What to Wear to a Wedding: A Guide for Men
The big day! Whether it’s months away or getting ever closer, you’ve looked at the invitation more than once and thought: what on earth do I actually wear? Whatever you land on, there are so many considerations to… well… to consider. So let’s fire off a few and see if we can spark a lightbulb above that lovely head of yours.
First, Decode the Invitation
The dress code is your brief, so take it at its word. Black tie means a dinner suit: proper black, bow tie, no fudging it with a dark lounge suit. Morning dress means a morning coat, waistcoat and striped trousers, the full ceremonial works. “Lounge suits” is the most common instruction and simply means a smart, well-fitted suit; navy and mid-grey are the reliable heroes. And if it says “smart casual”, do not take that as permission for jeans: an unstructured jacket, trousers with a crease and proper shoes will always be right. No code at all? Dress one notch smarter than you think, because nobody ever regretted being the well-dressed guest.
The Two Golden Rules
Rule one: never upstage the groom. If you know he’s in a standout colour or a particular style, steer around it. Rule two: the palette near white belongs to the couple, so keep cream and ivory suits for your own big day. Within those rails, though, have some fun. A summer wedding is the perfect excuse for a lighter cloth and a softer colour, and we’ve written a whole piece on summer suit materials if the forecast is on your side.
Fit Beats Fashion, Every Time
Here is the secret nobody’s uncle will tell you: the best-dressed man at the wedding is rarely wearing the most expensive suit. He’s wearing the one that fits. A £200 suit properly altered, trousers at the right length, jacket hugging the shoulder, sleeves showing a whisper of cuff, will beat a £2,000 suit worn straight off the peg. Is that life imitating art? Or have we got that back to front? Either way, book the alterations in good time, not the week of the wedding, and if the diary has got away from you, ask us about what’s possible at short notice.
The Finishing Touches
A tie that sits well, a pocket square that doesn’t match it too neatly, shoes polished the night before, socks long enough to spare the room your shins on the dance floor. Small things, big difference. And if this wedding is the excuse you’ve been waiting for to own a suit that actually fits, our made to measure service will see you right for this wedding and the next decade of them.
