It’s quite often billed as the best day of a woman’s life, which is of course completely true. However, beneath all of the extravagant dresses is the question on what a man should wear to a wedding – and this is the focus of today’s post.
For the purposes of today we are not referring to all of the different dress codes that grooms-to-be need to choose. Instead, it’s all about male guests heading to a wedding, and the attire that they should be donning.
As such, let’s now take a look at some suggestions on how to dress for the next wedding you are invited to.
Dress codes are there for a reason
If you happen to be based in the capital, one of the first things that a lot of guys do is take a wander around somewhere like Covent Garden to find their next suit. This is of course great advice, but there are caveats.
Choosing the first thing that screams out to your tastes might seem logical, but remember to look back at the invitation. Dress codes are there for a reason and if the event is classified as black tie, don’t try and go against the grain with something informal. You’ll stand out like a sore thumb, and it won’t be for the right reasons.
Avoid the funeral appearance
When somebody sees the term black tie, one of the first things they might decide to do is throw on their classic black suit, and link things up with a black tie.
While this may satisfy the dress code, don’t forget that it can also look like a funeral outfit.
Try and guard against this by accessorizing appropriately. A quick trick is to use a bow tie, instead of a tie, which livens things up somewhat. Or, if you are feeling particularly adventurous, look towards something like a Paisley shirt.
Use the rule of overdressing
There are two ways a wedding can go and for the purposes of staying safe, make sure you always end in the overdressed category. Sure, you might turn a few heads, but that’s nothing compared to underdressing where you will be grabbing attention for the completely wrong reasons.
With that being said, be careful about going too flash and outshining the groom. This is the top rule that you need to follow, and something that’s worthy of its own section…
The dreaded sin; outshining the groom
Granted, this next point tends to be spoken about more in female circles, where guests are told at every possible time not to outshine the bride. To some extent, the same rules apply for guys as well. Particularly if the wedding you are attending has a “relaxed” dress code (and trust us, this is becoming more popular than you might think), turning up in your best dinner jacket might just take a bit too much attention from the guy at the altar. Or, even worse, turning up in an outlandish white suit isn’t going to do you any favours either. As such, tread carefully with dress codes like this.
Be aware of what your date is wearing
In general, you certainly won’t be expected to match your date when it comes to colours. After all, with female guests tending to have a lot of flexibility in relation to the palette they can choose from, the last thing that you want is to be stood at the back in a bright pink suit.
However, you should at least be aware of what your date is wearing in terms of the formality. You should try and match this, to ensure that you’re not completely at odds as you turn up together. This is really as far as you need to go, but it is important.
You can use the seasons to help you
As is the case with a lot of the advice we have mulled over, there can be occasions where the wedding invitation takes over and you have to abide to that. However, if you are really struggling, it can be useful to let the seasons dictate your attire.
Typically, in the warmer months, lighter colours work well. Then, if you are heading to a winter wedding, try and opt for darker colours. Sure, there can be exceptions, but this is the standard rule that a lot of people follow and can be good to take into account when you venture down the high street.
