneath.
Whether you plan to jump on board this trend, I love that this one is surprisingly versatile. On paper, it reads refined. Elegant. Formal, even. Which can work in your favour if you want to work some friction into your outfit with a bit of “high-low” styling. So here are four ways you can style a longline vest – but you could easily imagine it with a full length trouser, tailored shorts, a slip skirt etc.
As part of a matching set
Starting with the most obvious: worn as part of a matching set. In this case, an almost maxi length skirt in the same, soft, loamy linen. You can see my reference here to elegance and refinement. No matter what way I cut it – worn with flats or heels – it has a tendency to look (and feel!) dressed up when worn as a set. That said, this takes the guesswork out of styling and clearly, they’re a total match made in heaven.
Wearing Posse linen vest, Posse linen skirt, By Far mules, The Curated mini bag
With a bright coloured mini
Playing around with an injection of colour here. But also, bringing up that hemline (considerably!). I actually think you could pull this off with any coloured mini. A punchy bright red immediately comes to mind as it’s one of the colours of the season. But, for a minimalist look, either white or black. Pale yellow will add less contrast. The key detail here being to focus on the length of the skirt. That neckline is really demure, so showing off a bit of leg feels balanced and not overtly sexy (especially not when paired with a flat sandal). I also like this colour combo. The fresh white, with that spearmint green, and tan slides.
Wearing Posse linen vest, Lian Lou mini skirt, Wittner sandals, Loewe bag
With a straight leg jean
Leaning in on a minimal colour palette, but keeping things visually interesting with high contrast shades. This is definitely my favourite look of the four, and what I wore this week (inspiring this whole post!). This has contrasts from two perspectives. One being the most obvious visual of the colour palette. Light vs dark. It breaks up the outfit, though despite the longline nature of the vest, doesn’t read as unflattering due to the curved hemline. The second contrast is in the fabrication. The linen combined with the cut reads formal, whereas the jeans are more casual in nature (though darker washes are your best bet if you want to look more refined). Ballet flats lean in on that refinement and elegance I was craving.
Wearing Posse linen vest, Arket jeans, About Arianne ballet flats, Saben bag (15% off with JAMIELOVESSABEN15)
Casually with a denim short
The final pairing I wanted to share leans in on that contrast of formal vs casual. But here it’s much more overt. These denim shorts cut off a little about mid thigh so plenty leg-baring (I actually think a Bermuda jean short would look great here!), but it’s the raw edged hem that adds to the chill factor. With the vest, I feel like I’ve put in a bit of effort, while still leaning on one of my favourite summer style staples. I’m not quite matching my shoes and my bag (bag is brown, shoes are burgundy), but you can see how I’ve essentially opted for tones of. They’re in a similar colour family hence the seamless feel of the two in combination. Also love that the bag adds in an intricate woven texture.
Wearing Posse linen vest, Everlane denim shorts, Jil Sander sandals, St Agni bag (purchased here but also available here)
