Vested Interest

"You may notice a wide range here—the sweater vest has been proudly adopted by jocks, rich guys, guys who want to seem friendlier, and cool young men. Indeed, at first glance, the sweater vest seems riddled with contradiction. It lies at the intersection of practicality (it provides warmth to the core while leaving the arms unencumbered ) and frivolity (it is often used purely and impractically to jazz up an otherwise staid ensemble). The look is both boyish and grandfatherly, sporty and fusty, conservative and eccentric, old-fashioned and hip. These conflicting connotations emerge even more clearly when you look at the ways the sweater vest has been mobilized by various costume designers over the years: On Chandler Bing, the vest informs us that we’re looking at a lovable loser; on Ferris Bueller it reads as retro with a touch of punk; on Dirty Harry, the vest says rogue; on Steve Urkel it says nerd; worn with short sleeves and bulging biceps, the vest helps make Brad Pitt into a tough guy; the argyle version worn with Dockers tells us that Michael Bluth is a total square."

Inspired by Rick Santorum, Julia Felsenthal in Slate explores the sartorial meaning of the sweater vest.