The Utility Vest is a contemporary reimagining of old parts and memories.
I’ve always loved the general shape of the best denim jackets from the first half of the 20th century: cropped, with some width in the body, somehow both voluminous and compact. It’s a perfect distillation of American fashion: easy, classic, smart, and actually iconic.
You can see how it even influences military style. In 1944, when then-General Dwight Eisenhower wanted to redo Army uniforms post WW2, he asked tailors to take the existing field jacket and make it shorter, more comfortable, more “natty.” Who knew President Eisenhower was trying to be a fashion girlie?
What the tailors whipped up was very close to the shape of the Levis Type 1 trucker, and it became standard issue for all soldiers toward the end of that year. Troops loved their “Ike jackets” so much they always saved them for non-combat situations. He got the “natty” jacket he asked for, no question.
I don’t think you’ll be taking this vest into combat, but I had the same intentions for you as a wearer here. A wide base to give you some freedom of movement and room to layer, but with a high enough armhole to still keep things neat. The fabrics - Kvadrat’s Divina (UK) and Bernhardt’s Focus (USA) - are 100% wool felts. They’re warm and tough. Think brand new Filson Mackinaw Cruiser. You can beat this thing up, take it to hell and back, and it will only get better and softer with time.
The (removable) straps on this help ease up some of the masculine edge of the style for me - a bit of fun and frippery to pull back on the structure. I think frivolity is key to the enjoyment of getting dressed, so please get kooky with how you fold or tie them. I think buttoning the top button and doing a bow on the side makes for a super cool, relaxed shape. It creates the nicest cutout at the bottom, like a little A-frame house in the mountains.
Topstitching and patch pockets help bring more angularity, inspired by some of my favorite abstract single-color works by Ellsworth Kelly. Same with the graphic little strap on the right breast: two hooks you can use for glasses, a bandana, a carabiner with keys, pens, or a Snickers for those of us who easily succumb to hanger. And those front pockets are doubled up so you can put stuff in the front and your hands in the sides. This was from a random memory of cool girls (like my cousin Kandace) in middle school wearing cropped Baby Phat (or Ecko) jackets with their hands high up in their pockets. YKTMFV.
Unimpeachably cool, unimpressed by most things, and in charge of the social scene. They were theeeee dolls, and they knew it.
I hope this fills you with the same kind of fearless confidence.
Sizing
See chart below, in inches. Please be advised that this is made in small batches so measurements may vary by about .25".
| Size | A | B | C | D |
| SM | 17 | 23 | 11 | 22.5 |
| MD | 17.75 | 23.75 | 11.75 | 23 |
| LG | 19 | 24.5 | 12.5 | 24 |
| XL | 20 | 25.5 | 13 | 25 |