What are you going to wear? Sometimes it’s good to look at a few suggestions then add your own tweaks and ideas. That’s what these are for. Summer might be the wheelhouse of wedding season, but plenty of couples roll the dice on potential rainstorms in order to avoid the blistering heat that a June – August wedding can bring. But that doesn’t mean you still can’t dress light and easy. If you feel more comfortable in a tie? Wear one. But if the groomsmen are in suits instead of tuxes, going tieless is often a good way to avoid looking like you’re attempting to hijack a spot in the wedding party. Top Photo Credit: J. Futrelle
The Suit: Spier & Mackay Ocean Blue Contemporary or Slim Fit Suit – $380ish. Working a new-blue, not navy suit into our style-scenario rotation. Half canvas, nice fabrics, great button stance and timeless lapels. Only issue is since they’re across the border in Canada, US customers may be on the hook for a decent sized return shipping bill if it doesn’t work out. But the quality is certainly there for the price. Another cheaper, fused option would be the new J.C.F. worsted wool Thompson fit in “Marine Blue”… but those are currently sold out.
The Shirt: Nordstrom Smartcare Trim Fit Solid Pinpoint Dress Shirt – $55.00. Crisp, bright white, and a good collar for going sans-tie. Ships and returns free since it’s Nordstrom. And don’t forget some alloy collar stays. Put a little bend in em’ and your collar should stay close to vertical all night.
The Pocket Square: J. Crew Tipped Italian Wool Pocket Square in “Prospect Green” – $20.99 w/ SHOPNOW. Spendy, even with the extra 30% off code, but it’s got a nice weight to it, and there’s just enough fabric there that when folded, it grips the interior of a suit jacket/blazer pocket and doesn’t slide down as much as other pocket squares. Can be shown in action at the top of the post here.
The Watch: Tissot Carson Chronograph – $477.00. Spendy, but as classy as a dress chrono gets. Case has a bit of an art deco influence. Want a cheaper option? Try the Skagen Holst on a brown band, or for the minimalists out there, the Daniel Wellington silver case/hands on a brown band works too.
The Socks: John W. Nordstrom Dot Socks – $18.50. Somewhere between solid and wacky. Well spaced dots on a blue base that goes fine enough with the trousers (remember, match your socks to your pants instead of matching your socks to your shoes).
The Shoes Florsheim Sabato Single Monk – $99.00. Great shape, a bit of a grain to the leather, and monk straps always help dress down a suit just enough, that when you leave the tie at home it looks like you did so on purpose, instead of simply looking like you forgot to put one on. (Which, really, who would ever forget to put a tie on if you were going to wear one?)
The Belt: Marino Genuine Leather Ratchet Dress Belt with Open Linxx – $24.99. Haters will in fact hate on ratchet belts, but the designs have gotten much, much better looking. No one is gonna notice it’s not a traditional belt, plus the fit is so much more exact, and therefor, much more comfortable. And wouldn’t you want to be as comfortable as possible when you run into your ex at the reception, and you then realize you look 52,000x better than whatever clod of a date they’ve brought with them? Revenge is a dish best served handsome. Smile. Be kind and interested. Twist the knife.
The Sunglasses: Ray Ban New Wayfarers – $81.20. Casual but not clunky/sporty. So, perfect for a spring wedding.
The Sweat/Snot wiper: Dockers 6-Pack of Hankies – $9.99. You don’t want to use that $21 pocket square to mop up a sweaty brow or blow your nose into. So, grab one or two of these basic handkerchiefs and stash them in an interior jacket pocket. Offer one to the weepy audience member next to you, and you’ll come off as a hero to all the gorgeous young attendees in your section. Twist the knife.