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Style Scenario: The warm outdoor wedding

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What are you going to wear?  Sometimes there’s an easy answer. Sometimes not. Sometimes it’s good to look at a few suggestions then add your own tweaks and ideas. That’s what these are for. Chances are you’ve got an outdoor wedding on your schedule coming up this summer.  Here’s one suggested combo for looking and staying as cool as possible, while those poor groomsmen boil to death in their rental tuxes at the alter.  Top Photo Credit: Joe Futrelle

First Warm Wedding Style Scenario by Dappered

The Blazer: Bar III half lined cotton blazer – $112.49 w/ FRIEND.  Bar III might be Macy’s most well-executed house brand.  Trim fits, modern style, and unlike INC, not usually over the top.  Looks like this blazer doesn’t have much of a lining either.  Slight peak lapels inject a little bit of dashing without going too wide or goofy.  The f&f code FRIEND is good for 25% off through 4/29.

The Shirt:  B.R. Slim Fit Linen/Cotton Button down in dark blue – $48.65 w/ BRSHOP30.  A light jacket over a dark yet breathable shirt flips the script on the usual navy blazer + white shirt + khaki trousers most dudes default to.  Sorta looks like that chambray shirt w/ a chino suit trend, but not quite there.  55% linen, a solid off the rack fit, and a deep blue that’ll visually anchor your look, preventing it from drifting into Colonel Sanders territory.

The Drink: Club soda with some lime.  Always smart to pace yourself, especially if it’s warm.  Good to have your wits about you when one of the bridesmaids stars making googly eyes in your direction.

The Pocket Square: TheTieBar “Pool Blue” Madras Cotton Pocket Square – $8.00.  Necessary?  Nah.  But good to have on hand somewhere.  Offer it to weeping Aunt Millie.

The Shoes: Mr. B’s for Aldo Illica Loafers – $175.00.  Loafers are huge this year, and a trim tassel loafer like this one is grown up without looking old.  The Mr. B’s line is a step up in quality (some have liked their stuff, some haven’t) and these have major potential to fill a dressed-up but not business-ready part of your wardrobe.

The Sunglasses: AO Original Pilot in Black w/ Bayonette Temples – $36.99.  Made in the USA, and the black frames keep the shine down to a minimum.  Link goes to the 55mm option.  Sold by a 3rd party on Amazon.

The Watch: Bulova Automatic – $225 w/ FRIEND.  One of the rare times Macy’s beats Amazon on the price of a watch. Gotta use the F&F code though.  A rectangular case like this has some Gatsby going for it, but the rest of the outfit is still 21st century.  Cheaper quartz option is here.  And of course, you could always go with a round Timex weekender.

The Card Case: Old Calgary Alpha Card Case in “carbon” – $35.00.  Another new addition to the Old Calgary line up. Looks incredible.  Made in the USA and ships free through Maxton Men.

The Pants:  J. Crew Factory Summer Weight Chino – $38.00.  Straight fit & lightweight.

The Belt: Gap Basic Leather Belt – $20.65  w/ GAP30.  A super shined up suit belt might look a little out of place here. A slightly wider, yet still respectable casual belt works plenty fine.

Comments

  1. Like the color palette, but must respectfully disagree on the dark blue shirt. In a summer wedding, or heck, any wedding with a lot of dancing, I will sweat, and a dark blue shirt is going to show that much more than lighter colors. If I were wearing this, I would have to impose a rule that says the blazer never comes off, which might defeat the purpose of a summer-weight outfit.

    EDIT: To try to be a little more constructive in my criticism, I might try a patterned shirt that mixes white and a bold color. Small patterns often do a great job of hiding tell-tale summer perspiration in humid climates (see, e.g., Washington, DC). Gingham is obviously the popular go-to, but I think a candy stripe or madras might also work.

  2. I think there are two types. Guys who take their jackets off, and guys that just don’t. I’m in the don’t camp. I’m not a major sweater, but I do sweat. I get out on the dance floor, but I also don’t work up a major lather while out there :)

  3. I disagree about it showing more. Ever see a light blue shirt with pit sweat? Dark blue. Dark blue shirt with dark blue sweat? No show.

