Figure 1.--We are not entirely sure whst vests were called in the 19th century, but believed the term waistcosat may hsave been used even in America. This boy was photographed by Rockwood in New York City. Notice the arrow onhis stockings. The portrait is undated, but looks like the early 1880s to us.

An important suit component was the vest or waistcoat as it is called in Britain. We are not sure when these different usages became fixed or why this difference developed. Americans will generally understand waistcoat meaning vest. The British, however, will interpret vest to mean an undershirt. Vest was apparently used in the sence of undershirt in America. Ny father who was born in 1903 did call his undrshirt a vest. Waistcoat in America is a term only used by individuals in the clothing trade and even there not very commonly.

Created: 8:19 PM 11/22/2008
Last updated: 7:50 AM 1/2/2009