How to: Working Out Which Suit Style to Wear to Your Wedding
(Courtesy greenweddingshoes.com)
The Morning Suit
The morning suit is the most appropriate of suits to wear during the day (more specifically, the morning. Bet you didnt see that coming.), or if your wedding crosses over the night/ day divide. These suits hearken back to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and conjure up an impression of high- brow aristocracy.
These are made up of a single breasted tailcoat, worn with a wing or lay- down collar, a vest- generally worn in a contrasting colour- and either pinstriped or checked trousers.
Of all suit options, this one is most exacting, and therefore, has the greatest potential for sartorial- slip ups. It is difficult to assemble and fit according to the dress-code rules that automatically come with wearing such an outfit. It is, however, striking and elegant, and in certain circumstances is a fantastic option to create a look that you, your wife, and your guests will never forget.
(Courtesy hisashibird.tumblr.com)
The Classic Two- Piece
The simplest and most comfortable cut that doesnt compromise on looks. Wearing this cut circumnavigates the more complicated issues that arise with wearing a tux, such as dress rules (yep, you could absolutely be comitting a fashion faux- pas without knowing it) and finding one that fits perfectly, if you choose to rent.
Purchasing is a great option, but not the only one. Finding a rented two- piece suit that fits as if it were made for you alone is not a particularly difficult task. The suit’s forgiving cut ensures that the suit doesnt need need the exacting measurements of a more tight fitting suit, so it’s a matter of ‘seek and ye shall find’. Alternatively, there’s no need to buy a new suit if you own one in great condition (provided you want to wed in that colour). Buying a new shirt, tie, and accessories will help spruce it up and have you feeling like the cover of a GQ mag in no time. That being said, buying a new suit is rarely a bad idea- you’ll be able to get years of mileage out of it in the future.
There’s no need to go for fancier suit options simply because you feel you ought to on your wedding day. A single- breasted suit offers clean lines, understated elegance, and serves to enhance your silhouette and overall look- not distract from it. Needless to say, it’s a favourite for grooms worldwide.
(Courtesy flawlesscrowns.com)
Double Breasted Suits
A great halfway-point between the more casual single-breasted suit and the more formal tux. The double- breasted suit adds a sense of formality, drama and weight to your overall look. It does come with a couple of dress rules, however: it needs to be worn with a formal shirt and necktie- there’s no open-collaring this baby. Also be aware that it can be less comfortable to wear for longer periods, especially when sitting down or dancing.
(Courtesy fashionindie.com)
Three Piece Suits
Equal in formality to the double breasted suit, though this option offers slightly more versatility. Here, a waistcoat matched to the material of the jacket and suit trousers is worn. This means that you and your wedding party can be wearing different versions of the same suit outfit whilst still looking uniform, rather than overly contrived. So, for example you could wear the entire outfit to ensure maximal dapper-ness at the ceremony, take off the waistcoat and/ ore jacket for some more relaxed photos of you and your wife, and take the jacket only off to look great while you hit the dance floor.
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The Tux
Before reading any further, check out this article. In addition to that basic information, there are a few rules and considerations to keep in mind:
– Tuxedos, according to formal wear etiquette, shouldn’t be worn before 5pm.
– The rules that dictate how to wear a tux correctly are a lot more absolute and traditional- there are no grey areas, and the tux has changed very little over the course of the past century.
– Each true tux consists of 6 pieces: an evening jacket, trousers, black shoes, a cummerbund or low waistcoat, a bow tie, and a white dress shirt.
– If you’re the one getting married in a tux, think long and hard about whether you’re going to buy or rent. Renting poses a couple of issues: finding a tux to fit you properly often takes months (as does ordering one to buy), and the material often used in the making of rented tuxes is synthetic, which leaves you uncomfortable and sweaty for the duration of the day. Not a great look (especially for photos that are going to be framed in your entrance hall).
– By definition, tuxes are in keeping with a particular fashion culture and custom. Attempting to apply a ‘twist’ on this classic, such as wearing a mismatched shirt with it or one made with bright material essentially signifies that you don’t quite ‘get’ the point of a tuxedo. Instead of coming off as avant garde, you’ll more likely be seen as someone who simply isn’t fashion savvy.
White Tie vs. Black Tie
Unbeknownst to most, these are actually two versions of the tuxedo. The differences only happen on the top half of one’s body, but wearing the wrong type for a specific venue is considered a particularly embarrassing faux pas. If black tie is a fancy dinner at the country club, white tie is dinner with the Prime Minister. Here are their essential differences.
Black Tie
– The jackets are black, double breasted, and generally have 1-2 buttons.
– It has slash pockets.
– It’s worn with a cummerbund/ low waistcoat. The purpose of this is to conceal the trouser’s waistband and to create simulteously a slimming effect around the waist, and a broadening effect in the shoulder. The colour of the cummerbund, while traditionally black or white, can be changed to suit the theme of the event. Note: Don’ t try to conceal a belt under the cummerbund- it shows up and ruins the lines of the tux. Suspenders, however, are concealed by the jacket and cummerbund easily.
– For black tie tuxedos, piping along the outside seams of the trousers is a considered to be a necessity. The piping can be made of any fine material that matches the material of the lapel- this could include silk, satin, or grosgrain. The trousers are never worn cuffed.
(Courtesy details.com)
White Tie
– The front of the jacket ends at roughly the waist, whilst the tailcoat ends at the knees. From the waist up, the cut is close to the body, giving the effect of a full and high chest (hence why people generally look like theyre puffing their chest up in white tie).
– The jacket has 6 buttons- three on each side of the jacket’s opening.
– Generally worn with a peak lapel, as this accentuates the broadness of one’s shoulders.
– A white waistcoat is worn underneath the jacket, which is always longer than the jacket. In more modern cuts of the tux, the waistcoat ends around the hip, while more traditional cuts remain nearer to the waist.
(Courtesy firstclassfashionista.com)
