If you’ve clicked into this page, you are probably feeling lost from planning your wedding and have no idea where to start. You might be overwhelmed by the amount of information available online, bookmarking endless suit pictures on Pinterest and Instagram, but still unable to come to a decision.
You may be unsure on the different types of suits, whether to go for a more formal or casual look, how the suit will ultimately look on you, and the list goes on. Fret not, as we have created this guide to make planning for your wedding outfit a little easier!
By the end of this post, you will gain a better understanding on what suit to wear for your wedding. Before we get into the details of the types of suits available, let’s look at some of the points to consider before choosing a suit.
Points to consider
1. Venue
The venue of your wedding will determine the colour and fabric of your suit. Are you planning an indoor or outdoor wedding? Will it be held locally in Singapore, or overseas? Dark colours like black, gray or blue might be better for formal indoor weddings while lighter shades may be more suitable for outdoors. And if you have an outdoor wedding, you might want to choose a more breathable and lightweight fabric. These are some factors to consider to get the most appropriate look for your wedding suit.
Indoor/hotel wedding venue
If the set-up is going to be grand, we suggest matching the formality of your suit to the venue. One popular option will be tuxedos which are perfect for formal hotel or ballroom weddings. A classic tuxedo will never go out of style.
Other popular options will be a three-piece suit or a double-breasted suit in worsted wool for a smooth and luxurious finish. If you like a suit fabric that has a more refined and elegant character, we recommend fabric mills like Loro Piana, Zegna, Cerruti, Piacenza, Vitale Barberis Canonico, etc.
Outdoor wedding venue
If it is an outdoor/casual wedding, try an outfit that appears nonchalant yet effortlessly classy. You may choose to dress in a two-piece suit since the setting is a little more casual than the former. Your outfit can afford to be a little more light-hearted, hence you might want to consider lighter colours like sand, oatmeal, pastel blue, or even pastel pink. Refreshing colours such as burgundy, cinnamon brown, olive, forest green and camel may also complement the setting very well.
Breathability is also a quintessential consideration especially in warmer countries like Singapore. Some suggestions for breathable fabrics are wool silk linen blend, wool linen blend, hopsack, fresco, and high twist open weave fabric.
2. Bridal Gown
Your bride’s gown should complement your suit and match the level of formality on your big day so your styles sync in your wedding outfits. This will easily make you the centre of attention when you walk down the aisle.
Extravagant gown
(Example of an extravagant gown)
If the gown is extravagant such as a ball gown or a mermaid-style dress, the groom’s suit should be something dressy such as a tuxedo, three-piece or double-breasted suit. Wearing a tuxedo helps you look sophisticated and match the level of formality with your significant other. After all, you want to be the most charming and striking groom out there.
Modern gown
(Example of a modern gown)
Does your bride have a playful twist to her gown such as a daytime wedding dress or a slip dress? A dress as such may be worn for an informal affair, so you may have more room to style your suit in a less conventional way. One example would be wearing a contrast jacket and pants in lighter colours to fit the theme better.
3. Time
(An example of a light-coloured suit. The Ivory Wool Silk Suit. Fabric is by Loro Piana. Image from Common Suits.)
Will your wedding suit be worn in the day time, or in the evening? This affects the choice of colour of your suit. If your wedding is likely during the day, you can go with a lighter-coloured suit. So if you would like to go for a day tuxedo, try an ivory tuxedo jacket and a black tuxedo pants (just like what Daniel Craig wore in Spectre).
4. Groomsmen outfit
It is traditional for your groomsmen outfits to complement your wedding suit, but still stand out from the rest of the guests. The style of the groomsmen outfits should match both you and your partner. One easy tip would be to coordinate the colour of the accessories such as ties and bow ties.
Additionally, the bridesmaids should also be wearing outfits to match your bride’s wedding gown. We recommend they wear similar outfits in the same colour so they complement the bride and are easily distinguishable as bridesmaids.
5. Functionality
(An example of a wedding suit that can be repurposed for business wear - the Navy Suit. Image by Common Suits.)