  4. Anyone have any additional Macy’s codes? I remember someone having a stackable 15% for the last macy’s sale.

  5. Would have to agree with the no no on the darker shirt but more because I think the brighter color would feel more “summerish” and the contrast would go better. But that is my opinion

  7. I have those same sunglasses (but 57mm, polarized) from AO (AO-SG-FlGOrPilot-B-PHCAP-BNT-57 ) – wouldn’t recommend them. There’s some sort of film bubbling up on the eye-side of the lens, even though they’ve been well maintained.

  8. Great post, and very timely indeed. My lazy solution would be the Thompson Seersucker suit i just received for $180, but you suggestion of the dark blue linen shirt has given me something to think about. Definitely want to avoid Colonel Sanders territory, lol.

  9. Drats. That blazer doesn’t come in 36R. Anyone have another similar option? I think I might be mildly uncomfortable in a white blazer since I’ve never actually worn a blazer before.

  10. i don’t love the blazer and those pants…. looks like a very strange color pairing to me. looks like you are trying to pair separates that don’t quite match.
    just my 2 cents.

  13. I could rock that outfit. My sweaty pits will show regardless of color, so the dark blue shirt is par for the course. I really like the pocket square choice. Many of the indoor weddings I’ve attended recently were without air conditioning, I would love to be outdoors with even the slightest breeze (Chicago/ D.C.) than being indoors without A/C.

    You show a card case, but no socks selection?

  16. Nice looking loafers. I would think bucks would also be an option, though that would require a different card case, belt, and watch band. Which brings me to a question. What type of belt would one wear with tan suede bucks in a situation like this (not with this outfit in particular, but with a similar style of summer wedding outfit)? Is a lighter brown leather belt acceptable or should a suede belt be worn? How “matchy” does it need to get? Can’t imagine there are too many suede watch bands.

  17. I like these Style Scnario posts quite a bit, showing people ideas about how to dress to the occasion. I might go with a pink shirt to really play into that bright, Spring look.

    If you’re taking suggestions for future scenarios, you may consider:

    – the “Barbecue with the future in-laws”, which is a careful balancing act between casual for the grill but also mature and successful to show you’re ready for the next step,

    – the “Summer classes at university”, which, while combining the ultra-casual environment with the motivation to impress, also means possibly contending with significant heat,

    – the “Tropical business convention”, which offers alternatives to the loud Hawaiian shirt, baggy chino shorts, and fli-flops everyone else will be wearing,

    – the “Weekend landscape architect/contractor”, which means clothing that’s both practical for getting down into the dirt but that also keeps the eyes of the mister/misses glued to the front yard for several hours straight,

    – the “Driving to wine country for the weekend with the SO,” which means the wine tour, the bistro, the evening wear and the *evening wear*, all rolled up into one or two, and

    – the “Eye of the Tiger”, which means exercising not just for personal growth and health, but also because the gym can be a fun place to impress.

  18. I have a question about wedding attire. I will be going to a wedding this summer as a date of a bridesmaid. The couple being married are her friends, not mine. Since she will be all dressed up in her bridesmaid dress, should I dress to her level or more on the level of someone who is attending but not part of the wedding? My thought is this. For most of the night we will be together so I don’t want to look out of place standing next to her but I also don’t know if being the only guy in the audience with a suit on is all that great either. Advice?

  20. I’d go with a lightweight suit since it’s a summer wedding, or at least a jacket over some chinos. Don’t worry about what everyone else wears. Skip the tie if you don’t want to appear too formal.

  23. Agree with the pattern shirt touch. But if you stick to this guide, you would most likely have to change the madras pocket square to a solid color. Which very well could be dark blue…

  24. The only guy in a suit? Really? That’d surprise me. but I would also dress for standing next to your date and screw the rest of the room. You want to her to be happy and when you take that couple picture you want to look good together, even if there’s a guy wearing khakis with his New Balances and a short-sleeve Drew Carey button-up shirt in the background.

  25. Don’t love the color of the pants. Too similar to the blazer for me. Tricky, considering the darker shirt limits the pant options.

  27. Find out what the groom is wearing. Dial yourself back at least one stop from that. Good to go.

  30. IMO, don’t worry about a suede belt/watchband. I try (sometimes too hard) to get all matchy-matchy color-wise with my shoes/belt/watchband, but if I don’t have a good match I have gone with a color that is on the shoes, but might not be the main uppers color. What I mean is say a pair of tan bucks has a dark brown sole edging or trim or something. The dark brown belt can still tie into that without having to match the shoes themselves. Dig?

