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Oft associated with white button-downs, Excel spreadsheets, and Cava grain bowls, men’s vests can be much more than a gray fleece layer with a company logo (though there’s nothing wrong with those, either). At its core, a vest should provide warmth, extra pocket space, style, or a mix of all three. So whether you’re looking for a new layer to add to your outerwear collection or just craving some extra pockets for your keys, phone, and wallet, there’s a vest fit for your needs.
To find the very best vests on the market, I chatted with a number of stylists, clothing-store owners, and generally cool and outdoorsy men about the vests that they keep in their closets, stuff in their suitcases, and layer on top of their favorite long-sleeve tees. I’ve sorted their favorites by price for your ease.
Update on December 19, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
Under $100
Uniqlo’s outerwear has long earned the Strategist’s seal of approval, and so I wasn’t surprised to hear this vest called out when I chatted with stylish guys for this story. The Ultra Light Down Vest is fashion director and style expert Donnell Baldwin’s go-to. Like our best-in-class parka, the vest is lightweight and affordable — but what’s most impressive is its packability. Ahead of long photo-shoot days when temperatures often fluctuate, Baldwin says, “I literally roll it up in a ball and throw it in my suitcase.” As for styling, he typically wears it under a sweater so only the neck peeks out. Of course, you can wear the vest over a sweater, too, “and that’s how most people would wear it, but I’m a stylist, so I’m gonna think outside of the box,” Baldwin told me.
[Editor’s note: Baldwin has an older version of this vest, but we linked to the newest version since it’s still in stock.]
Artist, designer, and fashion guy Loren Fizer likens this vest’s weight and plushness to a Uniqlo vest, but compared to Baldwin’s Uniqlo vest, this one has a more crew-neck-esque neckline that pairs well with a hoodie (Fizer’s hoodie of choice is a solid gray). Fizer says this vest is “very futuristic looking,” adding that “I like a puffer vest, but sometimes it leans more campy, and I’m not that person.” This vest offers a more streamlined option.
And another with a crew neckline, this vest stands out because of its 800 down fill insulation, which Timothy Grindle, co-founder of men’s clothing store Canoe Club, says is like what “much heavier jackets would often have, so it’s super-warm.” Despite the insulation, Grindle says the vest feels like it “weighs less than nothing.” He wears his with a shell while hiking, and loves that it layers easily with a T-shirt and sweatshirt.
Nico Lazaro, Buck Mason’s editorial manager, joins many men I interviewed in owning a vintage Eddie Bauer vest, which he says is best “if you’re trying to flex a little bit” in the fashion world by wearing a rare piece. For more casual occasions, like grabbing drinks, he opts for this one from Game that’s much easier to track down. “It’s very insulating. As soon as you put it on, you’re instantly warmed up,” Lazaro says. With a boxy fit, deep pockets, and a ribbed collar, the vest is versatile: “You can kind of throw it on over everything,” Lazaro says, though he prefers to wear his — which was a gift from his dad, a firefighter, and is embroidered with a fire-department insignia — over heavyweight tees or hoodies.
Another popular vest for vintage hunters: Carhartt’s vest. Mac Bass, who works in marketing, likes the secondhand versions for their shorter cut, already worn-in look, and low prices (Bass bought his, a style from the ’70s, for less than $40 after shipping). But if you don’t want to scour eBay for the perfect vest, the modern Carhartt is still popular and a nice option for anyone looking for a utilitarian piece that’ll keep them warm. Baldwin sees them all the time and suggests embracing the utilitarian vibe of the vest by pairing it with cargo pants and boots.
A denim vest like this one, which Bass wears on warm days, can provide a couple extra pockets for a particularly cluttered day (not to mention something of a western look). Bass, a fan of the Canadian tuxedo, says that when wearing this vest, “you wouldn’t be like, Wow, that really kept me warm in the winter,” but it’s a fun layer to have on hand that doesn’t take up much space.
Under $200
Entering the sub-$200 price range, we have a number of fleece vests, which offer a bit more in terms of style than their quilted counterparts. This one comes recommended by Ken Bernard, co-founder of Brooklyn’s first dedicated hiking store, Outlandish, who says this unisex cut works well “for men of all shapes and sizes.” It has a full-length front zipper for “quick on and off” and a large chest pocket. Best of all, it’s extremely soft: “My grandmother had a really soft rug in her living room, a rug that no one was supposed to play on,” Bernard says. “[The vest] feels like a forbidden fabric, like it’s so soft that you feel like you almost shouldn’t wear it. That’s the best description I have for it.”
