My Wedding in Hawaii - Advice Needed

[brianoh]

Hi Guys,

My wedding is coming up in December and wanted to pick your brains (I'm a SWD guy, and seldom ever wear suits any more). Was looking for a tuxedo or a "wedding" suit that can be a bit adventerous. My budget is $3k USD and I was looking at Ring Jackets Tuxedo. I'm 50/50 in terms of going all out black tie vs a more informal look. I haven't seen it in person but I do like the cut of Ring Jackets quite a bit.

In your opinions, with my budget, is the Ring Jacket the best bang for buck OTR? Would I be able to get fitted for a more MTM approach somewhere else? I live in NYC so I should have access to a few suit makers. Also while I'm on the subject I guess I should be looking for shoes as well. Very keen on hearing your opinoons and leaning in on your expertise.

Many thanks!

 

[FlowableFill]

MTM Carrara suit from NMWA, it would probably cost less than that ring jacket tux. Personally, I wouldn't get a tux. With the increased casualization of society I don't think it would get very much wear.

 

[dieworkwear]

Best bang for your buck almost entirely depends on how the suit fits you. I think a better way of thinking about it is: as your budget grows, you can try on more options. If you have a very small budget, then you may only have one or two brands available to you. But as you increase that budget, there may be 4, 5, 6, or 7 brands. As it grows even more, you may be able to afford a custom tailor.

There are a few advantages of trying on RTW first.

1. You can see how the suit looks on you and put it back on the rack if you don't like it. Custom tailoring is final sale. Any custom tailor who offers a money-back guarantee is not good; avoid those types of places

2. You can also get a better opinion of what silhouettes you like. It may be that two suits fit you perfectly, but they have different should expressions, which will change the silhouette. By trying on a bunch of RTW suits first, you can have a better idea of whether RTW already fits you well. Additionally, if you decide to go custom, you will have a better idea of what custom tailors to pursue. The old wisdom is to not push a custom tailor too far from their house style, as this often results in bad outcomes.

At $3k for a suit, you have the option of RTW and MTM. Bespoke is just a little outside of your range (good bespoke typically starts around $4,500 for a suit, although it varies).

There are a ton of options in NYC. I like NMWA and The Armoury. Personally not a big fan of Ring Jacket's 184 cuts, as I think they're too slim and short. But The Armoury made a nice in-house cut with Ring Jacket, where the shoulders and chest are a bit roomier, which I think looks more flattering. I would go to those two shops and try on some things. Take photos of yourself or have someone do it for you. If you take photos of yourself, stand about 6 feet away from the mirror, so people can get a sense of the proportions. You can post photos here for feedback.

If you end up using a custom tailor, choose a shop that allows you to try on a sample suit in that preconfigured cut. This will help you and the sales associate better visualize what needs to be changed, and give you an idea of whether you even like the base pattern. MTM outcomes are often more successful this way.

Congrats on getting married, btw!

 

[brianoh]

Hi @dieworkwear -- Big fan of the content you produce.

Thank you for your well wishes and taking the time out to explain suiting to me. Based on your and @FlowableFill 's insight I'll check out The Armoury and NMWA.

I'll take a closer look at the Ring Jacket's collab with The Armoury and make sure the sales person takes photos of me so I can post on here.

On a side note, I've been wearing Zegna Mainline and RLBL but they're too "business-y" for this occasion in my books. Are there any other brands aside from Ring Jacket and the NMWA x Carrara I should keep an eye out for?

Many thanks again! This forum can sometimes be such a great resource!

 

[dieworkwear]

Hi @dieworkwear -- Big fan of the content you produce.

Thank you for your well wishes and taking the time out to explain suiting to me. Based on your and @FlowableFill 's insight I'll check out The Armoury and NMWA.

I'll take a closer look at the Ring Jacket's collab with The Armoury and make sure the sales person takes photos of me so I can post on here.

On a side note, I've been wearing Zegna Mainline and RLBL but they're too "business-y" for this occasion in my books. Are there any other brands aside from Ring Jacket and the NMWA x Carrara I should keep an eye out for?

Many thanks again! This forum can sometimes be such a great resource!

Unfortunately, I'm not that knowledgeable about the current RTW market. Wish I could help with more suggestions. If you end up doing custom, I believe MyTailor still visits NYC. I don't believe they bring sample suits, which is a bummer. It would be better if you can try on a sample suit before committing to an order. That said, I think they do good work and their general "house style" is a little more padded than NMWA and The Armoury. It's not as padded as RLBL, but if you like RLBL, MyTailor is worth considering. I believe they may be operating now under the name Divij Bespoke.

 

[SJTM]

Is your wedding after 6:00 pm?

 

[brianoh]

Is your wedding after 6:00 pm?

Ceremony starts a 4 with reception at 430 and dinner and party til 10. Should I consider a wardrobe change?

 

[stuffedsuperdud]

I can't speak much to fit or how the various models drape on you but stylistically, might I suggest something a bit out of the box? You said you're primarily an SWD guy rarely in tailoring, plus you want to get a bit adventurous. Also, it's a tropical backdrop with 4PM start. All these things tell me that conventional black tie would look awkward during the event itself and would have limited use once you're back in NYC. Would you consider instead an odd dinner jacket? Not some heavy dour velvet affair either; more like, a lightweight Hawaii-friendly fabric with some texture or pattern, like Dupioni silk, or some sort of floral jacquard, but cut with the usual rules: one button shawl lapel, jetted pockets, no vents. Something like this one (but maybe less loud):

I imagine there are probably a lot of MTM folks in NYC that can do this for you.

