Other Definitions
waistcoat (dict)
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WaistcoatA waistcoat (called a vest in Canada and the US) is a type of garment. It covers just the torso. Also see The Waistcoat is one of the few bits of clothing that can be dated with some exactitude. The great english diary writer Samuel Pepys wrote in October 1666 "The king hath yesterday in council declared his resolution of setting a fashion for clothes which he will never alter. It will be a vest I know not well how". This royal decree is the first time a waistcoat (orginally refered to as a Vest, the American useage being the orginal one). It used to be said that you could tell that a man was a 'real gentleman' if he left the lowest button on his waistcoat unbuttoned. This is said to be a result of the the habit of King Edward VII. While he was Prince of Wales, his balloning waistline caused him to leave the bottom button of his waistcoat undone. The story goes that his subjects took this as a style indicator and started doing it themselves. Waistcoats are no longer considered an essential part of a suit, however they may make a comeback from time to time and will always be correct
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