There’s something about fashionably ugly clothing that’s always appealed to me, whether it’s dad shoes, cargo pants, or bike shorts. Maybe that’s in part a pretentious instinct, the appeal of knowing that not everyone will get it. All the better if the item in question has not yet become a full-blown trend.
As is the case with this $760 “technical canvas tool vest” I saw on Need Supply Co. The luxury brand Ganni seemed to be doing something similar, albeit in shearling, and the look had also trickled down to Stussy. And so I began I began to investigate “tool vests,” or what you also might call “dad fishing vests.” Straddling the worlds of masculine and feminine and featuring an oversize fit and undeniable practicality, something about these vests just felt right in the way about-to-be-trends always do. Plus, considering the underrepresentation of pockets in women’s clothing, how could I say no to a garment so well suited for on-the-go storage of my MetroCard, debit card, stray mints, phone, and all those other pieces of garbage I carry around?
I found the perfect match in the Kedera Fishing Vest — on Amazon, as it happened. It seemed to have a slightly oversize fit, mesh panels, a Yeezy-esque neutral tone, and more pockets than I’d know what to do with. At $20, I felt like I could afford to give it a shot.
And I was right. Aside from looking cool, it is super lightweight, and very easy to wear. Vest’s first trip out was to a seafood restaurant in Montauk, where I wore it over a silk slip dress, with wedge heels. In the city, I can wear it with pretty much anything — with jeans and a tee for work, or linen shorts and Converse on the weekend.
Unlike the Ganni or Heron Preston versions, it doesn’t have the same level of design detail — no contrast stitching or fancy labels, and the weight of the fabric isn’t as substantial (it doesn’t have that luxury feel). But my Amazon iteration still makes a statement. Posting about it on Instagram Stories has garnered me multiple DMs — some of approval, others of confusion. Which is exactly the point.
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