You write an email to an overseas supplier: “I would like to buy a vest.” A few days later, they send back a sleeveless, buttoned waistcoat. Nobody is wrong; it is just that the word “vest” in English is not the “vest” of Vietnamese. The question of what a men's vest (áo vest nam) is in English sounds simple, but if you translate one word wrong, you may receive something completely different.
Quick answer
A men's vest in English is a “suit jacket” (the jacket of a suit), or a “blazer” when worn separately. The whole set is a “suit”. In English the word “vest” refers only to a waistcoat (American usage); in Britain a waistcoat is called a “waistcoat”, and a “vest” is an undershirt.
What is a men's vest in English, when “vest” means something different in each place
Vietnamese borrowed the French word “veston” and shortened it to “vest”, referring to a man's formal outer jacket. In English, the closest word is “jacket” or “suit jacket”. The same word “vest” is understood three different ways in three places:
| Where it is used | “Vest” means | The outer jacket (áo vest) is called |
|---|---|---|
| Vietnamese | The outer jacket of a suit | vest, veston, com-lê |
| American English | A waistcoat (sleeveless) | suit jacket, blazer |
| British English | An undershirt, a sleeveless singlet | suit jacket, blazer |
So when writing in English, use “suit jacket” or “blazer” instead of “vest”.
Familiar Vietnamese expressions, translated into English
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| Áo vest nam | suit jacket / blazer |
| Bộ vest nam, đồ vest nam | suit (two-piece suit) |
| Áo gile nam | waistcoat (British) / vest (American) |
| Vest 3 mảnh | three-piece suit |
| Mặc vest | wear a suit / dress in a suit |
| Áo vest đen | black suit jacket / black blazer |
40 suit terms to know
The forty words below are divided into five groups. Read one group at a time, and when you meet an unfamiliar word, match it against the item in your wardrobe.
Group 1: Suits and jackets
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. suit | bộ vest: a jacket and trousers in the same fabric |
| 2. two-piece suit | bộ hai mảnh: a jacket and trousers |
| 3. three-piece suit | bộ ba mảnh: a jacket, trousers and waistcoat |
| 4. jacket | a short coat in general |
| 5. blazer | a suit-style jacket worn separately, usually navy with metal buttons |
| 6. sport coat | a separate jacket in a textured, often checked, fabric |
| 7. tuxedo / dinner jacket | evening formalwear with satin lapels |
| 8. waistcoat | áo gile, worn under the suit jacket |
Group 2: Lapels, collars and buttons
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 9. lapel | ve áo |
| 10. notch lapel | ve bẻ: the notched lapel, the most common |
| 11. peak lapel | ve nhọn: the pointed lapel, formal |
| 12. shawl collar | ve tròn liền: a continuous rounded lapel, usually on a tuxedo |
| 13. single-breasted | a jacket with one row of buttons |
| 14. double-breasted | a jacket with two rows of buttons |
| 15. button stance | where the buttons are placed on the body of the jacket |
| 16. buttonhole | lỗ khuy |
Group 3: Jacket details
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 17. shoulder | vai áo |
| 18. sleeve | tay áo |
| 19. cuff | the hem of the sleeve (also the turned-up hem of trousers) |
| 20. vent | the slit at the back of the jacket |
| 21. pocket | túi |
| 22. flap pocket | a pocket with a flap |
| 23. jetted pocket | a jetted pocket with no flap |
| 24. lining | lót áo |
Group 4: Fabrics, patterns, construction
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 25. wool | len |
| 26. worsted | combed wool with a smooth surface |
| 27. flannel | flannel fabric, wool with a soft, brushed surface |
| 28. pinstripe | sọc kim: fine stripes |
| 29. houndstooth | họa tiết răng chó |
| 30. check | kẻ ca-rô |
| 31. canvas | a canvas interlining inside the jacket |
| 32. fused | interlining bonded with adhesive |
Group 5: Trousers, accessories and tailoring
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 33. trousers | quần tây |
| 34. tie | cà vạt |
| 35. bow tie | nơ cổ |
| 36. pocket square | a handkerchief worn in the breast pocket |
| 37. cufflinks | khuy măng sét |
| 38. bespoke | made entirely to your own measurements |
| 39. made-to-measure | made from an existing pattern, adjusted to your measurements |
| 40. fitting | a fitting session |
If you would like a closer look at the pronunciation and usage of some of the words in group 1, you can read how to pronounce blazer and other suit terms.
