Nicholas Daley Utility Waistcoat- Khaki

Made entirely from waxed cotton, this is a different proposition from its linen sibling, and the difference is not a matter of degree. Waxed cotton is cotton impregnated with paraffin so that water runs off it while air still moves through. It is stiff, weatherproof, and industrial. It will not drape and it does not soften quickly. What it does instead is record: the wax migrates away from every point of friction and gathers in every fold, so the vest lightens at the pocket edges and shoulder and darkens along each crease until, within a year or two, it is unmistakably yours.

The pattern is the same working vest. Pockets hanging off the front, both sides open to the armhole and closed with three ties, no fastening at the front that needs to fit. In waxed cotton the pockets hold their shape rather than sagging, so the whole garment reads harder and more military than the linen one, which is a legitimately different thing to want. Tonal panelling is the only decoration, and in khaki it is barely visible until the light is right.

Why we selected it

We took this because it is the piece to wear when the weather cannot be trusted and a coat is too much, and because a waxed vest is a thing almost nobody makes properly. Where the linen version is a summer layer, this is a working garment, and we wanted both in the store.

Waxed cotton is the material Nicholas Daley returns to more than any other, and this vest is one of the few pieces where it is the whole garment rather than the trim.

Materials and construction

One hundred percent waxed cotton, made in England. Tonal panels, large overhanging pockets, open at both sides to the armhole, three tie closures per side. Colour: Khaki.

Fit notes

Open-sided and tie-fastened, so it adjusts to whatever is underneath it. Waxed cotton is stiff when new and softens over months rather than days, moulding at the shoulder and pocket as it goes. It will not relax across a day. Take your usual size and expect it to feel structured at first.

Styling

Over the Waffle Crew Neck in black with the Cargo Pants in the same waxed cotton, which is the full waxed version of the idea. Over the Classic Two Pocket Shirt in beige. Khaki takes almost anything.

Care

Never machine wash, tumble dry, or dry clean this one, because the whole garment is waxed and all three strip the wax out of the weave. Brush off dry dirt, sponge marks with cold water and no detergent, hang it to dry away from heat, and re-wax when the cloth stops beading water. This is the exception to most of our fabric care guidance rather than an application of it.

Related pieces

The Utility Waistcoat in mustard and yellow check is the same waistcoat with a linen body. The Cargo Pants are the waxed cotton trouser, and the Oversized Rain Coat the waxed cotton coat. Everything we carry from Nicholas Daley is listed together.