Formal vest

The formal vest is a clothing item added in the Royalty DLC, and is one the items of apparel that appeases nobles. The Female equivalent is the corset.
== Acquisition ==
It can also be found on Imperial Nobles, for sale at traders and as a quest reward.
== Summary ==
Formal vests cover the same layer of clothing as a flak vest. They can be worn over shirts and under outer layer clothing.
Male Nobles of Baron rank and above require either one of these, an eltex vest, or prestige armor to consider themselves properly dressed and avoid a negative moodlet. The female equivalent is the corset. Female pawns will receive a mood debuff while wearing this item.
== Analysis ==
Even the best formal vests provide dramatically less protection than flak: a masterwork thrumbofur formal vest having about as much sharp protection and worse blunt protection than an awful flak vest, which also covers the neck and shoulders. However, flak slows a pawns' movement speed by -0.12c/s, a 2.6% reduction on a healthy, unmodified, untraited pawn. This is a small, but potentially relevant downside. 
If speed is critical, then the recon armor is much more expensive, but completely outclasses the duster/cape + formal vest combination. Thus, the protective niche for the formal vest is small - where top tier textiles like thrumbofur or devilstrand are available and where either:
# movement speed is significantly more important than protection, but recon armor is not available; or
# a research state where formal vests are available and flak vests are not. 
Formal vests are also considered noble clothing; Barons and Counts will become upset without one. Prestige recon armor is even more expensive than normal recon to create. Eltex vests boost psycasting power, but can't be crafted and protect worse than even a plainleather corset. It may be desirable to switch to flak during combat, taking the mood penalty in the process.
=== Comparison ===
Sharp armor	Sharp armor
 	
=== Trade ===
Formal vests and corsets are the most efficient apparel for profit per unit textile, i.e Value / Material, in the game. This is because they require the most work time per material. Because an apparel's Market Value is determined by (Work Time * Material Value), you'll get the most value for 1 unit textile by creating vests/corsets. This also means they have the highest Crafting XP per material.
In other words, either option is the best when you are limited by your supply of textiles, and when crafter time is in surplus. If the Royalty DLC is disabled, then this role is taken by dusters. Note that other considerations can exist.
*If no remotely competent crafters are available, but great constructors are, then armchairs are an alternative for Value / Material. However, selling any building incurs a x0.7 Sell Price Multiplier, making armchairs inferior for equal skill.
*If Value / Crafter Time is more important, then you should make tribalwear and top hats instead.
Lower value materials are profitable at lower skill levels. For example, cloth formal vests require only a crafting skill of 1 with a average market value modifier of 68% to average a value higher than the 67.5 of selling the cloth itself, while the most expensive textile, thrumbofur, requires a skill level of 5 to do the same. Thus, a skill level of 5 is sufficient to average profitable for formal vests for all available materials.
== Version history ==
* Royalty DLC Release - Added.
* 1.1.2579 - No longer covers the arms, neck and shoulders.
* 1.2.2753 - Work to make 3000 -> 12000
Category:Clothing