Telling apart four easily confused words: suit, jacket, blazer, waistcoat
- Suit: jacket and trousers in the same fabric and color, cut to be worn together. It may include a waistcoat.
- Jacket: a general word for a short coat, from a bomber to a leather jacket. It only means a suit jacket when “suit” comes before it.
- Blazer: a structured jacket, usually worn separately with trousers of a different color. The classic is navy blue with metal buttons.
- Waistcoat: a sleeveless garment worn under the suit jacket, usually part of a three-piece suit.
Example sentences in the right context
Understanding the vocabulary is not enough; you need to be able to use it in real situations. Here are six common sentences.
- “I’d like a two-piece suit in navy, single-breasted, with a notch lapel.” In Vietnamese: Tôi muốn một bộ vest hai mảnh màu navy, một hàng khuy, ve bẻ.
- “Could you take in the waist and shorten the sleeves?” In Vietnamese: Anh có thể chiết eo lại và rút ngắn tay áo được không?
- “This blazer has patch pockets, so it works as a casual jacket.” In Vietnamese: Chiếc blazer này có túi đắp nên hợp mặc thường ngày.
- “He wore a three-piece suit with a navy waistcoat.” In Vietnamese: Anh ấy mặc bộ ba mảnh với gile navy.
- “The trousers have a slight break at the shoe.” In Vietnamese: Ống quần chạm nhẹ vào giày. (“Break” is the slight fold of the trouser hem where it meets the shoe.)
- “The suit is made-to-measure, not off the rack.” In Vietnamese: Bộ vest này may đo, không phải mua sẵn.
A tip from a Mon Amie master tailor
When you message or email a tailor, don't translate Vietnamese word for word into English. Use terms a tailor understands: lapel, number of buttons, vent style, pocket style. A jacket described with four right terms such as “single-breasted, notch lapel, center vent, flap pockets” will give you exactly what you need the first time. If you live far away and want to try it, Mon Amie's online made-to-measure service has stylists guiding you over video call, so you don't have to translate on your own.
Frequently asked questions
What is a men's suit (bộ vest nam) called in English?
It is a “suit”; if the set consists of a jacket and trousers in the same fabric, it is called a “two-piece suit”. A set with a waistcoat is called a “three-piece suit”. In general conversation, an English speaker only needs to hear “suit” to understand you mean the whole set.
What are the English names for the individual pieces when buying them separately?
The jacket is a “suit jacket” or “blazer”, the trousers are “trousers” or “dress pants”, and the waistcoat is a “waistcoat”. If you are buying a jacket separately to wear with other trousers, you should say “blazer” or “sport coat”.
What is a men's gile (waistcoat) in English?
In Britain it is a “waistcoat”; in America it is a “vest”. If you are writing for a British reader, use waistcoat to avoid confusion with the undershirt called a “vest”.
How do you say “mặc vest” (wearing a suit) in English?
You can say “wear a suit” or “dress in a suit”. For a specific occasion: “He is wearing a suit to the interview.” As for a “áo vest đen” in English, it is a “black suit jacket”, or a “black blazer” when worn separately.
Closing thoughts
The forty words above are enough to answer fully the question of what a men's vest in English really means, to read a catalogue, order a suit by email and talk with a tailor abroad without mix-ups. If you would like to learn more about how to understand and translate these terms, you can read what made-to-measure suit is in English, with the basic terms, look at the lookbook to see lapel and button styles in real photos, or book a measuring appointment so the master tailor can explain each term on your own suit.