Ever go to a tailor and have no idea what word(s) she/he just said? Well, we are here to bring a little education into the wide world of tailoring with a little terminology talk. Check back every week for a new term.

Next up: Vent

A vent is a slit on the hem on the back of a skirt or jacket. Vents on jackets were originally designed for  horseback riding, but they allow one to sit and move around in general without their suit jacket getting rumpled. For jackets, there are three different styles of vent: single, double and no vent. The double vent is often associated with British tailoring styles, while a single vent is associated with a classic American aesthetic. Traditionally, tuxedo jackets had no vents and they were almost always made without them. Nowadays, this isn’t necessarily the case.

Men have different preferences for what type of vent looks best, but generally, there are no rules.  Interestingly, in our tailoring shop we’ve noticed a lot more guys with double vent jackets than even a couple of years ago.

Single Vent Jacket

A Double Vent Jacket

And like jacket vents, vents on skirts allow for more movement. Any gal knows who’s worn a pencil skirts knows those can use some more wiggle room sometimes (especially going up and down stairs!). Vents take off stress at the bottom of the skirt and and help avoid rips in the seams and fabric.

Vent on a skirt

*Images courtesy of Styleforum, The Made Mentor and PublicCoutureLt