Directorate, do you remember previous discussions of The Third Piece? Not to be confused with The Third Man — which is a masterpiece and which you should make time to see over the holidays if you have not already seen it. I digress. The Third Piece is the thing (generally a garment) you add to a top and pants to create an outfit.
Perhaps you thought you were dressed after putting on a shirt and pants?
Non, non. You’ve only set the table, as they say. Unless the shirt is like this. Or this. In which case, you are done.
Generally, however, Shirt + Pants needs one of the following garments, listed, for your convenience, from most commonly-accepted workplace attire to least commonly-accepted (but not unacceptable, because I’ve worn each of these to work) to feel finished: a smart jacket, cardigan, vest, bustier, apron, pinafore, sawed-off cocktail dress, breastplate or . . . some strips of fabric artfully arranged to look like a mummy coming undone.
Like this!
For ease of reference, we’ll call this black top a vest — until one of you comes up with a better nickname.
I saw it on The RealReal and thought it had possibilities.
Turns out, it’s the perfect connector for a white shirt and grey pants.
True Confession: When this vest arrived, I did question my judgment. I hung the vest in my closet thinking it might not see the light of day until a major closet cleaning.
And then one fall morning, when I least expected it, I realized this vest is absolutely perfect. The hem is tremendous, and creates such pretty outlines against this white shirt. The white shirt also deserves applause for its unusually well-proportioned shirt-tail hem.
A jacket could be worn over this combination (technically, a fourth piece, but not actually The Fourth Piece) and I’d be wearing a three-piece suit (of sorts). Picture a classic grey-pinstriped suit or grey flannel suit. Wouldn’t that be fun? Secret fun, until the jacket is removed.
If you have a name for this vest, please share!
Vest: A.W.A.K.E. Mode from The RealReal this vest shows up periodically!); Shirt: Talbots Perfect Shirt; Pants: JCrew Cameron Slim Crop Pant in Italian Wool; Bag: Dries Van Noten; Shoes: Coach Leah Loafers (available at Dillards)
This vest is clearly A Censorship.
And it is magnificent.
Vest, Redacted!
Black Mummy Vest.
LOVE THIS!!
That is fabulous! I’m also imagining it over a black blouse, perhaps one with a tiny pattern, whether woven in a textured fabric or printed?