Dongrun Safety is a Chinese company that presented an armored dress-vest that could be ordered in various ballistic ratings up to the Chinese GA141-2010 Level 3, or roughly equivalent to an NIJ IIIA. Incorporating Kevlar ballistic material into dress attire has existed for some time now, albeit it hasn’t taken off too much within the VIP protection circuit that it is designed for. One company in the US has even tried to turn a line of everyday clothing into armor as well, in addition to another one even offering a two-piece suit armor combination. The reasons for both might appear to be that having a very basic set of a standard (Point Blank or Velocity Systems) soft armor vest allows for a much more versatile clothing option for a client or security detail because one isn’t stuck with a single outer layer. Users can also ‘armor-up’ by simply putting on a steel or ceramic plate over their soft option, thus gaining more protection by incorporating their soft armor into a system.

So having an outer dress-vest that is rated to NIJ IIIA might not be common practice within the close protection world but I see it as an option to have, especially if it can prove reliable over tests and trials. As an example if a client cannot work with a concealed vest or if the situation calls for a vest to simply be on standby should a threat escalate, then a client can simply throw the Dongrun Safety version one on without having to derobe and put a concealed one on.

As opposed to what appears to be the only alternative armored tuxedo vest on the market, this one uses a velcro attachment system as opposed to a side zipper system that appears prone to breakage.

Although this version is grey, clients requesting sizeable orders should be able to pick different colors and styles – Miles V

Vest specifications – Miles V

Holding the vest up for comparison – Miles V

The vest’s inside tag – Miles V