Grooms often choose their attire by themselves, or with the help of their best man. Some grooms, however, ask their fiancées to help them shop for the perfect wedding day outfit. For women who don’t have any close male relatives or friends, menswear can be a confusing department to explore.
Here are a few pointers to help you help your groom!
Tuxedos Versus Suits
What a groom wears for his wedding ceremony should correspond to the ceremony’s formality. Tuxedos are for black-tie events, and are usually worn for formal weddings in the afternoon or evening. Traditionally, a tuxedo jacket is woolen with satin lapels, and is black or dark blue. Usually it has a single button, and is worn with matching pants, a bowtie, and a cummerbund.
A regular suit, on the other hand, can be in any color or pattern, and can be made of any nice fabric. Suits come in many different cuts and shapes, and can have as many as three buttons or as few as one.
Renting Versus Buying
This is an issue that often sorts itself out when you decide whether you’ll want a tuxedo or a regular suit. Since tuxedos are too formal for many other occasions, and since they are so expensive, most people don’t buy tuxes. Usually they rent a package from a tuxedo shop or men’s formalwear store. The package will include all necessary accessories, and can be duplicated for groomsmen, should they want to wear tuxedos, as well.
If your wedding isn’t a formal affair, you might want to think about a suit. You can rent a suit, or, if your fiancé often wears suits for business or religious occasions, you might consider purchasing one.
Tailoring
When you decide what kind of garment you’d like, your groom will be fitted for his outfit. Often he will be given a black mock shirt to use when trying on the outfit. Then he’ll try on different sizes and, if you’re purchasing your suit, a tailor or sales associate will place pins in the suit so that it can be properly altered.
Brides who have already purchased wedding dresses might have learned to be wary of garment alterations. But don’t worry—your alterations bill for a purchased suit probably won’t exceed $30. Without intricate beading or lace (which are often found on wedding gowns) to work around, a tailor can easily trim a suit to your groom’s measurements.
Accessories
If you’ve decided on a tux, you’ll probably want a bowtie to go with it. Clip-on bowties make things easier for your groom, but are sometimes considered less appropriate for formal occasions by formalwear purists.
If you’re buying a regular suit and don’t want a bowtie, take a look at a wide range of ties. If you want a particularly sophisticated look, try a skinny tie. For something a little more fun, try a tie with an attractive pattern, or one that matches your wedding colors (or the accent colors on your dress).
Menswear stores often sell mock silk handkerchiefs for a suit’s breast pocket. They can be color co-ordinated with the tie, the wedding colors, or a boutonniere (a flower attached to the jacket’s lapel).
The Other Guys
Talk to your groom about what he’d like the groomsmen to wear. Tuxedos? Suits? Or whatever nice outfits they already have in their closets? Coordinate this before you purchase or rent the attire, so that no one is forced into something they don’t like. After all, wedding etiquette says that you shouldn’t make anyone feel uncomfortable if you can help it!
