Is a Vest Back Strap Worth It?

[Cufflink79]

Over the years I've seen vests with and without back straps on them.

Are they worth it?

If the vest fits well, it seems to me that there's really no need for one.

Any thoughts?

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

[rodes]

No. Not only are they not worth it,they are a distraction.

[Mark Seitelman]

If the vest fits, you don't need it.

However, the best advantage is to be able to tighten the vest in the event of a minor weight loss.

[Costi]

A tailor once sewed a 15 cm piece of elastic into the back of a vest he made for me (hidden between the 2 layers of lining making up the back), a little tense so it kept in contact with the waist at all times.

[Mark Seitelman]

A tailor once sewed a 15 cm piece of elastic into the back of a vest he made for me (hidden between the 2 layers of lining making up the back), a little tense so it kept in contact with the waist at all times.

That's a good idea.

The traditional strap can give some added tension.

Incidentally, I have found that my American suitmakers do not place the proper type of buckle on the back strap. These buckles allow the staps to become loose and drop to either side. They do not perform their function.

Davies & Son uses a proper buckle. The strap stays tied. The buckle has teeth which pierce the strap.

Perhaps the American suitmakers poor choice of buckles reflects the infrequent ordering of vests?

[Cufflink79]

Thanks for the tips. It's been years since I had a three piece suit, and when I do get one I'll go without the back strap. I will admit I agree with Mark on Costi's hidden elastic backing, very good idea.

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

[Jordan Marc]

A back strap with a buckle is essential to a well-made vest, as are one-inch vents on either side of the vest. The torso spreads out in different directions when a man sits down, so the back and sides of a vest must be allowed a certain amount of movement for the sake of comfort.

JMB

[Jordan Marc]

Elastic, whether concealed or exposed, is not a good idea for a back strap. It's heat-condensing, which makes you sweat, and it eventually wears out and sags.

JMB

[Costi]

JMB, you are right, the vents! Those are much more important, especially when you sit. Cufflink, do ask for them on any waistcoat.
As far as the effects of the elastic strap, I can assure you nothing of the kind happens in reality and I have been wearing that waistcoat for many years now. I find buckles very uncomfortable in my back, particularly against the backrest of a chair or car seat.

[Cufflink79]

JMB, you are right, the vents! Those are much more important, especially when you sit. Cufflink, do ask for them on any waistcoat.
As far as the effects of the elastic strap, I can assure you nothing of the kind happens in reality and I have been wearing that waistcoat for many years now. I find buckles very uncomfortable in my back, particularly against the backrest of a chair or car seat.

The vents always get my vote, that was never an issue. I currently have a sweater vest from Robert Talbott that is shaped like a suit vest and it has the oh so important vents.

Thank you JMB & Costi for looking out for me though.

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

[Edward Bainbridge]

Isn't the wasitcoat to long when it needs vents?

[Jordan Marc]

Not really, Edward. If you wear your trousers on your natural waist, which is where they should be worn, a properly made vest will conceal the waistband all the way around your midsection. Some men are long-waisted while others are short-waisted, so leave it to your tailor to tell you exactly where your natural waist is.

JMB

[Costi]

I agree with JMB. The vents come into action when you sit, they are not needed on a standing mannequin They ensure the waistcoat doesn't ride up and/or doesn't bunch up. The lowest button undone (or sewed on a slant from the outset) serves the same purpose. As I wrote in a parallel thread about ventless coats, I think vents add further degrees of liberty to a tailored garment and help it keep its shape with a body that moves, bends, leans, sits etc.

[Edward Bainbridge]

Yes, I didn't take different physiques into account; realised it right when I hit "submit", and I hadn't even thought of not unbuttoning the lowermost button, though this is by no means universal.

But vents on a coat are really a different matter, I think. (I just picked up two suits where for the first time, after some doubts, I opted for vents in spite of the non-classical feel. Have to get my wife to take some pictures.)

[couch]

I'm not crazy about the back strap myself on waistcoats for suits; any bunching of the underlying cloth and of the strap and buckle just complicates the jacket line, and offers needless abrasion. That said, if one has a significantly hollow lower back or other figuration issues that can't be resolved by side seams or darts, the strap may be necessary, as it is if one's waistline fluctuates in size. Historically, going back to the Regency, you see waistcoats fitted in back via seams and darts alone, via back lacing, and by various configurations of straps.

My cutter at Poole was perfectly happy to cut my vest without a strap or the corresponding extra ease. It was apparently a normal variation for them. Side vents of course.