What most think is a simple question for guys can be a rather difficult one, “what should I wear for my wedding?” This question should be easy enough to answer, since every bridal magazine ever published has the same “How to Dress Your Men for Your Wedding” chart for years or article and tips for dressing the groom and his attendants.. Check out Premier Bride of Mississippi and their Style File for the latest in men’s formal wear.
It all starts with what, when, where, and how. What time of day are you getting married? That determines immediately how formal or informal and what to wear. When is the wedding? Is it in the summer, fall, winter or spring. Where is the wedding? Are you getting married on the beach, in a church, in the backyard or in a barn? All this dictates what you wear and the formality. And, finally, how. How do you want to feel the day of your wedding. Remember, it’s the guy’s wedding too. How formal do you want to be? How formal do you want your groomsmen to be?
In the past, tuxedos were black and gray. Then brown became a hot color. Now khaki and beige suits are big. And coming back is the white or ivory dinner jacket. In the past you had to go with etiquette and you still do to some degree. Today, couples are going with their own comfort and style and mixing and matching. Every wedding is as unique as the couple.
The real problem with suggesting traditional attire for a formal wedding is that according to etiquette you should wear a cutaway with hickory striped pants for an afternoon wedding and a tailcoat with a pique vest and bow tie for an evening wedding. These styles are just not very popular right now.
A person’s personal taste should always be considered. This is extremely important since now, more than ever, young people are trying to define themselves with their dress. They are not necessarily interested in dressing like everyone else, especially for their wedding.
Is it possible to throw out tradition and still be formal? I think yes. By contemporary standards, a black tuxedo is always “formal”. With a wide assortment of jacket lengths and button configurations, the black tuxedo is not so basic anymore.
The resurgence of vests has also brought excitement into men’s formalwear. Many men are more interested in sharp accessories than with a tuxedo style. Choosing the right shirt and tie style is the biggest concern of today’s groom. Shoes are in there too for the guys.
There is an old adage in the clothing industry that says that fashion is cyclical. Restated, fashion gone out of style will come back.
Ask yourself this question first when choosing the men’s formal wear, “do you want your pictures to date your wedding”? We have all seen wedding photos of men wearing the colored tuxedo with ruffled shirts, and immediately recognized it as 70’s. If you are not horrified by the image, then I would look at colors that are currently available. However, if the thought of your future children laughing at your wedding photos bothers you, then I would steer towards a more traditional tuxedo and look.
So, you see selecting the correct formalwear is not as easy as reading a chart. It is extremely important for the future bride and groom to weigh the importance of etiquette, fashion, uniqueness and timelessness before choosing formalwear. By expressing the importance of each of these areas to your Formalwear Specialist, together you should be able to determine the right tuxedos for your wedding.