How To Style a Sweater Vest: 6 Ways

The 80s have been making a bit of a comeback over the past few years: sequins, oversized blazers (with shoulder pads), high-waisted denim, big sweaters, and even sweater vests. While the 1980s are synonymous with the sweater vest, this garment actually first popped up in the 1910s to the 1930s.

This summer, everyone watched the release of season four of Netflix’s Stranger Things, which is set in the mid-1980s, and saw Nancy Wheeler rocking sweater vests during most of her screen time in the first couple of episodes.

Though the idea of wearing a sweater is enchanting, it is a fashion-forward, versatile piece that can be styled in many ways. In this article, I’ll help you figure out just how you can style that sweater vest.

Then, who knows? You might just be inspired to pick up a brand new sweater vest or have a few ideas of how to style the vest that’s already chilling in your closet.

What Exactly Is a Sweater Vest?

As the name suggests, a sweater vest is a piece of knitwear that does not have sleeves. It can be a button-down or a pullover. It can be more fitted, or it can be oversized. It can be a V-neck or a crewneck. Basically, it can be anything you want it to be and I love that.

They can come in different types of patterns like argyle or the classic Fair Isle, or they can be a solid color, and some vests even have pockets. Not only are sweater vests a fun addition to your closet, but they are also comfortable and serve the purpose of being great layering pieces.

The sweater vest was more of a popular item in the 20th century, particularly during the 80s and 90s (think of iconic TV and film characters like Rachel Green and Cher Horowitz), but now, in the 21st century, it has seen a resurgence in fashion thanks to celebs like Tyler the Creator, Kendall Jenner, and Gigi Hadid bringing the look back — and hotter than ever.

How Do I Wear a Sweater Vest?

Like a sweater, a sweater vest is a very versatile piece. Due to its unique nature, your sweater vest outfit may require a little extra planning, but I would never turn down a fashion adventure!

Here are some ways that you can style your sweater vest.

Pair It With Jeans

Like almost any type of knitwear and top, a sweater vest pairs fabulously with denim. Depending on the fit of your particular sweater vest, you could pair it with any style of jeans: straight-leg, boyfriend fit, skinny, even bootcut, or wide-leg jeans would work.

There are dozens of combinations of vests and washes that would work well together: a white sweater vest would work with black jeans; a multicolored, argyle-patterned vest would pair well with lighter or darker washes of denim. There are so many possibilities when it comes to combining sweater vests with jeans!

You could try a French tuck with a loose-fitting sweater vest into a pair of skinny jeans to add more definition to your ensemble, or try tucking a more fitted vest into a pair of straight-leg or wide-leg jeans.

Try a Skirt

Again, like any knitwear, you can definitely pair your sweater vest with a skirt. If you have a black or white sweater vest, you can try tucking it into a yellow, patterned mini skirt like Emilia Skirt from Juun.

Another option would be to try a longer skirt. If you have a brightly colored or patterned sweater vest, try pairing it with a black skirt, such as this slim, form-fitting Marea maxi skirt. If you want to switch it around, opt for a neutral or solid-colored vest with a bright maxi skirt like the Tara Skirt by ConcepciÓn Miranda. A neutral sweater vest will allow the prints to shine without competition.

Wear It Over a Shirt

Though you can easily wear a sweater vest on its own, another common way to style it is by wearing it over a shirt like this white, button-down, long-sleeve blouse, or a long-sleeve bodysuit with a mock neck to peek out from underneath your sweater vest.

You can also wear a sweater vest over a short-sleeve shirt, whether a button-down shirt or a simple T-shirt. This ensemble is not only cute and fashionable but is also practical in helping to keep you warm during colder seasons. It’s perfect for dining at a classy restaurant or for nailing your next job interview.

You Wear the Pants

Going off of the sweater-vest-over-shirt look would be to pair your vest and shirt combo with black pants, soft pants like palazzo pants, or classic work slacks that are tapered or straight-leg.

If you have a pair of white pants and want more of a neutral vibe, a gray, black, or tan sweater vest would pair excellently with white pants. Or, if you have a bolder-colored vest, you could definitely pair it with white pants.

You might also like the idea of pairing your sweater vest and button-down shirt combo with dynamic, patterned pants like these Tessa Navy Striped Cotton Pants by Thea Studio. These pants evoke the love of geometric patterns that were popular in the 1920s but combined modern sensibilities.

Any of these combinations is a charming spin on the sweater vest trend and is a bold step in the right direction in your fashion journey.

Wear Your Vest as a Dress

Yes, you heard me correctly.

If the sweater vest is very oversized or is way too big to wear as a shirt, you can wear it as is or wear it over a long-sleeved shirt. If you decide to wear a “vest dress” over a shirt, you could let the shirt collar peek out of the dress, evoking that iconic preppy vibe.

Pair this sweater vest dress outfit with knee-high boots or ankle boots to up your style game. Or switch out the boots for a pair of heels and some eye-catching jewelry to add a little more pizazz to your get-up. Cold nights can call for some opaque tights and a dangling scarf; it’s time to let your imagination run as wild as your favorite prints.

Accessorize To Your Heart’s Content

Now that you have the outfit options, you’ll definitely want to accessorize. Fortunately, there are no hard and fast rules in this category. You wear whatever accessories you want! If your sweater vest is a neutral color like black, white, or tan, perhaps brighten up your look with a bold statement necklace or a medallion necklace such as Oriente necklace by Geo Designs.

If you’re more into funky earrings, these IMPERIAL PINK EARRINGS by Las Meninas will go well with a white sweater vest or a similarly-colored vest to bring out the color in the vest. You can never go wrong with pairing gold or silver jewelry with your outfit of the day. Mix and match metals if you truly want to push the fashion envelope.

Evergreen Styles

The fashion world is ever-evolving, and trends are always coming and going. Fortunately, the sweater vest trend has come back and is seemingly here to stay, at least for a few more seasons.

Most trends usually have a way of sticking around, so if you’re inspired, go out and get yourself a sweater vest that suits your style best, or you can now pull out the vest that you’ve had in your closet and wear it confidently.