How men can get it right on the big day
Wedding season
Sorry, men of Britain, but it’s wedding season – and long gone are the days when the fallback sartorial position was a starched morning suit. Today, there’s a world of beachready linen suits, paired with sockless shoes, and baby-blue blazers for your consideration. What on earth are you going to wear?
You are, of course, welcome to take your cue from James Matthews, Pippa Middleton’s new husband, particularly if your wedding is a quintessentially English affair. Last month, the groom wore a traditional morning suit with contrasting waistcoat, scarlet tie and pinstriped grey trousers (less funereal than black). But foraying too far into traditional British fare can result in questionable pastiche, as some of the guests’ attire proved; tartan trousers last seen in Four Weddings and a Funeral are best left to am-dram productions of Brigadoon.
With men becoming more adept at knowing what suits them (see the rise of the groomzilla), there is a plethora of considerations – cufflinks, too fussy? Mankles, to bare or not to bare? – to take on board before the big day.
It’s further complicated by the fact that wedding invitations now employ a lexicon so cryptic that Bletchley codebreakers would be perplexed. “Amalfi glamour”, “Brighton retro”, “English country”… it’s only a matter of time before we find ourselves trying to fine tune an Early-mayan-does-thecharleston ensemble.
So how should a man outfit himself, whether he’s the groom or guest? As with many things sartorial, it can be useful to take a tip from what your well-dressed gay friend is wearing.
When Olympic diver Tom Daley married Dustin Lance Black last month, the two grooms found a way to look distinct from the other guests without veering into costumery. The pair wore tailored single-breasted pieces by British house Burberry; Daley in sleek burgundy and Black in classic navy, the juxtaposition of the splash of colour with something more uniformed a visual indicator that this was “event” dressing, as opposed to donning a suit for the working day.
Luke Day, editor of GQ Style, married his partner last year, but the pair didn’t show each other what they were planning to wear until the actual day. “I always had in my head that I wanted to be able to look back at the photos and not think, ‘Why on earth did I wear that?’ I wanted it to look timeless and classic, rather than a fashion moment,” says Day.
Grooms wanting to cut a dash as they wait on the aisle would do well, like Day, to look to eveningwear to signal a sense of occasion – a tuxedo jacket in a jacquard weave can nicely complement one in more subdued grosgrain or velvet, for example.
A traditional morning suit can, of course, still be a thing of handsome wonder. But unless they’re an item that one is familiar with – donning to wear to the races – they can look out of place and a tad forced, even at a wedding. Opt instead for a classic suit – always a fail-safe, says Patrick Grant, owner of E Tautz and Norton & Son.
“If it’s a church wedding, keep it simple and classic. A dark blue two- or three-piece suit in a lightweight wool is the best for looking crisp all day. Wear it with a pale blue, pink or white shirt worn with a sober dark tie, complimentary pocket square and simple floral button.”
Charlie Casely-hayford, of tailoring brand Casely-hayford, agrees. “A wedding is one of the few places where a three-piece can break the corporate mould of a suit. If you can opt for a double-breasted waistcoat, it’s the more sophisticated option.”
Meanwhile, Oliver Spencer, founder and owner of Favourbrook, advises a formula that veers from the path familiar. “Less formal weddings call for a one-button dark suit with a white shirt and beautiful tie and matching pocket square. To make it that little bit more formal, you could add a low-cut waistcoat.”
Clearly, tradition is key, but location is everything. Continental weddings call for something less structured, but still smart; a blazer in a half canvas, where the “back” section comes unlined so there’s a greater degree of fluidity and breathability. If you’re taking your vows in a Provençal chateau garden or on a Capri clifftop, such details are paramount.
Likewise, there are ways to “break” the traditional wedding suit. Opt for a blazer but wear it with smart chinos in white or navy blue (never brightly coloured), and add accessories with a certain flourish – a bright cravat, smart loafers or lightweight Derbys over something more solid on your feet. “Shoes can completely shift the perception of a suit, so choose wisely,” says Casely-hayford. “A rounded Derby, for instance, creates a very modern, streamlined look, compared to an Oxford or brogue.”
For the men who are peripheral – but integral – to the wedding, such fine tuning is key to set them apart from guests, but never at the expense of outshining the groom. Best men should opt for a similar style of suit to ensure a sense of continuity, but keep the colour subdued by comparison and dial the accessories down a notch. If the groom is in full cravat and gleaming cufflinks, then opt for something sleeker and less eyecatching; a crisp white pocket square as opposed to a patterned affair.
Similarly, the father of the bride needs to wear something officious but never showy. Often older men opt for double-breasted as a traditional fail-safe, but its shape can be difficult on anything but long and lean silhouettes. A neat single-breasted jacket will look sleeker and more contemporary.
Finally, there are worse gifts from a best man than the full ceremony of a wet shave on the morning of the big day. And grooms should bear in mind that their newly adorned hands will steal the focus for part of the day. Quietly invest in a manicure and ensure that your shirt cuff works in proportion to your watch and jacket sleeve, for the sake of those pictures that will prop up mantelpieces for decades to come.