Readers; Here is a review from a retired Historical Tailor who has made MANY vest &tc for this, and other, eras, so let wisdom guide your judgement of my Review. NOW! A bit of use of the vest background. I wished a vest to go with my green/grey smooth tweed kilt coat I recently bought. A vest for a kilt must be cut with square fronts, and not points. It is better if its a bit longer than the common lot of vests. So, I studied ALL the vests on the H.E. site and settled on the "Rathbone Vest". It came in good time. I scampered into my bedroom, changed into my kilt, and tried on the vest. Now begins the review of the Item. The length is perfect for a kilt. The material is very good quality(I am also a weaver)and well made. The vest has the TRUE double breasted fashion! Both sets of buttons have holes, so that it can button to either side. Very High Marks for that. Near all double breasted vest/coats Do Not have this historically correct feature. The armscrye {i.e. the hole for your arm to pass thru the vest- is made a bit more open than the originals, but its acceptable for an 'off the rack' reproduction. The all important neck line was made aright. There is no gap between the shirt collar and the vest collar. A vest, made right, shares the same cut of the collar line that the shirt has. The lapels are cut with understanding, and lay well and EVEN, left to right. The vest reveal[the part left open above the last button] is correct for the era. Pockets well...

Excellent quality and fit. The pockets are deep and can accommodate a nice sized pocket watch. It goes down farther over the waist than some of the other styles, fully covering the belt, and the collar is slightly higher. I have bought several vests from these folks and they have all been excellent, but this one looks like it is going to be a favorite.

Very good quality, well made. Not just cosmetic, but the real thing.

If there is one person that can attest to the sheer style and quality of vests made by The Emporium, that person would have to be me. I have purchased over a dozen of their fine vests and with each purchase have added a new retropair of style, beauty and character to my entire wardrobe and this vest is no different. The soothing metallic color, herringbone pattern and double breasted front pairs well with any color and any formal or semi-formal attire. Truly another great creation by The Emporium.