A guest article by Anthony Horner

She said yes. Congratulations! Now you’re tasked with planning your perfect wedding. Flowers to be ordered, venues booked, invitations written — weddings take a lot of preparation. With so many things to consider for the big day, shopping for your wedding suit can feel like a burden. Where to begin?

Your wedding suit is probably the most important outfit you will ever buy, so it’s essential to get it right. Think of your bride’s face when she first sees you on the day, or the many photos that will document the occasion. You want a wedding suit that is classic, timeless — something you can look back on with pride and fond memories. Yet, for many of us, the old wedding suit shopping ritual can become both stressful and expensive.

Colour, cut, design, rented or bought, tailored or made to measure; the list of choices goes on and it can be overwhelming.

Follow this guide to make shopping for your wedding suit as easy as possible.

Rent or Buy?

Weddings are expensive. Your budget is pulled in a thousand different directions and compromises have to be made. Many of us try to make small savings by renting our wedding suit instead of buying it. When you rent a suit for your wedding, you borrow it from a retailer and return it after the big day. It is often significantly cheaper than buying yourself a new suit. A few extra pounds in the pocket, so problem solved, right? Well, hold your horses. A rented suit is often false economy.

Not only do rented suits have a bad reputation for being poorly-fitted, slightly shiny and out of date, but they can also end up costing a lot more than anticipated. If your suit gets damaged, you’ll have to dole out cash for the repairs or replacement. Not so good.

Also, a rented suit lasts for one day. A well-fitted bought wedding suit can last a lifetime. Our parents’ wedding photos have made us believe that the wedding suit is a flamboyant, spectacular, never-to-be-worn-again item of clothing, but it doesn’t have to be like that. Choose a suit that you could wear again; something classic, simple and stylish. You might be hesitant to fork out for a one-day-only suit but one that lasts a lifetime? Well, that’s worth it. And hey, if you don’t wear it again, it’s a great memento of the day!

Get more for your money. Buy, don’t rent, a simple and classic suit that you can wear again.

Tailored suit or ready-to-wear?

A perfectly balanced lapel, a quarter and a half shirt cuff, one inch of break — modern tailoring can sometimes sound like a foreign language. It’s probably easier to go to your local high street and pick up a ready-to-wear suit from a chain, right? Not quite.

Ready-to-wear suits are made with general measurements in mind. They might be ready to wear, but do they really fit? A tailored suit is designed with your measurements in mind. You want that perfect silhouette or a suit to make you look taller, slimmer, or just capture your well-earned muscles? Then a tailored suit is the way to go. Look out for affordable online tailors that can give you a perfectly fitted suit for a reasonable price. Forget the nitty gritty of tailoring and think about comfort. Weddings can be long and you will celebrate long into the night. Don’t let a poorly fitted suit stop you from showing your moves on the dance floor.

Choose a tailored suit to get the perfect fit and optimal comfort on your wedding day.

Two-piece suit or three-piece suit?

Just a suit jacket and trousers, or do you want a matching waistcoat? There’s not too much to consider in the choice between a two-piece or three-piece suit. Traditionally, a two-piece suit is less formal and a three-piece suit is more formal. So, it depends on what kind of wedding you have.

The old saying ‘you can always add but you can’t take away’, is great advice when it comes to cooking, but really doesn’t apply to fashion. In fashion, layers are best. You can always take off that matching waistcoat for a more informal look, but you can’t add what you don’t have.

Buy a three-piece suit to give your wedding suit more versatility.

What fabric?

A suit is only as good as the fabric it’s made from. Poor-quality, cheap fabrics make for unattractive suits. Good-quality fabrics equal good suits. It really is as simple as that. So, what is a good fabric for a suit? Worsted wool is one of the most popular materials around as it’s good for most temperatures, wears well and is versatile.

If you’re looking for something more unique and special for your big day, why not try a tweed wedding suit? Tweed is a classic fabric steeped in tradition. With the likes of David Gandy and the Royals rocking tweed, you know that it’s a good look. Both worsted wool and tweed are breathable fabrics, so you’ll be able to dance the night away without worrying about pesky sweat stains and patches.

Take time to choose the right fabric for your suit. Worsted wool and tweed wedding suits are both classic, stylish choices.

You do you!

Ultimately, this is your big day. You know that most of the attention will be on the bride’s dress, but that doesn’t mean your wedding suit needs to take a back seat. Accessorise with your tie, cufflinks and shoes to really make the look yours. Your bride is marrying you, so peacock a little. This is the best chance you have to make some bold fashion choices.

Remember: shopping doesn’t have to be a pain. Set a clear budget, get a clear sense of what you want, and enjoy the process!

 

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Anthony Horner is the director of Empire Outlet: a luxury menswear company that provides high-quality suits and accessories for affordable prices that don’t break the bank. Empire Outlet operates online and serves customers around the world.