Americans call this item of clothing an “undershirt.” In American English, a vest is a top or sweater with no sleeves and buttons down the front that is worn over a shirt. This is called a “waistcoat” in British English.
In this post
What is a vest top in America?
In AmE, on the other hand, a vest is a sleeveless garment for the upper body that’s typically worn over a shirt. This includes the kind that one finds in three-piece suits, which have buttons up the front, and which BrE speakers call a waistcoat.
What do they call vests in America?
List of garments having different names in American and British English.
| Description | British English | American English |
|---|---|---|
| Sleeveless padded garment used as outerwear | Gilet, body warmer | Vest, puffer vest |
| Sleeveless garment used as outerwear | Waistcoat | Vest |
| Sleeveless garment used as underwear | Vest | Wifebeater, undershirt |
What do Americans call sleeveless shirts?
tank top
In the United States and Canada, any casual sleeveless shirt can be called tank top or tank shirt, with several specific varieties. It is named after tank suits, one-piece bathing suits of the 1920s worn in tanks or swimming pools. The upper garment is worn commonly by both men and women.
Is vest American or British?
Britisha piece of underwear for the top half of your body. The American word is undershirt.
vest Definitions and Synonyms.
| singular | vest |
|---|---|
| plural | vests |
Is a vest top a tank top?
Tank tops are known as sleeveless shirts, wife-beaters, A-shirt, etc. Singlets (upper garments) are also known as vests. Tank top is mainly used in the United States and Canada.
What do the Americans call a waistcoat?
Name. The term waistcoat is used in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries. The term vest is used widely in the United States and Canada, and is often worn as part of formal attire or as the third piece of a lounge suit in addition to a jacket and trousers.
What is a vest top in England?
UK. (also vest top) a shirt without sleeves, usually made out of cotton, that is worn in the summer or for sports: The cyclists were all dressed in tight lycra shorts and the official team vest.
What do Brits call a tank top?
wife beater (noun) 1. tank-style underwear shirts.
What do the British call a sweater vest?
A sweater vest (known as a tank top or sleeveless sweater in the UK) is an item of knitwear that is similar to a sweater, but without sleeves, usually with a low-cut neckline.
Do Americans say singlet?
In the U.S., a singlet is only the part above the waist. This looks like a one-piece track suit, but it’s hard to tell. That’s not the case. That entire one-piece garment worn by a wrestler is called a singlet.
What is a top without sleeves called?
It is called a tank top (or simply tank shirt/tank). Of course, the more generic term “sleeveless shirt” is also used. The term you mentioned, “vest”, is a British English name for this type of garment.
What’s a wife beater slang?
Definition of wifebeater
slang. : a ribbed tank top that is sometimes worn as an undershirt She is barefoot and casually dressed, smoking Newports, in red capri-length Dickies with a red and white belt, a white wifebeater that says HURLEY and a black hoodie that says HARLEY-DAVIDSON …—
What is a T shirt called in England?
How common is the use of the word “tee” for T-shirt in the UK or the US? I found on Oxford dictionary that it is in informal use (see definition No. 3).
Why are vests called wife beaters?
The Medieval Story
These waifs who lost their armor would be left with nothing to protect them except a thin, chainmail undershirt. Because of the circumstances, soldiers would find themselves in when this was the only protection they had left, they began to call these undershirts “waif beaters”.
Is the term wife beater offensive?
“Wife Beater:” Slang, Offensive. A sleeveless ribbed undershirt, typically white. The term was coined in 1947.
What do Americans call a jersey?
A jersey is referred to as a sweater in America. And, as a bonus, it’s often called a ‘jumper’ in the UK.
What do British call sneakers?
trainers
For example, in the United Kingdom, sneakers are known as trainers.