Choosing a wedding suit to match the glamour of your bride is all down to planning. Savile Row tailor Cad & The Dandy’s advice to grooms is to make the big decisions well ahead of the big day. Here are some pointers for getting it right
Daywear, DJ or morning suit?
As it’s your wedding day, you are in the fortunate position of setting the tone of the event – personal taste and the nature of the occasion will come into play here. There are no hard and fast rules, however, for daytime weddings a smart suit is a classic and practical choice that marries both elegance and formality. You have the advantages of more colour choices and a suit that can easily be worn after the event. It can also be personalised with a waistcoat and all manner of accessories. Black tie (tuxedo) is effective for evening events if it’s well styled. Cad & The Dandy suggest you also consider midnight blue as an alternative to black – it can actually appear blacker and more distinguished under artificial light. Morning suits are traditional formal wear and may also earn their keep if you attend a lot of smart weddings and racing events. The popular Morning Grey variant – with matching coat, waistcoat and trousers – is slightly less formal and traditionally only worn for summer events.
Now choose the cloth
It’s important to get the balance right between longevity and comfort. While heavier weight fabrics have more staying power, a medium to lightweight cloth is likely to be cooler and more comfortable – especially considering the nervous energy surrounding a wedding day – and is appropriate for a UK wedding. If you’re going for a suit, rather than DJ or morning dress, you need to select a colour that is flexible (for after wear) and enhances your complexion.
Add the lining
Cad & The Dandy advise a lightweight cupro lining for ensuring you keep your cool in testing circumstances. Luxury satin is a joy to wear if you are feeling bolder. As the lining is unseen (except when you hang your jacket on a chair or casually let it slip open), it can be bold and reflect your taste and personality. It might be a good way also to tap into the bridal colourscheme.
Finishing touches
Most importantly, you need a really good shirt and Cad & The Dandy say you should invest in bespoke. The shirt is critical to your look, will be designed to enhance your suit and – because it is built around you – it will be a perfect and flattering fit if you take your jacket off. Remaining finishing touches are much more flexible – from plain or bold ties to socks. Err on the side of classic, rather than garish, and you can’t go wrong.
