Five Top Tips on choosing your wedding suit
Further to my recent posts on wedding styling for grooms, here's some things to take into consideration when choosing what to wear for your wedding:
1. Make sure you choose a colour that looks great on you
One of my clients with light brown hair and warm toned skin, looked fantastic in the olive green suit he wore for his wedding, but visibly aged by about 20 years when he tried on a silver grey one!
Make sure the base colour of the suit looks good on you, and then look closely at the fabric and see if it has any other flecks of colours you could bring out in with the shirt and tie you choose.
2. Use visual trickery to give yourself the perfect shape
Think about your proportions and whether there are any areas you'd like to distract attention from or need to balance out. For instance, if you are on the short and skinny side choose peak lapels to broaden your shoulders, wear a folded pocket square which will broaden your chest, a ticket pocket will help to broaden your torso and choose slim leg trousers with very little break. Match your proportions with slim lapels and tie.
For chunky guys with a large stomach, balance this by either choosing a two button suit so the top button sits just above your stomach area, or a one button which will create a deep and flattering V shape. Angled pockets on your jacket will also create a slimmer silhouette. Ensure your tie is long enough to reach the top of your trousers, choose a subtle belt buckle, and make sure your shoes have a fairly substantial sole so they balance your frame, otherwise they can look a little feminine. Avoid turn-ups on your trousers if your legs are short.
3. Be fanatical about the fit
Please don't be remembered for your badly fitting suit, as a friend of mine recently commented after going to a wedding where the groom's suit was far too short!
First of all make sure the shoulders and length are correct. It's possible to have many other things tweaked with alterations but these can't be changed. Leave enough time to shop around, and try on suits from different designers and in different shapes - single breasted, double breasted, slim cut, different amounts of buttons. It's often difficult to tell on the hanger, so do ask the advice of the assistants. If you find the fit you like of a designer in a department store, then it may be worth visiting the stand alone store to view the full range.
4. The devil is in the details
Pay careful attention to the details as these will finish off your outfit. Tie your tie well and in a knot that suits the length of your neck, wear a good belt, and add personality with your cufflinks - perhaps vintage....even better if they can be borrowed from your grandfather or father to add a personal touch. Choose fine knit socks and if you like to wear colour, subtly tone them in with your shirt and tie. A pocket square adds a flourish and colour, but don't wear matching fabrics for your tie and square.
Your shoes are of utmost importance, choose carefully and avoid anything too pointed or too squared off, better to keep it elegant and classic.
5. Make it different from a business suit
Generally business suits are defined as being darker in colour and more conservative in pattern and cut. Lighten the colour, choose a more textured fabric, or a different cut to move it away from being too business like. If you would prefer to stay with a darker colour, choose a luxurious fabric and different styling details in lapels, pockets, and amount of buttons than you'd normally wear. Lighter, more colourful or more patterned ties will keep it from feeling like office attire.
If you'd like some help with choosing an outfit for your wedding, have a look at my Wedding Styling packages, or to learn more about how I work, take a look at my Q&A session with I Am Staggered.