  31. I think you’re right, LolaB, but I’m not sure if I’d feel right going sockless at a wedding. Maybe. Dunno. It’d have to be a pretty relaxed affair, I think.

  32. To a summer wedding outside? I don’t think it’s bad at all. It’s not a traditional look but I wouldn’t call it tacky.

  33. It’s definitely not for everyone. I go sockless often and sometimes it’s a gamble but an outdoor wedding should be a relaxed affair, in my opinion.

  35. Not necessarily I think this can go either way. You can wear socks, or you can go without socks. I usually leave socks/underwear up to you guys :)

  37. I haven’t seen that seersucker in person yet. Is it as breezy as I’m hoping? Love the pique cotton and corded cotton option, but seersucker is another level of flexibility.

  42. I dig…that was kind of how I was leaning with it and wanted to get the opinion of others. Thanks for the input. Really don’t want to have to shell out for a suede belt when I have perfectly good leather options and I feel like any sort of fabric belt would be too informal for a wedding.

  43. I mean, yeah, I totally agree with you conceptually… Just something about that particular shade of chino looks weird to me — too much of a strange grey. Reminds me of my old third grade pottery clay that’d been left to dry (this could be a deeper issue!).

    Probably just the jcrew site, though, they’re not giving a lot to go on with those pants with just one thumbnail.

  44. Tacky may be a strong word, but weddings are one of the few formal events left, far more formal than the likes of business affairs. Socks are typically a must even on casual friday. Regardless of the location, the ceremony itself still retains a certain gravitas. Of course, it could totally be a East Coast/West coast cultural difference. The no socks, is a no go in New England.

  45. No socks with that outfit at a summer outside wedding is fine, as long as you swap the club soda for something harder.

  46. I think it’s the collage vs outfit problem. Under the same lighting on a person it’d look fine as a whole, but examining the individual parts of the outfit makes people skittish about combinations.

  48. Good point about the pocket square! I really did like the color palette Joe put together, so I’m all for preserving the dark blue tone via pocket square.

  51. That’s good in theory, but if a guy can’t dress well for his own wedding, then why should you be made to dress down a few notches from him? It’s an important day and he should make the effort to actually reflect that.

  52. My good man, if the gentleman in question cannot be bothered to dress well for his own wedding, I find it highly unlikely that he would enjoy the association of any of my fellow Dappered readers. Good day, sir!

  53. Ha! Love it. I’ve gone to many a wedding as the relative of someone taking the plunge, and my basic rule is that I’m not going to dress down in an attempt to make someone else feel better. The flip side of that is that I’m not going to make a deliberate attempt to outdress someone else, but wearing a well-fitting suit and a nice pair of shoes should never be held against a man.

  54. I think people might have a better idea of this combo if they saw someone actually wearing it. Sometimes it’s hard to tell by just looking at two separate things.

  55. I picked up the principle from a friend who is an officer in the Navy. We were both attending another friend’s wedding and I asked him why he skipped his dress whites. We’re all proud of him and would have been happy to see him in full gear, but he said another officer had warned him off with the admonishment that the whites tend to draw attention and on that particular day focus should be on the couple in question. I thought it a good general rule to apply for myself, though as a civilian I rarely run the risk of too much gilt (though not too much guilt).

  56. Well, it’s only my opinion – some may differ – but I *try* to match as close as possible, both material and color. If it can be done, I think it looks better, but there are many times where close enough prevails. Good luck!

  57. Yep. I originally had a couple personal Summer wedding experiences (last Summer) in mind, when I read this post. Those two were very hot (one in particular was nearly unbearable), outdoor ceremonies, with indoor receptions. The receptions were certainly more dressy-dress feeling, whereas the ceremonies had a much more casual vibe. Thing is the receptions were immediately after the ceremonies. Ugh. For the extremely hot one, I kept my tie in the car for the outdoor part, and even folded my jacket over my arm/lap until we went inside in the AC’d ballroom.

    In summary (ugh – sorry for all of that babbling), if it’s truly an outdoor affair, not a weird hybrid as I described, then for sure “off with those socks!”