How To Dress a Groom

If a wedding were a big time Hollywood movie, the bride and groom would certainly play the lead roles. Like famous celebrities in box office hits, the leading man and lady shine and sparkle, standing out from all the rest. Generally speaking, most men spend considerably less time on their appearance than women, even if it's their wedding day, but a well-dressed lady deserves an appropriately attired man. For that reason,

the groom should wear an elegant and fashionable suit that shows off his personal style and makes a good impression on his wedding day. There are many types of suits, but the most common ones are:

The Classic Suit
Austere, three-piece classic dress suits (two-piece is also an option) in pale colors suit any shape or size man, especially in the summer. Vests look elegant in silver-gray tones, but variations are available. The most important part is choosing the right tones to match the suit.

The Tuxedo
A tuxedo is an elegant evening jacket. The coat usually has either a turndown or stand-up collar; lapels from the outside are trimmed with sateen or silk. Tuxedo pants have a silk braid coming down the outside stitch. Black is traditional for tuxedos, but a tailored gray, dark-blue, or even white tux can be appropriate.

The Tailcoat
A tailcoat is a jacket with pointed laps cut just below the waist in front and has knee-length "tails" in the back. Pants that go with a tailcoat should have no cuffs.

Shirts
A shirt can be tailored in different ways. The most important requirement: it should be one color, of white or other pale tones.

Shoes
Shoes should be a classic black.

Accessories
When deciding on the groom's accessories, every tiny detail should be accounted for. These details create the image of the groom. Accessories include: tie or bow tie, neckerchief or scarf, tiepins, clips, collar buttons, handkerchiefs, boutonniere and sash.

Tie
A classic tie is rather long, down to the waist. Its position should be checked on all the time, and its ends must be together - special tiepins may be used to keep the ends in place. Nowadays, a short tie is very popular. It is tied in a big knot and is usually attached to the shirt collar by tiepins. The ascot is a wide and easily draped kind of tie with a big knot. It goes with any collar but should be worn only in conjunction with a vest. Color and design depend on personal preferences.

Bow tie
Traditionally, almost all grooms choose bow ties. If you never had to tie a bow tie before, don't be scared. There are a lot of ready-made bow ties and putting it around your neck is easy enough. It can be either black or white in color at your liking.

Neckerchief or scarf
An elegant neckerchief or a scarf is one more alternative to a tie. Neckerchiefs have a romantic look. If you choose this route, make sure the neck of the vest is not too low. Higher neck lines will hold the scarf in place and prevent it from getting out of the vest.

Tiepins, clips, and collar buttons
An unusual clip or a beautiful tiepin with pearls worn with collar buttons will make a suit look elegant and accentuate the owner's particular fashion sense. Usually, the bride takes on the responsibility of buying these accessories for the groom.

Handkerchiefs
A matching handkerchief placed in the breast pocket will complete any suit or tuxedo.

Buttonhole
A buttonhole is a small flower or a nosegay that is worn on the left lapel. It is made from the same flowers and in the same colors as the bride's bouquet, showing the bride and groom to be a pair.

Sash
A sash is a wide belt worn with a tuxedo only. It may be of any color. If worn with a bow tie, they should be the same color.

A tailcoat or a tuxedo may be custom-made, rented, or bought in a shop. In any case, it should be acquired well in advance. The groom's attire should be requested at the tailor's at least two to three months before the wedding in order to prevent any anxiety or undesirable situations arising from a lack of time. Shopping for the groom's attire takes a lot of time. You will need to look through many catalogs in order to find a "suitable" suit. We recommend preparing a list of shops and boutiques that you would like to visit when looking for a suit, tuxedo or tailcoat, and accessories for them. The most popular and least expensive method is renting a tuxedo or tailcoat. No matter what you decide, your clothes should look perfect.