Guest Author: Darren Wilson
Fashion has a few guidelines, and breaking them will make you a fashion faux pas. In the most significant event of your life, a wedding, for instance, it’s good to know the dos and don’ts in wearing an ensemble.
You do not need to look like a model or spend a fortune on one, you only need to follow some rules. Groomsmen can create a fashionable statement through poise and etiquette behind wearing wedding suits.
Accessorising with belts and suspenders
Everyone knows suspenders hold the trousers up, and so do belts. Why will the groom need a belt or suspender in this big event of his life when everything is pitch-perfect? Preparing for the wedding day takes months as you need to organise the entourage, ceremony, and reception.
In regards to the outfit, the groom may opt to wear a belt to suit his taste or complete a look he’s aiming for. In case he needs to wear one, be it leather or synthetic, make sure it matches his dress shoes. You do not wear a brown belt for black shoes or vice versa, and no coloured belts or dress shoes. Nothing beats black on formal occasions.
Wearing the right socks
Socks are an undergarment and are not supposed to be visible. But some leg movements make them seen. For the groom, it’s customary to wear black socks to match the usual tux colour. Avoid white socks with dress pants. Going sockless is inappropriate in a formal occasion, particularly your own wedding.
Collars in formal wear
Avoid popping the collar on your shirt. The points should be downward, and let the whole collar stay with its usual even fold. Leave the collar untouched. It should be the way it is.
Buttoning wedding suits
Buttons can be tricky because the rules vary for different garments. Know the basics for all the options. In the case of wearing jackets, they do not really button them all unless if the style is double-breasted. They only button the topmost part if it is a two-button jacket, while the three-button jacket buttons in the middle.
You may once in a while see models and dressers who attempt to button the lowest part, sometimes getting the jacket folded into a long lapel. You might look weird in your wedding suit, so it’s safe to follow the rules and just keep your jacket buttoned. Leave the experimentation to the models if they can set such a trend.
Traditionally, for vests, leave the last button undone. The origin rooted out of the British Victorian tradition when King Edward VII started unbuttoning the lowest part of his vest open. He intentionally did it for comfort and not to influence. The aristocracy adopted the trend, and the tradition stays even until these days. Not doing it makes a gentleman look ignorant. If you’re a sharp dresser and want to wear a waistcoat, you ought to know enough that the custom stays; do not button the last one.
Button your shirt at all points – that will include the collar in the case of button-downs, the cuffs, and the gauntlet or placket button (small buttons midway up the forearm). Do not roll those long sleeves up as your outfit will appear very informal.
Glossing over the basic faux pas in wedding fashion is easy if you familiarise the rules ahead of the big event. Consult the authority and bear in mind simplicity counts when formality is called for. Simplicity counts when formality is called for.
