Dressing for The Big Day; Are You Ready?

[Jason]

I found this article and I thought it was great.

Dressing for The Big Day; Are You Ready?
By the team at www. ExecStyle.com

The date has been set, and you're in the midst of planning the perfect wedding.  Traditionally, the wedding spotlight is on the bride but we do not want to incur the wrath of the mother in law by forgetting about the groom. To assist in the planning of groom's wardrobe and of the other male guests, ExecStyle.com has developed some useful guidelines to alleviate the stress of garment selection.

The classic, elegant wedding calls for a sharp, well fitting tuxedo for the groom accessorized with a formal shirt, tie and fashionable vest. The classic tux is a single breasted three button or one button model with satin trim. The pant can be pleated or flat front and is also finished with a satin trim. The grooms' accessories: the tie, bow, vest or cummerbund, suspenders and shirt can be black or can be coordinated with the colors of the wedding. When wedding attire takes on a military or cultural tone the groom's outfit should reflect his status and rank or comply with the relevant cultural influence.

Execstyle.com emphasizes that the male members of the wedding party should not be clones of the groom, they should be dressed to complement him. The fathers and the best man should be distinguished by a simple change in the accessories and slight style variations in the tuxedo. The groomsmen should be further differentiated from the leading man again with a modification in the accessories or a change in the color of their tuxedos always coordinating with the wedding dÃ

cor. You might want to substitute the boutonnière with a pocket square and consider having them embroidered with the initials of the couple as a wedding souvenir.

Getting married on the beach in a tropical oasis? You can certainly follow the above suggestions and go formal but why not carry the tropical theme through to your clothing? Execstyle.com suggests that the groom, the fathers and the best man wear suits that are light in color and weight. The coolest, most crease resistant fabric is still fine quality, light weight wool. Microfiber looks great but might be a little warm, whereas, cotton and linen will crease and look sloppy in no time. For a little extra formality, all can wear an elegant shirt and tie but don't forget to let the groom be unique. To dress the groomsmen engage your imagination. They can wear suits, but if the guests are dressed informally, let your groomsmen enjoy wearing colorful shirts and matching pants.

Choosing the right wedding attire can be mystifying not just for the wedding party but also for your guests. Execstyle.com advises a gracious host to inform his guests in advance of the suggested dress code. In the absence of this information guests should relate their clothing choices to time of day and season.  

A morning or afternoon summer wedding calls for lighter fabrics, softer colors and a more relaxed look than would be appropriate for an evening affair especially if the wedding is outdoors. Not sure whether you should wear a suit or just a pant and nice shirt? Execstyle.com suggests you wear a more relaxed suit and shed the jacket and tie if you appear overdressed. Men should err on formality for a church wedding and wear a suit with a tie or sports coat and pants. For an evening wedding/no dress indicated, dress as you would for an elegant dinner out. Let your escort set the tone.
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Fall or winter weddings are traditionally more formal. Men should wear a suit and select darker, more sophisticated colors and fabrics. For a little individuality, add a splash of color with your shirt and tie.

It is rare to see casual attire indicated on an invitation, but this phrase may be taken literally.  Leave your suit at home especially if the wedding is being held outdoors, at an island destination, at the beach or in a park. Gentlemen should wear casual dress pants and an elegantly casual shirt. Casual attire never means jeans and tennis shoes.

So now, that you're prepared for any eventuality, you know what to do, simply get dressed and have fun.

Execstyle.com has been at the forefront of men's fashion for almost 50 years. They specialize in outfitting the well dressed man in quality fashion ranging from fine tuxedos to stylish jeans.

 

[ATM]

The classic tux is a single breasted three button or one button model with satin trim.

I suspect at least a few here will disagree with this statement.

 

[StevenRocks]

My friend Wayne recently got married. Â He's a land surveyer and had an outdoor wedding, so he went with something a little less formal than a tuxedo: decent two-button suit, white shirt and semi-formal tie. Â The results were actually quite nice: Wayne & Melissa

 

[faustian bargain]

london lounge member Etutee has posted a fantastic collection of Apparel Arts illustrations with great descriptions - several of the images deal with formalwear. they are real beauties. /andrew

 

[JLibourel]

My friend Wayne recently got married. He's a land surveyer and had an outdoor wedding, so he went with something a little less formal than a tuxedo: decent two-button suit, white shirt and semi-formal tie. The results were actually quite nice: Wayne & Melissa

I thought the correct tie for "semi-formal" wear was a black bow tie--hardly what you'd wear with a decent suit. As to the original article, a black shirt with a tuxedo???? Or, co-ordinating the tie, vest cummerbund, etc. with the "colors of the wedding." I hope Manton doesn't see this. I don't want him to have apoplexy, most especially not before he finishes his book. There also seems to be the presumption that the tuxedo is the only appropriate wedding attire, and then the curious implication toward the end of the article that a dark suit is somehow "more formal" than a tuxedo. Rather weird--all of it.

 

[LabelKing]

And they are insinuating that the trousers of a tuxedo can either be pleated or flat-fronted.

What a fashionable vest for formal wear is I do not know.

I believe the proper attire for a wedding is not black tie but morning dress.

 

[Charley]

london lounge member Etutee has posted a fantastic collection of Apparel Arts illustrations with great descriptions - several of the images deal with formalwear. they are real beauties. /andrew

Can you please provide a link to the material? TIA

 

[ViroBono]

Here in the UK only waiters wear evening dress during the day.....

The classic outfit for a groom remains morning dress, with black coat, striped or houndstooth trousers, grey waistcoat, black top hat and grey gloves. A stock may be worn instead of a tie, but both are correct. Some people wear grey morning dress. Personally I favour black morning dress but with a frock coat rather than tails. Many people hire their wedding suits and all manner of rather odd outfits can be rented - brocade frock coats, James Bond-villain style mandarin jackets, and white tail suits - all truly hideous.

 

[JLibourel]

Wouldn't black tie or white tie, for that matter, be appropriate for an evening wedding? Although less common than morning or afternoon weddings, they do take place. Come to think it over, the last wedding I attended was an evening wedding. As I recall, the men were in some strange hybrid "formal" attire that was neither fish nor fowl.

 

[StevenRocks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StevenRocks,May 26 2005,13:08
My friend Wayne recently got married. Â He's a land surveyer and had an outdoor wedding, so he went with something a little less formal than a tuxedo: decent two-button suit, white shirt and semi-formal tie. Â The results were actually quite nice: Wayne & Melissa
I thought the correct tie for "semi-formal" wear was a black bow tie--hardly what you'd wear with a decent suit.
My word choice was wrong, but I thought the end effect of my friend's outfit was appropriate for a man of his station and the setting. Â I think it shows that one can look respectable for "the big day" without resorting to cliches.

 

[faustian bargain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by faustian bargain,May 26 2005,13:35
london lounge member Etutee has posted a fantastic collection of Apparel Arts illustrations with great descriptions - several of the images deal with formalwear. they are real beauties. /andrew
Can you please provide a link to the material? TIA
here is a reduced-resolution copy of the picture posted on thelondonlounge.net (used without permission; i hope i don't get scolded...). it's possible that Etutee shows up on styleforum occasionally, so maybe he will grace us with some more information. /andrew