What is the perfect outfit for “The Day”?
If you are reading this, there’s a good chance your wedding is coming up soon so…..congratulations!
Some of us have already experienced it and others will….. but when she says YES, it is time to start planning everything for the big day.
There is no question that the wedding day is probably one of the most important days of your life, if not the most important. Because of that, you must choose your outfit carefully and plan it accordingly to your soon-to-be wife.
You cannot choose the wedding outfit a week or two before (like I’ve seen before) because that already shows your commitment to the event, so…. make sure you give yourself at least 2-3 months.
Options are many, but we’ll narrow it down to the most common and we’ll take a look at what to take into consideration when choosing the perfect wedding outfit.
Factors to be considered
One important thing to consider is where you will get married. Not only the location (whether it’s inside or outside) but also the type of environment & atmosphere that you will have at the event. This will set the tone for the party.
Second thing to consider is what time of the day will the wedding take place. The time of the day is very important because it will determine the level of formality and colors of the wedding. For example, after 4pm, you should wear something with a darker tonality of color.
Choosing the right fabrics is also just as important. If you know it will be hot, you must choose a lightweight cloth for your suit or else you’ll be sweating a lot, which will ruin not only the pictures but also your entertainment. For example, our Ermenegildo Zegna High Performance Cool Effect fabrics collection is perfect for hot/tropical weather.
Enough said, you will eventually decide how formal you want to go. The most formal option is white tie, but these days it is seen almost only in Royal events, State dinners or at the Oscars.
So black tie is obvious formal way-to-go for many, with the tuxedo being the n. 1 choice, especially here in the USA. Black is the traditional color, but in the last decade or so, other colors have been very popular too, such as blue, navy, red and even white.
The tuxedo shall be worn with a black bow tie (or in tone with the satin of the lapels), typically silk faced with shawl or peak lapels, you don’t want anything that’s rented (rentals are easy to spot and really shows how bad they are!). You want choose wool because that way, you sweat less and you look better and you feel more comfortable. It really shows in your wedding pictures.
A less formal option, but still very popular, is a regular suit.
This option is often seen as the most convenient because the suit can be re-used afterwards in a business setting, for a date or – why not – for someone else’s wedding. Depending on the wedding colors, I’d go for a dark navy or dark charcoal, but lighter colors are also very common. If the attire is formal, the suit must have a vest along with proper accessories (like a wedding tie, cuff-links, boutonniere, handkerchief, classy shoes, etc). If you don’t, you’ll be looking like you’re going to the office.
Avoid regular black suit as you won’t be able to use it as much as the other color choices.
In the end, you have to look for wedding outfit that can express your style while complementing your spouse’s….just like in life after all.
I’d like to close this piece by wishing “Auguri agli sposi!!” – as we say in Italy – to all the couples that are about to get married and that got this far with their reading!
Salute!
Massimo Mattetti
Master Clothier in Miami
Owner of MASSIMO ROMA