Not Your Grandpa's Knitwear—the Chicest Dressers Have Suddenly Brought Back Sweater Vests for Winter 2025

Whether you’re 90 years old or a disciple of the astute and sophisticated minimalism associated with ‘90s style, the humble sweater vest unites us all. What began as a staple of Chandler Bing’s finance-bro-meets-soft-boy uniform has quickly become a staple worn by the most sartorially astute off-duty supermodels. (See: Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Kaia Gerber, just to name a few.)

Prim, collegiate and preppy, though equally effortless, a sweater vest serves as a transitional staple that can both polish and soften any base layer. A pair of slouchy black trousers and a crisp white button-down shirt? Not so stuffy anymore, courtesy of a razor-sharp V-neck sweater vest. A casual pair of straight-leg jeans and a grey marle T-shirt? Fantastic if solo, but even better when teamed with a textured version that showcases your personality, like the ones produced by cult-favourite New Zealand label Wynn Hamlyn or the masters of Italian weaving, Bottega Veneta.

Indeed, there’s no shortage of sweater vest outfits to imagine once you put your mind to it. In saying that, there are specific styling techniques that you can follow to ensure your sleeveless sweater doesn’t veer into dated territory.

The first stage of the sweater vest revival dates all the way back to 2019, when Harry Styles stepped out in New York wearing a sheep-adorned style designed by Gucci. The look, which was in part inspired by Princess Diana’s own Warm & Wonderful woolly jumper from 1980, immediately spawned a thousand copycats. With one ensemble, the musician inspired us all to adorn kooky and kitchy knitwear that could be something you borrowed from a geriatric’s closet, so it’s sometimes easy to veer back into this aesthetic.

Now, after a few seasons of hibernation, the silhouette is back with a vengeance for winter 2025. One thing you’ll notice, however, is that the styles have eschewed these more eccentric iterations for something more austere and timeless. Call this a sign of the times, but candy-coloured shapes and ditsy baby farm animals have been shelved in favour of something sharp and polished.

The evolution of the sweater vest outfit has led us to chicer styles that prove a well-selected version can do far more for you than make you look like a senior citizen. When chosen with intention and in the right fabric, a sweater-vest outfit can transform you into a clone of the Olsen Twins or a rich aunt who lives in a manor a stone’s throw from Hampstead Heath.

This is something I’ve learned first-hand. After getting a tad too experimental with my sweater vest looks over the past few years, I’ve come to realise that zaniness is a trait best reserved for another category in my wardrobe and have since edited out all my Hockney-esque pieces for cleaner cuts that are exceptionally versatile while still staying true to my personal style. (See: A powder pink Truffula Tree-inspired mohair version from Ganni, a molten greige style from & Other Stories that reminds me of Prada’s autumn/winter 2021 collection and a timeless black hue that’s near-identical to The Row’s.)

And as Tory Burch proved in her recent A/W 25 show, there are still premium and elevated options that can also deliver a punch, as the sheer sequin style showcased on the runway proves.

Still, if you’re in need of more prescriptive advice, there’s no shortage of stylish sweater vest outfits to draw inspiration from. Ahead, I’ve rounded up the most sophisticated looks that will influence your own and hand-selected the best sweater vests to add to your collection, should you be in the market for more.

5 Sophisticated Sweater-Vest Outfits to Replicate in 2025

1. Crew-Neck Sweater Vest + Maxi Column Skirt + Glove Ballet Flats

Style Notes: On its own, these items can certainly read matronly, with a crew-neck vest, ankle-skimming skirt and glove-fit ballet flats, an outfit formula relied on by everyone from librarians to university lecturers. However, with the right merchandise, a Carrie Bradshaw witticism for accessories, these sombre staples won’t even draw these parallels. The first port of call is to invest in a statement brooch, as Brittany Bathgate has above, to help the look feel a bit more youthful and fresh. Once that’s done, reach for a boxy chocolate brown coat with structured shoulder pads à la Miuccia Prada to tie it all together.

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2. Cable-Knit Sweater Vest + Midi Pencil Skirt + Slingback Heels

Style Notes: A look we could easily see seamlessly sliding into Gisele Bündchen’s office siren costuming from The Devil Wears Prada, the combination of a cropped cable knit sweater vest, leather pencil skirt and square-toe slingbacks is one of the slickest I’ve ever seen. With a nod to the ‘80s through the specific weave of the sweater vest, remember Billy Crystal famously wore one in the iconic romcom When Harry Met Sally..., this is an outfit that is truly deserving of the timeless descriptor.

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3. Scoop-Neck Sweater Vest + Pleated Trousers + Retro Trainers

Style Notes: A sweater vest with a looser fit can help achieve a more sporty feel that's equal parts comfortable and leisurely. Styled on its own or teamed with a romantic blouse—brands like Posse and Dôen do this category incredibly well—simply add a pair of pleated white trousers, retro trainers and a stylish suede bag and you have a look that emulates an Upper East Side running errands on the weekend.

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4. Coloured Sweater Vest + White T-Shirt + Straight-Leg Jeans

Style Notes: Whether you’re in the West Village or Fitzrovia, you can count on seeing at least one iteration of this tried-and-tested outfit every time you leave the house. What I adore most about the formula is how it subverts what’s expected from foundational pieces—banal, conventional, reliable—and turns them into something quite sprightly and novel. Best of all, it injects a much-needed element of colour in a look that’s considerably more pared-back. I’ll be wearing a pair of navy cords with a mocha brown version, black trousers and a butter yellow style and khaki jeans with my aforementioned blush sweater vest all season long.

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5. V-Neck Sweater Vest + Wide-Leg Trousers + Fishnet Ballet Flats

Style Notes: I’ve been a fan of Auckland-born, London-based It girl label Paris Georgia for as long as the brand has been around, so it should come as no surprise that as soon as they dropped a flirty and functional V-neck sweater vest as part of a recent collection, I had to pick it up. Here, Los Angeles-based content creator Jaime Ridge shows off why it’s so perfect. The cut hits the décolletage at a point that feels both revealing and conservative, and it sculpts to the torso in a way that’s so complimentary. Worn with everything from a pair of cargo trousers to fishnet ballet flats, as pictured here, it truly is one of the most resourceful and hard workers in my wardrobe.

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