When should I use "vesto"?

Question

I'm used to seeing vestaĵoj, not vestoj. Although, in the new Lernu-course La Teorio Nakamura, vestoj appears several times, for example:

"Sed vi ne povas iri tra la stratoj en tiel malmodernaj vestoj. Unue vi devas ŝanĝi viajn vestojn."

I used to think there was a realationship between the words similiar to the one between manĝo and manĝaĵo, but apparently I was mistaken.

Is there a difference at all between the words, or are vestoj and vestaĵoj interchangeable? Why do we otherwise use the -aĵ suffix?

Answer 1

Let us assume it is summer and

1. You wear summer clothing : Vi portas someran veston.
2. You wear a t-shirt and shorts as summer pieces of clothing : Vi portas t-ĉemizon kaj pantaloneton kiel somerajn vestaĵojn.

In other words

1. vesto = ĉio, kion oni portas sur si, por kovri la korpon

      [de] die Kleidung, [sv] en klädsel, [fi] vaatetus…

2. vestaĵo = ĉiu el la pecoj de vesto

      [de] das Kleid(ungsstück), [sv] ett (klädes)plagg, [fi] vaate(kappale)…

Answer 2

Here's what Being Colloquial in Esperanto has to say on it:

vesto = article of clothing.

Many speakers unnecessarily use vestaĵo with the same meaning. For some speakers, vesto can also mean a suit of clothing, in which case vestaĵo distinguishes each of the parts of it. Note that a modern suit is a kompleto.

Answer 3

It is almost exactly the same as English:

• Vesto = Clothing. I am wearing clothing right now. See [*vest/i] on Reta Vortaro.

• Vestajxo = A clothing thing (a piece of clothing). I am wearing several pieces of clothing. See vestajxo on Reta Vortaro.