The Well-Rounded Gent: Wedding Wear

The Well-Rounded Gent: Dressing for a Wedding

Dressing for a wedding isn’t too complicated, but there will always be a guest that stands out for all of the wrong reasons.  Don’t be that guy.  Remember that the focus of attention at a wedding should be on the bride and groom, so keep your outfit classic and subdued.  No overbearing pinstripes.  No loud ties.  No ironic vintage puffy shirts that you saw in your father’s wedding photos.

There are always exceptions to the rule, but these tips apply to most weddings:

Always wear a suit.  A lot of guys think that what they wear to work is appropriate for all nice occasions – it isn’t.  Weddings are predominately formal and special occasions, and you should do the happy couple the courtesy of recognizing this.  A black suit is acceptable, common, and safe.  Avoid large pinstripes or patterns.  Make sure your suit is finely tailored.  If you’re afraid of blending in too much in the sea of black suits, wear a dark charcoal suit.  In fact, I really like wearing dark charcoal to a wedding – you can wear that with a white shirt and a black tie and still look formal without looking like you’re a part of the wedding party.  If you don’t own a charcoal suit, I recommend the Vincero Dark Gray Herringbone and the Timeless Charcoal Three Piece suits from Indochino. The suits are custom made to fit your exact measurements, so you’ll get that perfect tailored look.

Nothing is more classic and sophisticated than a crisp white shirt.  If not white, wear a light color.

Ties are sometimes optional, but err on the side of caution.  I always wear a tie, especially if it’s a formal occasion such as a wedding.  If you get to the event and most guys are sans ties, you now have the option of discretely taking your tie off if you feel overdressed.  But keep in mind that at a formal event, being better dressed than the majority is not a bad thing.  Also – keep your tie simple.  Do not wear obscene colors or patterns.  Keep the colors muted and the patterns to a minimum.  Show your class by showing restraint.  If you own one, wear a tie clip.  If you don’t own one, go buy one now – you should have one at this point in your life.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re stylish enough to know that white socks are only to be worn with tennis shoes.  Do not wear white socks to a wedding.  Do not wear tennis shoes.

Accessories should be worn.  Wear a tie clip.  If you’re wearing french cuffs (and I think you should be), wear cufflinks. Wear a pocket square – but follow the same rules as a tie when wearing one. Besides fine tailoring, a man’s accessories provide him the chance to show his sense of style.

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