I'm lowkey obsessed with waistcoats and here are my favourites

Timeless, chic and versatile

waistcoats
(Image credit: Future)

Having worked in fashion for over a decade now, I've become quite adept at knowing which trends are actually worth the investment, and which aren't. In my experience, it's the quieter, understated pieces you need to look out for.

Take the humble waistcoat for example. Long relegated to an unsexy workwear or wedding item, for Spring/Summer 2024, it has fully come into its own.

And as the heading of this article suggests, I'm very, very into them right now, and I can see it lasting. Of course, they're still a great option to wear to the office, but I'm wearing them for all occasions, since they're so incredibly versatile.

I have several in my wardrobe in a bunch of colours, and have worn them with everything from maxi skirts to jeans and culottes. They are great as a co-ord set with tailored trousers and shorts, but work just as hard with denim or cargo pants.

You don't have to take my word for it either. Just a quick scroll through your Instagram or TikTok feeds will show all your favourite fashion influencers wearing them too. So much so that the Aligne Leo waistcoat, which I'm wearing in the butter yellow here, has had to be restocked several times and be re-issued in other colours and fabrics.

If you're ready to dive into this understated trend, here are my favourite waistcoats to shop right now.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.