The Winning Of The Vest

one third of your old three-piecer has definitely established an identity all its own

As so often happens, something in your wardrobe with utilitarian beginnings, such as blue jeans, becomes an important fashion accessory. In this case, we're talking about the vest, an item of apparel long appreciated by photographers and fishermen for its handy storage features; by greasers for a place to store cigarettes and a comb when worn over a T-shirt; and by Madison Avenue types who cultivate a hard-working image of rolled-up sleeves, loosened tie and unbuttoned second piece of their three-piece uniform. The nice thing about vests is their versatility--as our guy demonstrates on these pages to the approval of his lady and the antics of cast members from the hit Broadway musical Runaways, now playing at the Plymouth Theater. Here, he's beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, wearing a napa-leather zip-front vest that reverses to corduroy, by Nino Cerruti Sport, about $175; over a cotton shirt, about $40, and polished-cotton slacks, also about $40, both by Jean-Paul Germain. (His close friend's satin bomber jacket and vinyl slacks from Fiorucci.)