Has anyone out there any experience with a topit in a VEST? If so, do you think it's possible to design one so that it won't look "full" after throwing in an (fake) egg and a lemon?

If I recall right, Dave Neighbors uses one. You should try PM'ing him.

Thank you Frank - I'll PM him right now

Hello Jonathan,

I've installed several topits in vests. You have to alter the topit a bit, but they normally work great. As long as the outer fabric of your vest is not too thin, you shouldn't have too much of a problem with bulging.

Let me know if you have any specific questions and I'll try to help you out.

Lynetta

There you go Jonathan! From the expert!

Lynetta is the lady that keeps us in stitches!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Lynetta, after hearing that from Mr. Sanders - I'm sure you'd be able to do this. Now, I guess I need to find a vest. I found some halfway decent ones at http://glockstore.com/index/6/
One of my ideas was to have my shirt untucked with one of these vests over it. Is this possible?

I don't wear a vest anymore, but I used to have a topit like thing in one of mine I rigged up.

Check out "Suspended Dimension" by Sylvester the Jester. It might be right up your alley.

Just curious - wouldn't most of these applications require the vest to be unbuttoned? I find that the vests I wear look horrible on me if not buttoned. They tend to hang improperly. Perhaps others have had better luck.

The jacket I wear for performance is smaller than one I would normally wear. If I buttoned it up, it would look too tight around the chest. This allows me to wear it open without it flapping around and looking too big. Also, the performance jacket looks a bit like a costume, which works for me.

I've seen light vests in uniform catalogs (generally for waiters, bartenders, etc.) that are designed to be worn open. These might work nicely...

Jonathan - Keep in mind the Ammar toppit design must be tucked into the pants at the top of the toppit. This means that the toppit must be able to hand below the beltline in the vest or coat. Many of the vests I saw on the website you mentioned look to me like they stop at the waist. This may be an issue. I wear a safari vest and have a toppit that goes right to the bottom of the vest. The bottom of my vest is about six inches below my waist line.

Maybe you are using a toppit that attaches in a way that I am not aware. Hope you find a vest and toppit that works for you...

As to the question of whether a shirt can be untucked? Again my experience is limited to the Ammar topit, but the answer with this topit is, "no". The shirt and the tobit would have to be tucked into the pants. Sorry to bring bad news...

I used to perform overseas a lot and went to a Turkish taylor who made a very light vest with a topit in it (for $20). It worked like a charm! It was very light weight and just barley came past my waist. It had to be modified a bit for it to work but I could ditch a pack of cards, soda can and even a ketchup bottle. I even had the outside pocket that went into the topit.

My suggestion is to find an old lady who likes to sew and see if she is up for the challenge. That is how I fixed mine when I ripped it (don't ask!).