The black trousers are the safe default for this black-tie-with-a-twist vibe but a jacket like this would also look fine with cream/ivory trousers, especially for Hawaii, as long as you stick to some wool-silk-linen blend; don't go full Miami Vice with 100% linen in bright white. Thinking ahead, a jacket like this can also be casual enough that you can wear it on its own as part of a black-tie-optional thing, or, if the pattern is subtle (subtler than this example), you can even maybe tie it into a SWD thing, something you definitely can't do with a tux-tux. I actually have this particular jacket myself, and most frequently wear it with a white lightly textured shirt, ivory silk pants, and black loafers. It's a bit Tommy Bahama or perhaps Ralph Lauren from 10 years ago, but as long as the fit is good and you remember to have fun, it won't look affected or costumey.

I wouldn't wear the chelsea boots in the picture but this might be a good time to throw in a pair of velvet slippers? Bowhill and Elliot can make you a really nifty pair; can be a quiet solid black / midnight blue that you can use later or something outrageous to commemorate your wedding. Other black tie options like patent leather or a mirror shined black captoe are probably a wasteful frivolity that you won't use much again.

You know who has a much better eye than I do about this? @The Chai , who seems to always have some sort of fun warm-weather dinner jacket in the works, and posts frequently (in either the bespoke thread or the black tie thread, I don't remember). Check that out for a better idea of what I mean.

 

[classicalthunde]

A black tie wedding in Hawaii would be a great setting for a white shawl dinner jacket and black tuxedo trousers a la Casablanca. You'd likely get very little use out of it afterwards, but I feel like a wedding is one of the few times you can justify a one time extravagant totally unnecessary clothing purchase.

For a more pragmatic recommendation, I would definitely check out NWMA (never had a chance to use them before) and The Armoury per the suggestions above. The Model 3 doesn't work well on my frame, but I do think it straddles a nice line between relaxed and traditional. I think at a ~3K price point that RJ MTM would also be in your range if you have a specific idea in mind. I believe they use fitting garments per @dieworkwear 's suggestion. I think the Model 101 (more padded, like RLPL) and Orazio Luciano (soft Neapolitan) side are just outside your budget range too at 3.5K for a 2-piece suit.

If you opt to go the more relaxed route, I personally think a linen or DWW 'summer tweed' style soft Neapolitan jacket would look great for a Hawaiian beach wedding

I've used MyTailor/Hemrajani Bros/Divij Hemrajani for a couple of commissions and have been very satisfied with them. They can do an intermittent basted fitting for an extra fee as well, bringing it closer to traditional bespoke. Even with the additional fee they will be well below your price point. They do a pretty traditional cut, so it might not be up your alley if you're looking to distinguish your wedding suit from business attire.

 

[The Chai]

I can't speak much to fit or how the various models drape on you but stylistically, might I suggest something a bit out of the box? You said you're primarily an SWD guy rarely in tailoring, plus you want to get a bit adventurous. Also, it's a tropical backdrop with 4PM start. All these things tell me that conventional black tie would look awkward during the event itself and would have limited use once you're back in NYC. Would you consider instead an odd dinner jacket? Not some heavy dour velvet affair either; more like, a lightweight Hawaii-friendly fabric with some texture or pattern, like Dupioni silk, or some sort of floral jacquard, but cut with the usual rules: one button shawl lapel, jetted pockets, no vents. Something like this one (but maybe less loud):

I imagine there are probably a lot of MTM folks in NYC that can do this for you.

The black trousers are the safe default for this black-tie-with-a-twist vibe but a jacket like this would also look fine with cream/ivory trousers, especially for Hawaii, as long as you stick to some wool-silk-linen blend; don't go full Miami Vice with 100% linen in bright white. Thinking ahead, a jacket like this can also be casual enough that you can wear it on its own as part of a black-tie-optional thing, or, if the pattern is subtle (subtler than this example), you can even maybe tie it into a SWD thing, something you definitely can't do with a tux-tux. I actually have this particular jacket myself, and most frequently wear it with a white lightly textured shirt, ivory silk pants, and black loafers. It's a bit Tommy Bahama or perhaps Ralph Lauren from 10 years ago, but as long as the fit is good and you remember to have fun, it won't look affected or costumey.

I wouldn't wear the chelsea boots in the picture but this might be a good time to throw in a pair of velvet slippers? Bowhill and Elliot can make you a really nifty pair; can be a quiet solid black / midnight blue that you can use later or something outrageous to commemorate your wedding. Other black tie options like patent leather or a mirror shined black captoe are probably a wasteful frivolity that you won't use much again.

You know who has a much better eye than I do about this? @The Chai , who seems to always have some sort of fun warm-weather dinner jacket in the works, and posts frequently (in either the bespoke thread or the black tie thread, I don't remember). Check that out for a better idea of what I mean.

Midnight mohair shawl 1b and a cream mohair or silk single breasted jacket double or single if you have the budget to spare

 

[brianoh]

Hey ya'll -- reviving this thread! Just wanted to give you guys a head's up to show your insights come to fruition.

I didn't go the tux route because it seemed a bit too much for a 430PM wedding in Hawaii, so went the linen route instead.

For the shoes, I'm more than likely going to wear a pair of these oxfords I already own but was looking to perhaps change it up and wear these:

I have a Kamakura white shirt I'll be wearing with this Drake's prince of wales tie, although I do feel as if it's a bit stuffy:

Do ya'll think a simple darker green gabardine tie will make my outfit "pop" more?

Many thanks again!

 

[TheShetlandSweater]

1) Stick with the oxfords.
2) Stick with the pow tie. Silk pow ties look very nice--at least when done well.
3) Consider a white linen pocket square if not already wearing a flower. A green tie wouldn't feel wedding-y to me. I have also never heard of a tie in gabardine...
4) Also (and especially with a linen suit) make sure you know how to travel well with a suit, and make sure you know what to do if it needs some fixing up (from bad wrinkles) after flying.