Women's Sizes XS-3XL; Men's Sizes SM-3XL
Folkwear offers sewing patterns for three Victorian Vests for women and two for men in this pattern.
In Victorian times, gentlemen were not considered properly dressed without a jacket, vest (or waistcoat), and tie. Indeed, even smart Victorian women donned fitted vests for street wear, with walking skirts and long jackets. Today, the vest is still an integral part of business attire and fashion for men and women.
Views A and B are originally men's vests, now sized also for women. View C is a closely fitted women's vest. All three are fully lined; the backs are cut from lining fabric for comfort and to reduce bulk.
View A is a simple, collarless V-neck vest with four welt pockets and adjustable back waist belt. Center front is pointed at the bottom and rises to high hip length at sided and back.
View B is bias-cut for a decorative fabric treatment, featured a shawl collar, and ends above the hipbones with a shallow point in front. Like View A, a back waist belt adjusts the fit.
View C is shorter, extending just to the waist. Four front darts fit the vest snugly to the bust. A small notched collar plunges into the double-breasted front, which closes with two rows of buttons. Traditional Bow Tie (with instructions for tying) are also included.
Suggested fabrics: Medium to heavyweight fabrics of cotton, silk, wool, linen, synthetics or blends with or without nap, such as brocade, velvet, corduroy, canvas, pique, velveteen, or synthetic suede. The bias cut of the shawl-collar vest is especially suitable for stripes or plaids.
The PDF pattern has instructions, and files for copy shop (36” and A0), print at home, and projector files (A4 and 8.5”x11”) in three different views, A,B, and C as well as a bow tie.