If your priority is sustainability, this Topo Designs vest is the one for you. The piece is 100 percent recycled, according to Bernard, who says, “The zippers are recycled as well, so it’s not just like, ‘Hey, this is 70 percent recycled and 30 percent [not].’ From fleece to fabric to zippers, this is fully recycled.” In addition to that, it’s a functional piece that has an adjustable cord around the waist to keep heat in and a DWR coating for water and weather resistance. “It’s designed for that fashion function,” Bernard says. “The aesthetic is, of course, to help look cool, but the function is to make sure that it’s performing very well at the same time.”
“I’m very much a true New Yorker, wearing all black,” Bernard says, but he admits that he’s been adding some greens and other earthy tones to his repertoire. This birch-white vest is one of those items, and it has a “beautiful, really good, natural fit.” He typically pairs it with some simple straight-leg cargos, Converse, and a canvas shirt, adding that it’s “the only bright piece I’m wearing, because it not only pops, but it complements every other color.” As a result, he says, “People definitely always ask, ‘Oh, where’s that from?’ So it’s very clean cut. And then I tell people Lulu — they’re not expecting to get that.”
Lucas Nicholson, the founder of Novel Mart, suggests this as an alternative for the guy who’s wearing a Patagonia Better Sweater. “The cream Sherpa is nice, a little bit different, but it’s still got that very classic sort of fleecy look,” he says. Nicholson recently purchased it to wear this winter, and says it’ll pair nicely with jeans, a flannel shirt, and some Yuketens or Timberlands. “Weekend, walking around, picking up some food,” he says. “A bit more casual.”
[Editor’s note: Harmony Paris lists all prices in euros, so the price shown is an approximate conversion to U.S. dollars.]
Stylist Matt Rossi is a former corporate consultant and self-proclaimed wilderness guy who has a number of vests suited for everything from Wall Street to the woods. When spending time out West, he often sees vests from Jackson Hole–based wilderness brand Stio, which still offers corporate customization, unlike its competitor Patagonia. While Rossi has a different vest for his outdoor adventures (more on that later), he has an older version of this vest and finds that it’s great for a night out in New York City. “I usually wear this with just a flannel under and a raw dark denim,” he says. “But this one also looks really good — I’ve worn this on date night with a girlfriend — with a white polo button-down, jeans, and a black loafer and a watch or something, and it’s never out of its element, or over- or underdressed.”
Rossi guesses that he’s worn this vest on more than 400 separate occasions, donning it to do everything from working in the office to hiking to skiing to sitting by a campfire. “I spent a little time out West, and this is the equivalent of the Patagonia fleece vest out there,” he says, adding that “the big thing about this vest is the fit. Patagonia tends to run a little boxier. This is pretty much the sleekest vest you can get.” Rossi appreciates how easy it is to layer, and especially how packable it is: “It comes with a bag in the pocket that you can stuff it into. It fits down to six-by-six inches, if that.” Even after so many days of wear, the vest is still in good shape. “I know with a lot of down vests, what tends to happen is the down will sink all the way to the bottom and then they get kind of clumpy, and they look, like, muffin-toppy,” Rossi says. “But this one’s been really good.”
For those drawn to the crew-neck collar on the Gramicci and Taion vest but preferring a fleece option, this is your best bet. Rossi has had his for about a year and says he’s worn it to the office and still feels put-together. “I think the buttons dress it up a little bit and make it look a little more formal with the patch pockets,” he says, adding that it pairs well with a button-down and a knit tie. Although all fleece jackets will mat at typical wear spots, he says that the wear on this one hasn’t been too bad. “Obviously, inside of the pocket, yes, just because you’re putting your phone in there 20 times a day, and it’s just the nature of the material, but I would say it’s better than Patagonia,” notes Rossi.
For a vest with the stylist seal of approval, go with this Barbour, which stands out for its diamond-quilted pattern and square pockets. It’s a favorite of both Baldwin and stylist Grace Thomas. While Thomas typically recommends clients wear it with a lightweight sweater or button-down top, Baldwin says it can go on top of anything. “We style them with suiting looks, blazers, turtlenecks. They always look really great with turtlenecks, and they keep you warm,” he says. Time and time again, Thomas’s clients love the vest, she says, adding, “Most men I work with like something more lightweight when it comes to layering, and this is perfect for that.”
Fizer has been wearing this wool vest nonstop this fall and says, “I’ve been able to style that jacket with so many things in my closet because of how versatile it is.” It looks good with everything from a crewneck sweater to a plain white T-shirt, but Fizer told me he especially likes pairing it with olive pants and boots or sneakers. Like most vests, this one has a separate interior lining — in this case cotton, instead of the typical polyester. Fizer finds the cotton lining makes it comfortable and easy to layer on top of an undershirt. Just note, he says, “you would not rely on that solely to keep you warm, but it does help.”
