Every summer, I try to find what I think of as the anchor piece — the one item that everything else in my wardrobe orbits around. The thing I reach for first in the morning, that works with the linen trousers and the denim shorts and the summer skirts and the wide-leg jeans. The thing that, when I'm standing in front of my wardrobe at seven in the morning with no particular inspiration, makes getting dressed feel effortless.
This summer, that piece is the Yumi Green Fine Knit Vest Top in Khaki Green. I have worn it more times than I can count. I have worn it in ways I didn't anticipate when I bought it. I have been asked about it by three different people on three different occasions. It is, without question, the best purchase I've made this season.
What I Was Looking For
I have a complicated relationship with vest tops. In theory, they're exactly what I want — lightweight, versatile, easy. In practice, most of them are either too thin and flimsy (the kind that goes transparent in sunlight and loses its shape after two washes) or too basic (a plain ribbed vest that does the job but gives you nothing to work with aesthetically).
What I wanted was a vest top that felt like something. That had a detail or a texture or a quality that elevated it from a functional underlayer to a piece you'd actually choose to wear. Something that felt luxurious against the skin, that held its shape, and that had enough personality to be the main event of an outfit rather than just the background.
The colour was also important. I'd been looking for something in the green family — specifically the kind of muted, earthy green that works with everything rather than competing with it. Khaki green, olive, sage. The kind of colour that looks good against most skin tones and that pairs naturally with the neutrals and earth tones that dominate my wardrobe.
Why I Chose the Yumi Green Fine Knit Vest Top
I found the Yumi Green Fine Knit Vest Top on ALTOE and it was immediately, obviously right.
The fine knit construction in 80% viscose, 20% polyamide was the first thing that caught my attention. Viscose has a natural drape and a softness that synthetic fabrics can't replicate — it moves beautifully, feels cool against the skin in warm weather, and has that slightly lustrous quality that makes a simple top look considered rather than basic. The polyamide content adds durability and helps the knit hold its shape. It's a composition that delivers the luxe feeling the product description promises.
The scallop edge detail on the sleeves was the personality detail I'd been looking for. A small, elegant flourish that elevates the top from a plain vest to something with genuine design intent. It's the kind of detail that you notice when you look closely and that other people notice when they look at you — not dramatic, not fussy, just right.
The khaki green colour was exactly the shade I'd been searching for. Not too yellow, not too grey, not too dark — a warm, earthy green that photographs beautifully and works with everything in my wardrobe from white linen to dark denim to camel and tan.
The 52cm length was the practical detail that confirmed it would work the way I wanted it to — long enough to tuck into high-waisted pieces or wear untucked over trousers, short enough not to overwhelm a skirt.
The First Time I Wore It
It arrived on a Tuesday. I wore it that afternoon — tucked into wide-leg linen trousers, with flat sandals and a woven bag. A simple outfit, assembled in about three minutes, that felt completely put-together.
The fabric against my skin was immediately noticeable — that viscose softness, cool and smooth, the kind of thing you want to wear on a warm day. The scallop edge on the sleeves caught the light slightly as I moved. The khaki green worked exactly as I'd hoped with the natural linen.
I wore it again on Thursday. And Saturday. And the following Monday. By the end of the first week I had worn it four times in seven days, which is, for me, a record for any single piece of clothing.
How I've Been Wearing It
The versatility has been the real revelation. I bought it thinking it would be a jeans-and-a-top piece — and it is, and it's excellent for that — but it's turned out to work in ways I hadn't anticipated.
Tucked into a midi skirt with block-heeled mules for a summer lunch. Layered under a linen shirt, left open, for a more relaxed look. Worn with tailored shorts and loafers for a smart-casual evening. Tucked into high-waisted wide-leg jeans with trainers for a weekend market. Each time, the top does the work — the colour, the texture, the scallop detail — and the rest of the outfit follows naturally.
It has also washed beautifully. Machine wash, cool, comes out looking exactly as it went in. No shrinkage, no pilling, no loss of shape. For a piece I'm washing weekly, that durability matters enormously.
What I Love Most About It
- The viscose fabric: Cool, soft, and beautifully draped. It feels genuinely luxurious against the skin in a way that synthetic vests simply don't.
- The scallop edge detail: The personality detail that elevates the top from basic to considered. Small, elegant, and exactly right.
- The khaki green colour: Earthy, warm, and versatile. Works with everything from white linen to dark denim to camel and tan.
- The versatility: Jeans, skirts, linen trousers, tailored shorts. Tucked in, untucked, layered. One top, endless combinations.
- The wash performance: Machine washable and comes out perfect every time. Essential for a piece worn this frequently.
- The feeling of wearing it: The thing that's hardest to quantify and most important. It makes getting dressed feel effortless. That's the whole point.
Who Is This For?
Anyone looking for a summer wardrobe anchor — a piece that works with everything, feels genuinely good to wear, and has enough personality to be the main event of an outfit rather than just the background. Anyone who has been disappointed by thin, shapeless vest tops and wants something that actually feels like something. And anyone who, like me, has been looking for the right shade of green all season.
Get Yours
The Yumi Green Fine Knit Vest Top is available now at ALTOE. Find your anchor piece. Wear it on repeat. Don't apologise.
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- Clothing Tops – the full range of tops for every style and season.
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— Imogen Hartley-Nwosu, wardrobe anchor seeker, khaki green enthusiast, and person who wore the same top four times in seven days without a single regret. Based in Brighton. Still wearing it.
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