Waistcoat or Vest?

[OC Richard]

There was some thread here somewhere (can't find it just now) in which our British friends corrected the American usage of 'vest' as opposed to 'waistcoat'.

What struck me, in looking through my small collection of vintage Highland Dress catalogues, is that in the older catalogues the word 'vest' is used exclusively in some catalogues, 'waistcoat' in others, and the two words used interchangeably in others.

For example what is perhaps my earliest catalogue, RG Lawrie, undated but one of the illustrations is signed and dated by the artist T Grainger Jeffrey '26, has:

Doublet or Coatee and Vest, Silk Lapels

Jacket and Vest, Scotch Homespun or Harris Tweed

No 'waistcoat' anywhere I can find.

However the Anderson 1936 catalogue uses 'waistcoat' and 'vest' interchangeably

This illustration shows the Coatee. This Coat- specially suitable for the younger man- may also be made with silk facings as illustrated, or in black cloth or velvet. This illustration also serves to show the cross-cut tartan waistcoat, lace jabot, castellated top stockings, and the two styles of evening brogues.

Specimen of kilt outfit for Evening Wear
Coatee- Black Coating with Silk facings and with plated buttons.
Vest- Black Coating.

One of my Paisley catalogues, undated but c1930 from the style of illustrations, uses 'vest'

This is the Prince Charlie Coatee, front view, showing the double breasted coatee with silver plated buttons and seal sporran. The vest may be black or red.

This is the Tweed Argyll for men, designed for everyday wear. It comprises tweed jacket and vest with stockings to match, clan tartan kilt, and sporran which may be an animal head or leather as illustrated.

(NB the stockings do not in fact match, but are light khaki, worn with a darkish brown tweed jacket and vest.)

My Fraser Ross (Glasgow) catalogue, likewise undated but illustrations clearly from c1930 based on the hairstyles, uses 'vest'

This illustrates an alternative style for Full or Evening Dress Wear- consisting of Doublet and Vest.

Here is the Argyll Jacket and Vest for boys. The Jacket and Vest may be Black or Green.

My two more recent Anderson catalogues, from c1950, use the words 'vest' and 'waistcoat' interchangeably

The Coatee
This is one of the best styles, especially for a young man, for Dances and other evening functions. It is usually made of black or green cloth and with silk facings. It is generally worn with a white evening shirt, wing collar and black tie, and with a to match waistcoat; Coatee and Vest, Item 61

One of my most recent catalogues is from The Tartan Gift Shop, Princes Street, Edinburgh, and appears to be c1960. It uses 'vest' exclusively

Man's full kilt jacket and vest in real Harris tweed in Lovat blue, Lovat green, or fawn with staghorn or leather buttons.

Prince Charlie style coatee and vest in fine black barathea, with celtic buttons

All of this makes me wonder why most British people nowadays use 'waistcoat' rather than 'vest'.