Groom's Attire Sets the Theme For Weddings
Mike Young
It’s the selection of the groom’s attire that continues to set the theme for Long Island weddings – either traditional or contemporary. But the definitions of these two themes can vary and sometimes overlap.
Today, while more couples choose less formal, contemporary themes, the more formal dress still prevails in the evening.
“Popular wedding attire is becoming more contemporary, “ said Arlen Cohn, owner of King Tux at the Bridal Plaza in Denver, Colo. “Fancy vests and other accessories are being designed to respond to this trend.
Cohn said that the morning wedding color traditionally was charcoal gray. “There’s one other type of outfit that is still popular to a degree, and that’s the daytime formal, which is the cutaway,” said Lou London, Vice President of marketing with Smalls Formalwear, a well-known chain of 75 stores from Massachusetts to Virginia. “But we find that many people today are switching over to the tuxedo look for daytime.”
London said that if one has an afternoon ceremony and an evening reception, it’s best to select the black cutaway and solid black trousers. Many formal wear experts agreed.
“There’s still a difference between daytime and evening weddings, even though a lot of people don’t go by the old rules,” said Darryl Oglesby, respected formal wear specialist with Nathan’s Men’s Store in Lakeland, Fla. “Evening attire would call for tail coats and white ties for all, or, for a little less formality, maybe the groom in a tail coat and his groomsmen in regular tuxes.”
The traditional, formal wedding still has many strongholds, including Long Island and our nation’s capital.
“The Washington D.C. area is very conservative in its approach to wedding attire and tradition,” said Fred Hurd, manager at nationally renowned Hannelore’s of Old Towne in Alexandria, Va. “I visit many other bridal boutiques and they tell me how well they are doing with the colored vests and cummerbunds. I probably do one out of 20 that is other than black or white.”
John Cusmano, formal wear consultant at Cusmano Tuxedo Retail & Sales in Grosse Pointe, Mich., sees little impact of different seasons on formal wear. “Basic styles of today call for black tuxedos almost 12 months a year,” Cusmano said. “We are talking about the basic tuxedo – one, two, three or four buttons and single-breasted.”
Trousers are either single, double or triple pleated, with a straight-leg bottom with a little bit of fullness in the seat, leg and thigh areas.
There are ways that the groom can distinguish himself from the rest of his party.
“The rule is, either wear a white vest or cummerbund and tie,” Cusmano said. “And the rest of the party would wear coordinating colors with the bridesmaids and maid of honor. And the fathers of the bride and groom would usually wear the traditional black accessories.”
Cohn said it’s common for the groom to set himself apart by selecting a tailed coat. “But what I usually suggest is for the groom to have a black vest, while the other men in his party wear color coordinated vests that complement the bridesmaids’ gowns,” he said.
Before a type of shirt or suit is decided upon, consider the body builds of the groom and his groomsmen, Cusmano said. Others agreed.
“We recommend darker colors for gentlemen with large frames,” Oglesby said. “You have to be careful with double breasted for a whole wedding party. Double breasted does not look good on a guy with, say, a 48-inch chest and a 30-inch waist, or vice-versa.”
Accessories for the suit are as important as the selection of the suit itself. “Vests are what’s in right now,” Oglesby said. “It’s what everyone is looking for, and they can be black, silver, black and silver, or black and white.”
London said that vests come in an assortment of patterns as well as colors, and that hardly any demand for cummerbunds exists in his market.
“The full-backed vests are definitely in demand now, because many gentlemen remove their jackets at the reception,” London said. “This finishes off the outfit, and you don’t have to worry about your shirt hanging out the back. This gives you a whole new look when you shed your jacket.”
A variety of shirts are in style, these well-known experts said.
One is the traditional wing collar shirt, which was always worn with a bow tie. London said that a variation of that is the wing collar with a Euro tie, very similar to the four-in-hand tie worn with a business suit, but it is much shorter than the four-in-hand. The Euro has a band, which is simply clipped around the wing collar. This tie then tucks into the high-button vest that shows when the coat is buttoned.
Consultations with a formal wear professional can’t happen too soon. The bride, especially, should begin early.
“They can’t set it too far in advance,” Cohen said. “I would recommend three to six months ahead of the wedding, with all the final measurements to be taken care of three to four weeks in advance and then a final fitting a few days before the wedding.”
After all, mistakes can be made and people’s weight can change.
“With the last-minute customers, there is less opportunity for final alterations,” Oglesby said.
While your groom deserves the best, let’s face it. He needs your input. Don’t just send him to the formal wear consultation. Rather, accompany him. Invest the same time and thought into his and his groomsmen’s wardrobe that you invest in yours.