Though Arc’teryx is typically associated with a higher price point, Bernard says this vest is a good and (relatively affordable) introduction to the brand. “I think a lot of people look for pieces that’ll perform well in one range of weather,” he says. “This specific vest has a really wide temperature range of comfort, so it’s a great piece for beginning to the end of fall.” Bernard says the laminated hem is a perk, too: “What that’s gonna do is give you a little bit of water repellency, but also some wind resistance, so it’ll retain the heat really well, which is really nice.”
[Editor’s note: The Arc’teryx Atom vest is currently out of stock, but we’ll let you know when it’s available again.]
Under $300
I’d be remiss not to mention Patagonia, whose men’s down sweater vest is perhaps one of the most well-known styles on the market. It’s a classic silhouette for the guy looking for something that will last him many seasons. Apple creative lead Mickey Pangilinan has had his for eight years and says, “It definitely adds a good amount of warmth when used as a layer for deep winter weather or could be used on top of a long-sleeve T-shirt when it’s just brisk out.” He most commonly wears it during regular subway commuting and when biking in the winter. “When it’s not too cold, I can throw it over a sweater and ride to work. It keeps my core warm but I don’t overheat,” he adds.
If you prefer something with more of a puffer look, try this vest, which is on the boxier side, from Buck Mason. Rossi’s owned this one for about a year and wears it to his casual office, as well as out and about on the weekends. The weight is substantial enough that he told me he can get away with wearing it into December depending on his layering strategy. Just think about how you’ll layer the vest when you choose your size: “If you’re a guy who’s looking to wear it with a collared shirt or a button-down, I would probably size down on that one,” he says. “But if you’re gonna wear it with a hoodie under or thicker stuff, definitely go true to size.”
Moving to a less traditional silhouette, Rossi recommends this reversible work vest, which has an even lower neckline than the Gramicci and Taion vests, giving a hoodie layer plenty of breathing room. Like the duck-canvas vest from Carhartt, this one will develop a unique worn-in look with regular wear and tear. “Any hard-wearing exterior combined with a soft interior, in my opinion, is an awesome combo because you get the benefits of the warmth and the coziness on the inside, but then you also have like the outer shell that can withstand — especially in New York — snow, one hour rain and another hour, then sunny,” he says. As a self-proclaimed zipper snob, he also says this one stands out: “It is really industrial, really strong. It’s shiny. It looks really good. It always works.”
An upgrade from the Atom vest, this Arc’teryx vest offers a bit more in terms of warmth and insulation because of its 850 fill down. Creative director and stylist Salomon Dubois added it to his wardrobe this fall in anticipation of an upcoming trip up North and has been testing its warmth and functionality on early morning walks in the city in the meantime. He typically pairs it with a hoodie and says, “It provides excellent warmth while fitting snugly without feeling bulky.” Other than its packability and stylish stitching, DuBois’s favorite feature is the convenient, spacious pockets.
This one comes recommended by Elias Marte, a partner at Alfargo’s Marketplace and real-estate agent, who says the thick wool fabric-style vest resembles a work jacket. Unlike Fizer’s vest, this one has a suitlike collar that’s simultaneously polished and a little rugged. I can imagine this one paired with a flannel and jeans or a button up and khakis.
$300 and up
“There’s two schools of thought on the vest,” says Nicholson. “You have the insulated one and then you have almost a fisherman’s vest that’s just useful for pockets and things like that.” This one, with its 14 pockets, falls into the latter category and is a favorite of Grindle’s. “Sassafras is a brand out of Japan that focuses on modern interpretations of gardening clothes,” he says, adding that “ all of the items are utility-minded around gardening in this really subtle way.”
While you might not be carrying a trowel and cultivator in your pockets, you could easily stow away your phone, AirPods, and wallet, like Grindle does. “It technically has pockets with pockets inside of those pockets for organization, so you can really fit a ton into it,” he says. “The more you fill out the pocketing, because it’s all gusseted, it sort of changes into a more interesting proportion as you use it.” While it has a higher price point than some of the other vests on this list, you’ll see the quality in the hand sewing, antiqued buttons, and worn-in feel, according to Grindle.
[Editor’s note: A Young Hiker lists all prices in euros, so the price shown is an approximate conversion to U.S. dollars.]
Following Nicholson’s school of thought, this vest falls into the former vest category: insulated. He likes this one, which he’s been wearing for four years, because it’s lightweight and easy to pack down. It’s made of nylon, which, he says, “is quite expensive looking, like how Italians seem to manage to do that with sportswear.” Unlike the quilted down vests above, this one has a more streamlined, sleek design with Thermore wadded padding, which is often used for quilting, instead of down. Though it’s not his most worn vest (that would be his fishing vest from Drake’s), it’s a solid emergency layer and easy layer for going to the gym.
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