WASHINGTON, DC -- At School...Vests Work Best, Howard University

Summer is around the corner and the vestiges of winter’s chilly winds, downcast weather, and dreary skies are slowly making way for the greenery of spring. Fashionably speaking, this transition from the nippy days of fall to the balmy months of summer often poses difficulties for many in terms of clothing choice. Do I brave the slight cold with a cute, almost-summery number or do I dress for the expected elements? These thoughts definitely run through your mind countless times over as you prep your daily outfit. Nevertheless, the flexibility of fashion confers unto us options and it is left to us to seize them.

Enter the vest. Operating as a befitting transitional, season accessory, the vest is becoming a wardrobe must have due to its ability to double as modish windbreaker of sorts. The embrace of the vest among local denizens is in tune with the synergistic relationship that high-end fashion shares with the styles that are unearthed in the concrete jungles of metropolis' worldwide. Proenza Schouler's Spring 2008 collection drew from the aesthetics of street fashion so it was no surprise to see sauntering down their runway several abbreviated vests splashed atop looks. The emphasis on form and clean lines created by the vest flatter the bodice and render it a malleable item in any closet--be it for purely aesthetic leanings or as a light cover from the elements.

On a relatively breezy spring day, I love how these two young ladies incorporated a vest into their personal styles while at the same time being cognizant of the somewhat unkind elements. Job well done and their bags aren’t half bad either!

Photo: Marco Madeira (style.com)