One advantage of a groom’s suit as compared to a bridal gown, is that there can be a practical aspect of it - you can repurpose the wedding suit for business/casual wear. Most often than not, the cost of making a bespoke wedding suit is cheaper than your female counterpart’s rental gown. Although your wedding suit should be something unique and befitting for the wedding, you can also try to keep the style as timeless/versatile as possible so that the reusability is high, and you can clock more mileage out of the outfit. If you think you are going to repurpose the wedding suit heavily, you can consider purchasing an extra pair of pants so as to lessen the wear and tear of the pants.
By now, you would have been familiarised with the different points of consideration for your wedding suit. Now let’s look in detail at the types of wedding suits to choose from.
Three types of wedding suits
1. Double-breasted suit
(6 x 2 double-breasted suit in Steel Green. Image by Common Suits.)
(Another unconventional yet classic choice of colour – a brown double-breasted suit. Image by Common Suits.)
(6 x 1 double-breasted suit in wide Navy Pinstripes. Image by Common Suits.)
A double-breasted suit is a jacket with two columns of buttons and overlapping front laps. Typically, a double-breasted suit has one to three rows of buttons, of which only one or two of them are functional. Wearing a double-breasted suit is more suitable for formal events like a wedding or business events as it helps you to stand out amongst the crowd.
The double-breasted suit has a precise fit catered to your body, which gives a flattering silhouette. It allows your body to appear more streamlined as it sits close to your body comfortably. Armholes are cut higher to accentuate the waistline and elongate the torso. This presents a classy masculine outline while embracing modern minimalism.
If you’re concerned that a double breasted suit would feel heavier because of the extra fabric that comes with it, try a light weight pure wool, linen, or wool-silk-linen blend fabrics. Wool-silk-linen blends are super soft, lightweight, drapes well and naturally crease resistant. Additionally, it is suitable for summer due to its lightweight material, thus making it a great piece to wear in Singapore’s humid weather to your formal events.
2. Three-piece suit
(Three-piece suit with a 5-button vest with lapel. Image by Common Suits.)
(Three-piece suit in pinstripes. Image by Common Suits.)
(Three-piece suit in pinstripes. Image by Common Suits.)
A three-piece suit is a classic outfit that consists of a jacket, trousers and vest, which is the unique feature for this menswear ensemble. The vest helps to reveal less shirt hence it adds formality to the ensemble (the lesser shirt exposed, the more formal it is). The most popular colours in a three-piece ensemble are navy, charcoal, mid-grey and occasionally black.
The vest also comes in either single or double breasted, and with or without lapel.
(Featuring a charcoal grey three-piece ensemble with a double-breasted vest without a lapel. Image by Common Suits.)
A three-piece suit is ideal for formal settings. It can be worn during weddings and even for work (depending on your company’s culture and industry). Colours such as navy and charcoal are highly versatile and easy to match with most brides’ outfits.
3. Tuxedo
(Green Velvet Tuxedo. Image by Common Suits.)
(Black tuxedo. Image by Common Suits.)
A tuxedo is a classic black suit with a white dress shirt. What sets tuxedos apart from a regular suit is the contrasting face of the lapels. They usually come in different materials such as silk, satin or velvet. For a single-breasted tuxedo, it usually comes in a single button and a lowered button stance. Tuxedos are commonly worn with a white marcella shirt, either with studs or concealed placket and cufflinks (to match the studs, if any). Suitable shoes will be either black patent leather, venetian loafers, opera pumps shoes or slippers. Add a self-tie bow tie and finish off with a white pocket square.
Tuxedos are most ideal for black-tie occasions in the evening, such as formal weddings, dinner events, red carpet events or charity galas.
Tuxedos are usually made from 100% barathea wool or velvet fabric. Wool is a popular choice for suits and tuxedos due to its refined and versatile look. It is also breathable and can be worn during the day and night. On the other hand, velvet has a more luxurious finish that allows you to stand out from the crowd.
This wraps up the complete guide to a groom’s wedding outfit. Now, we hope you are better informed about the kind of suit you need for your wedding. If you’re looking for more ideas or tips, or perhaps if you are ready to get a wedding suit, book a consultation with us and we will be happy to guide you all the way to create your ideal bespoke wedding suit.
[Common Suits is a premium bespoke clothier that specialises in timeless and masculine silhouettes. Having an in-house production team of over 200 years of combined experience in Singapore gives us control over product quality. We strive to achieve a high level of artisanal craftsmanship here at Common Suits.]
