When is a vest not a vest? When it is a gilet.
This gilet was produced by Sigi Scheiber in Haigerloch, Germany. They specialize in knitted garments and they are sold on line through various websites.
A gilet is a straight sided sleeveless jacket that is longer than a vest and not part of three-piece suit like a waistcoat, They are very informal and usually worn to provide warmth rather than style.
They were thought to date back to 15th century France and worn by peasants when farming. They provided warmth and allowed them to move their arms more freely when tilling the fields. The correct pronunciation is jee lay.
Over the centuries the gilet has evolved and worn by various levels of society. They have kept their basic shape but their length and fabric have changed to suit a variety of styles and purposes.
In the 16th century they were worn by royalty including Henry VIII and were more decorated with padded shoulders. By the 19th century they had become an elaborate dress garment made from silk, velvet or heavy brocade.
During World War I gilets were covered in metal plates to protect soldiers in battle.
In 1908 a waxed cotton version was popularized by Barbour and by the 1970’s the landed gentry were wearing quilted gilet’s that provided warmth and freedom of movement for hunting, shooting and fishing.
The Yellow Jacket economic justice movement adopted the gilet jaunes as their symbol that visibly unified members. Protesters around the world now wear this gilet as a symbol of solidarity.
Today gilets are made with a variety of fabrics – metallics, two-tone, fleece and florescent and some are even reversible. They are worn for a variety of purposes – fashion, warmth, sports and costume.
So is that vest hanging in your closet actually a gilet?
References
https://www.textileinfomedia.com/business-info/Sigi-Scheiber
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gilet
https://makeitlookeasy.com.au/blog/when-is-a-gilet-actually-a-longline-vest#
https://www.thenorthface.co.uk/en-gb/help-section/faq/what-is-the-purpose-of-a-gilet
https://www.cleverlywrapped.com/2021/02/03/the-gilet
© Karen Ridley, December 2024
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