The leather gilet is a versatile piece of winter wear for both men and women
A Leather Gilet is a sleeveless jacket that also goes under the names body warmer or vest, and is pronounced as “Gee-Lay”. It is typically worn over other clothes to get extra warmth during cold weather. It began life in 19th century France as a show piece article of clothing but today’s body warmers are hugely different from those older ones. Leather gilets have not experienced much change in their design and style in recent years but have increased their usefulness considerably. A womens leather gilet primarily acts as a fashion item as they are usually worn over Tees and other casual clothing. These jackets have always been known for their tight fit and smoothness to the body. Most people think that a Gilet is similar to a body warmer, but actually significant differences are visible when people wear them. Gilets are more fitted and streamlined than body warmers, and sometimes even have fur linings or trimmings as well. Bodywarmers on the other hand are fortified with padding with a more heavy focus on giving warmth. These rules, however, are not strictly administered and sometimes gilets and bodywarmers can look very similar. When we talk about gilets we sometimes also deploy the word “vest” to represent it, so it is sometimes assumed that all sleeveless jackets are known as gilets. Most Mens leather gilet are worn in sports such as shooting where the shooter finds the sleeveless feature of the jacket a great bonus for comfortable arm movement. Similarly, cyclists and archers use gilets for the same purpose as cyclists find the body hugging gilet helpful for protecting their chest from chilly winds. Some people may argue that these garments without sleeves serve no purpose in winter time, as it only protects the torso, and leaves the arm to brave the cold. But the gilet is very versatile in design so it can be worn over any clothing and so when worn over long sleeved knitwear, a long sleeved shirt, or a long sleeved Tee this problem is solved. Some Men wear leather gilets when they go out to fishing as this jacket without sleeves allows them liberal arm movements to enable them to better throw the fishing line into the water. Gilets also come in useful when you go hiking or exploring trails and mountainsides. Being lightweight the jacket does not add much weight to your already heavy trekking gear. When the winter is moderate, this is the perfect apparel to wear over casual clothing. Heavy leather jackets will prove to be too warm to wear when the winter is on the wane and for this purpose the gilet is a great alternative.