Groom’s Outfit
Traditional groom attire is a morning suit. This means a black morning
coat, black and grey striped trousers, a waistcoat and tie. However, many men choose
something less traditional. Black tie weddings are increasingly common, as are weddings
in lounge suits (every day suits). But if you’re going for a traditional groom’s
outfit, here’s what you need to know.
Morning suit
Most men don’t own their own morning suit, so you will either be buying one or more
likely, hiring one. For tips on suit hire, see the boxed section. A morning coat
is a type of tail coat. It is single-
Tie
Again, a matter for personal choice. But let’s face it, it’s probably going to be your fiancee who chooses the colour and not you.
It’s increasingly fashionable for grooms to wear cravats instead of ties. Strictly speaking a cravat has no place in morning dress, but if you don’t mind breaking traditional rules of dress then this is another option.
Shirt
No groom’s outfit is complete without a crisply pressed white shirt. A conventional
fold-
OUTFIT HIRE
Most men don’t own their own morning suit. To buy your own morning suit may seem
a bit of a waste, just for one day. This means the vast majority of grooms hire
their morning suits. Of course, you are likely to be kitting out not only yourself
but the best man, fathers of the bride and groom, and the ushers too. This takes
a bit of co-
Nationwide chain or independent?
If you’re hiring then you need to decide whether to use a nationwide chain such as Moss Bros or a smaller independent outfitters. There is an advantage to using a chain if you, your best man, ushers and so on all live in different parts of the country. This is because each of you can just go to your local branch, rather than travel to a central location.
The other option is to use a smaller local outfitters. It’s worth asking around for recommendations in your area. You may find you get a higher level of service, and better trained staff, in stores like these.
The hiring process
The process of hiring is pretty simple. Step one is for you, and probably your fiancee too, to visit a few stores and pick the outfit you want.
Step two, once you have chosen the store and the groom’s outfit, is to get measured. If you are hiring outfits for a group, they all need to get measured too.
Step three is just before the wedding when you pick your outfits up. Most stores will allow you to pick up your outfits at least three or four days in advance. Be sure to pick up your outfits as early as you possibly can. Stores can and do make mistakes and if your outfit doesn’t fit, you need to allow time to get a replacement. The day before your wedding with a morning coat that doesn’t fit is not a happy place to be.
Step four is taking everything back after the wedding. By convention this is the best man’s job, but don’t forget to ask him to do it.
Avoiding the races
One final word of advice. If you are getting married in June then check that your wedding doesn’t clash with the Royal Ascot or the Derby. Morning suits are in high demand at these times, so if there’s a clash then make sure you book a long time in advance.
hire companies will only be able to offer you a wool blend (part wool, part man made fibres). The latter sometimes have a slightly shiny appearance. The accompanying trousers are typically thinly striped in grey and black, and appear dark grey from a distance.
Waistcoat
Waistcoats are a matter of personal choice. The conventional groom’s outfit is monochrome, and some grooms see their waistcoat as an opportunity to introduce some colour. (If you are thinking of going for a coloured waistcoat, remember to consult your fiancee, who has almost certainly had the colour scheme for her wedding planned out since she was ten years old.) For grooms who want a more traditional look, a plain or lightly patterned dove grey waistcoat remains the classic choice, with cream a close second.
You should also take into account what you want your best man and ushers to wear.
Usually their attire matches the groom’s outfit. If they will also be wearing morning
dress, you may want to make yourself stand out a bit. You don’t have to do this
with your waistcoat -
When choosing your waistcoat, remember that not much of it will be seen under your coat. However, you may want to remove your coat later in the evening (perhaps when you are showing off your moves on the dance floor). Some waistcoats are backless, i.e. they are held at the back with straps rather than a full back piece. These stem from an era when a chap did not remove his coat during the course of an evening, but nowadays they are totally outdated and best avoided.
When choosing your waistcoat, remember that not much of it will be seen under your coat. However, you may want to remove your coat later in the evening (perhaps when you are showing off your moves on the dance floor). Some waistcoats are backless, in other words they are held in place at the back with straps rather than a full back piece. These stem from an era when it was considered bad manners for a chap to remove his coat during the course of the evening. However, nowadays these types of waistcoats are outdated and best avoided.
Top hat and gloves
Strictly speaking you are not properly dressed without these. Virtually no-
Shoes
Your shoes should be black, leather, lace up, and very well polished. If possible,
go for leather rather than rubber soles. Remember than if you are going to be kneeling
at the altar then the soles of your shoes will be visible to everyone -
You can buy high quality formal shoes from places such as Loake and Jones. For good budget options, try Barratts or Schuh.
When you polish your shoes, take care to make sure every last bit of polish residue
is removed. At some point on your wedding day you are likely to be dancing toe to
toe with your wife. Although you probably won’t see her dress before the big day,
there’s a good chance it will be expensive, long and immaculately white. Many a bride
ends up with black shoes polish marks round the rim of her dress -
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