Elle & Riley Cashmere Relaxed Button Vest

Where I got it

I recently took advantage of the Elle & Riley sale in August to pick up this gorgeous cashmere button vest. There were a couple of items on sale that were gorgeous and reasonably reduced. However, even after a discount, high-quality cashmere pieces still have a hefty price-tag. This vest was originally NZD$650, and it is discounted to $300 which is still quite expensive, but for high-quality 100% cashmere piece, $300 I think is reasonable and I can afford it.  I also picked up one of their cotton care bag to store my cashmere pieces and they were $10 each. My item was wrapped neatly and placed into a sturdy carboard box with the Elle & Riley logo on top, and a magnetic side closure. This will be a great box to store cashmere items in as well.

What I got

This is the Elle & Riley Cashmere Relaxed Button Vest in Red. “Effortlessly chic and endlessly versatile, our Cashmere Sleeveless Vest is a perfect layering piece. Detailed with vintage-inspired buttons, it adds a touch of timeless charm. Wear it over your favorite blouses for layered elegance, or style it solo in spring for a refined, sophisticated look.” – elleandriley.com. Comes in graphite and red, size XS to XL. It is a slightly relaxed fit with functional buttons. 100% cashmere. I picked up size M because I am planning to layer this over maybe a shirt or light another layer so I don’t want this to be too fitted. However, from the first look it does look rather big, we’ll see.

How I find it

The vest was packaged neatly in their wrapping paper and the piece arrived in perfect condition. First look it was a little big, but I was half expecting that to be able to layer it over something else. All the other cashmere pieces I own are of small gauge knits, so they are all buttery soft and delicate. This one is not as buttery soft and luxurious feeling, but it is still high quality knit and finished off very nicely.

I tried it on a silk button-down blouse by Lilysilk as shown below, leaving the shirt to show underneath. I also left the buttons open just above the neckline of the vest. I paired this with black pants which looked quite nice. I’m not used to layering with vests so I think I need some time to get used to the look. I think this outfit would suit the upcoming spring/summer months here in New Zealand.

Next, I tried this over a blue and white stripe shirt from Assembly Label. This is a very loose fitting shirt, like a boyfriend style that is quite long-line. You can see my striped shirt shows under the vest. The red contrast with blue and white stripes is also something I’m not used to because it is quite bright. I also wore the same black pants with this pairing. What do you think of this outfit?

I would keep trying for other pairings, maybe with a white t-shirt underneath, or over another cashmere sweater that is not too chunky for added warmth. As it is a bright colour, I don’t think I would wear this with any other brighter colours. I would stick with neutral tones like black, white, grey, beige, cream, etc.

Overall

Upon trying it with a number of different layers underneath, I have come to the conclusion that I should have bought a size S instead of M. It is already a relaxed-fit, so to have it in size M it can easily look bulky. I would have enjoyed a little more fitted look instead.

In terms of colour, I really love the bright red colour even though I usually enjoy neutral tones and monochrome colour combos, I do need a pop of colour once in a while and for special occassions. This vest would be fantastic for Chinese New Year and/or Christmas, anything festive. If I were to buy the graphite colour, I would have more wear out of this, but I am so glad I picked red because it is so beautiful. The quality, the colour and the gold buttons with against the red, it is something special.

Regarding the design of the vest, I love how the buttons are functional, but I have yet to style the vest with the buttons open. I also don’t have sculpted arms so I also do not see myself wearing this sleeveless, otherwise it would look kind of frumpy. I personally prefer the delicate, soft, small gauage cashmere pieces, but since this one is an outer piece, I think a thicker knit gives a more structured look.