The printed vest is one of those pieces that a lot of men circle nervously without committing to, which is a shame because when it works, it really works. The trick is knowing what you’re buying it for. A bold print layered under an open overshirt is a completely different proposition to a tonal pattern worn as a standalone piece on a warm evening. Both are valid. Both require the right vest. We’ve been looking at options where the print has been considered rather than slapped on, where the fabric actually sits well against skin rather than clinging or billowing in the wrong places, and where the fit doesn’t require you to be a particular body type to pull it off. Color matters here too. Some prints travel, some don’t. The ones we’ve selected work harder than their price suggests. If you’ve been waiting for a reason to try one, this is a reasonable place to start.