a sucessful prototype of a simple custom-vest for my Asians (even samurai leaders wear one over their armour)...with a high nape/collar(?) behind but no collars/lapels in front.
btw...what do westerners call these vests?
A neat idea.
You could use "nape" or "collar", cheng, the first describing where it is high. "Lapels" is right for the front.
In the west there is a thing called a gilette or gillette or gilete (I don't know the correct spelling and trying to search for images using any of these words just brings up lots of pictures of razors and shaving foam!), which is a lightly padded, sleeveless jacket for outdoor wear. The pronounciation seems to be either with a soft g as in "general" or a hard g as in "gulp".