Home / Style / Clothing

15 Great Sweater Vests to Shop Now

Argyle isn’t the only way to go.

best sweater vests Gear Patrol

By Evan Malachosky

Published

·

Updated

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Like loafers and rugby shirts, sweater vests have entered streetwear’s orbit. The style, once saved for preppy elites, permeated the general public’s purview over the past year, thanks in no small part to style icons like A$AP Nast, Tyler, The Creator, Harry Styles and Ryan Gosling, who showed it could be worn with ease overtop a T-shirt or a patterned oxford.

And that’s exactly how I’d advise you work some of these wild iterations into your wardrobe. Start with simple layers overtop and underneath, like, say, a hefty white T-shirt and your favorite woolen overcoat. Once you’ve got the hang of it, when you’ve gained the confidence to overcome lingering anxiety about whether you look like you’re in costume or not, slip one on over a contrasting button-down or even another sweater.

I’ll leave you with a few words of advice, though, before you begin shopping. Your sweater vest doesn’t have to have a V-neck. There are plenty of crew-neck options out there, and, honestly, contrary to what you’d believe, considering crew-necks are by all means the standard and V-necks are a variant, they might even be more interesting aesthetically.

Knit from a wool blend, Beams Plus’ patterning brings check prints into present day.

You can’t go wrong with a waffle knit. Plus, this particular design comes in two more colors beyond this seasonal standout called Holly: There’s Navy and Vintage Vicuna, a sort of orange-ish brown.

With this tan-colored speckled version, Alex Mill makes layering (and matching) easy.

Of course Drake’s makes a sweater vest. And surely it had to be made from super soft (yet sturdy) Italian merino wool.

A slight departure from Levi’s usual shtick, denim, the Agi Sweater Vest is Ivy Style with edge.

Everlane nails normcore with its No-Sweat Sweater Vest, a version so simple you and your sweater vest-loving grandfather could rock it.

Gap’s tailored V-neck sweater vest is made from 52-percent recycled polyester, a promising pledge to the environment from a very big brand.

Here’s another vest made from Italian merino, but not entirely. It’s a blend, but it’s still plenty soft. Plus, the design itself leans a bit wide and flowing, which adds interest to your outfit.

Don’t scoff at Abercrombie & Fitch. The brand’s grand revival has unfolded over the past few years, spearheaded by ex-design lead Aaron Levine, and it’s resulted in some pretty impressive pieces — this pattern vest included.

Like I said before, your sweater vest need not be V-neck only. You can opt for a more traditional crew- or mock-neck, just be sure there’s another element — like polka dots.

Saturdays crafted its entry to the category from olive-colored mohair. For fun, there’s the brand’s text logo monogrammed on the chest in a fancy cursive font. 

No way could I make it through this list without bringing up animal prints. They’ve appeared on some of the most popular loafers released in 2021, and now Pleasures has applied the same aesthetic to the humble sweater vest.

Mango’s knitted vest makes a tame statement. But it would work well on first-timers and fashionistas alike, in my opinion.

One of the pioneering labels behind eccentric knitwear’s grand coming out, The Elder Statesman makes everything it sells from cashmere exclusively — the Mordechai Sweater Vest, a vivid yellow iteration with a flower sewn into the chest, included.

Popularized by Princess Diana, although in red, not green, Warm & Wonderful, which was originally founded in 1979, returns with the help of Rowing Blazers. They’re manufacturing these true-to-the-original sweaters by hand in Portugal. 

, ,