Best women’s waistcoat 2023: Linen, denim and tailored styles

Quiet luxury-meet-Noughties bohemia (think the Kate Moss and Sienna Miller heyday), waistcoats are big news this season.

From tailored takes and lightweight linen styles to denim or vintage interpretations (Annie Hall is the poster girl), waistcoats work just as hard during summer as they do in autumn and winter.

A hero piece that isn’t to be buried at the bottom of your wardrobe once the season’s over, this versatile staple deserves a place in your sartorial arsenal all year round.

Much of the appeal lies in their versatility. Whether styled with jeans or teamed with matching suit pants, waistcoats lend themselves to both off-duty looks at the weekend or business-casual attire in the office.

As for autumn and winter, both the high street and designer labels have thrown their two pence into the trend – from Mango, Zara and Aligne’s affordable interpretations to Ganni’s knit takes, Agolde’s denim versions and The Row’s luxe twill designs. With so many different designs on offer, we went on the search for the best.

How we tested

A selection of the best women’s waistcoats that we tested for this review (Daisy Lester)

To narrow down our edit of the best women’s waistcoats, we looked for timeless pieces that you can wear all year round, party staples for the festive period ahead and designs that lean into this season’s hottest trends. Considering their value, quality and look, these are the waistcoats to smarten up your wardrobe for autumn.

The best women’s waistcoats for 2023 are:

Best women’s waistcoat overall – Zara linen black waistcoat: £29.99, Zara.com
Best budget women’s waistcoat – H&M grey marl waistcoat: £14.99, Hm.com
Best black women’s waistcoat – Reformation aspen linen top: £148, Thereformation.com
Best denim women’s waistcoat – Nobody’s Child dark denim waistcoat: £55, Nobodyschild.com
Best linen women’s waistcoat – Sleeper Lili Marleen waistcoat in grey: £189.67, The-sleeper.com