(Disclaimer: The Amazon links in this blog post are affiliate links, so I can make a few extra coins to help pay for a fraction of the cost to host this website. #CommissionsEarned)
Would you like to own the same vest that Matthew Broderick wore in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?” Many online sellers offer imitation vests that come pretty close. Others, are not so close.
Let’s play a game. Only one of these patterns is from an image direct from the movie. The other patterns are from people selling replica vests online. Can you identify the real vest pattern? Answers are at the bottom of this post.
What would you do with a Bueller fancy vest?
If I had a Bueller vest, I wouldn’t wear it as a costume. I’d wear it as an everyday piece of clothing, running through people’s backyards. Wearing it around the Art Institute of Chicago would be especially great. Going to Wrigley Field with this vest might be a bit too much, but man, that would be so hilarious.
This vest is so much fun, I’m thinking of getting one. Amazon lets you add ideas to your wish list. This comes in handy for products that are not on Amazon. Today I added Ferris Bueller’s vest as a wish list “idea”.
Amazon also gives you a little notes field. Here I give a little description of the vest, and then what I would do with it. When putting items on my Amazon wish list, I often like to write about what I would do with the item. That gives the gift giver a little more incentive to pick this item. And it makes it outright more fun!
How the costume designer picked this vest
Hey, while googling the Ferris Bueller sweater, this article came up with how they choose that vest!
What is a vest in the movie was actually a sweater that Marilyn Vance [trimmed]. Said the great costume designer, “I found it at Marshall Fields in Chicago. It was a cardigan and I had to cut the sleeves off, because I couldn’t find anything that meshed appropriately with his little Perry Ellis suit.”
If you are trying to nail the exact Bueller vest—then the shoulders would have no black trim. Oh boy, I’ve just become a Bueller vest snob!
This fashion reminds me of the Coogi sweater that Steve Stone wore during Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout game (written on my baseball blog).
Although nobody is making clones of the Steve Stone sweater online, so this one would be hard to find as a gift.
Answers to the quiz
Ok, now you’ve come to the point where we reveal the answers to our “Ferris Bueller’s Real Vest” challenge!
1. Etsy seller AcePlaceStudios
The overall shape is off. The pattern has too much of a tight rhythm. The original vest’s pattern is a little more random.
2. Redbubble
A t-shirt with the vest printed on it. This is like those tuxedo t-shirts, except it’s the Bueller vest printed onto fabric. Those giant buttons are hilarious. And the black sleeves? C’mon.
3. Etsy seller SkirtStar (also on Amazon seller Largemouth [affiliate link])
The maker of this vest thought, “eh, it’s close enough to a leopard print”. Kudos to this SkirtStar
4. TV Store Online (also on Amazon [affiliate link])
Some vests have the pattern too tight. Here it’s the opposite—the pattern is a bit too loose. The shoulders have black trim. The buttons go up too high. The overall shape just doesn’t look right.
5. Etsy seller Stitchedbygigi
Etsy sellers love using leopard prints to make faux Bueller fancy vests!
6. 80stees.com
Yes, another print on a t-shirt. It’s not a vest. It’s a t-shirt that looks like a vest. This one looks better than the RedBubble version. At least they got the sleeves correct. The pattern is pretty spot on. The price is out of this world. $61.32 for a t-shirt!
7. This is the real pattern! Ferris is at Wrigley Field.
8. Fun Costumes Store on Amazon [affiliate link]
This vest is pretty much spot on!
Most accurate Ferris Bueller vest replica
Overall, which is the most accurate replica? The vest from Fun Costumes Store Amazon. They got the shape of the vest correct. The pattern is pretty spot on. We’ll overlook the black trim on the shoulders.
The vest comes in a package with an imitation leather jacket. That brings the cost up to $59.99 – $74.98 (depending on size). Other vests tend to cost about $40, thus you are essentially paying $20 to $35 for the jacket. Not too bad.
[The links in this post are Amazon affiliate links, so I made a small percentage at no extra cost to you. This helps to pay a fraction of my monthly hosting fees for this website]
I’d just like to point out that the Ferris Bueller costume with the most accurate vest replica is currently ranked #2,248 in Men’s Costumes on Amazon. No reason, just capturing this slice of time.
Just as I blogged about Ferris Bueller yesterday and today, just now I found out that Matthew Broderick’s birthday was yesterday. He turned 59.
Now the most accurate vest replica is ranked #989 in Men’s Costumes on Amazon. Maybe my blog post helped push it up in the rankings!