What Is a Waistcoat?

A waistcoat is a sleeveless upper-body garment that is usually worn over a dress shirt and necktie.

It is worn below a coat as a part of most men’s formal wear.

It is also be worn as the third piece in the traditional three-piece male lounge suit.

It’s a common garment worn for a wedding.

Key Points

The waistcoat originated in Persia and became extremely fashionable in the middle of the seventeenth century.
The waistcoat was designed to discourage the use of lavish materials by covering much of the body in material.
Nowadays waistcoats are seldom worn, except by a groom who is getting married