The Ultimate Guide to Dressing for Summer Weddings
As the 2024 matrimonial season kicks in, here's a 12-step guide to looking your best whatever the dress code
Everyone loves a good wedding. An opportunity to catch up with friends and family over rounds of free fizz, love is the theme and getting dressed is all part of the fun. But what to actually wear? It’s an age-old question which has plagued men – one assumes – since marriage ceremonies first started taking place in ancient Mesopotamia. Blue toga or green toga? It’s like Shibtu’s choice.
Here, to help you decide what to wear this matrimonial season – and, just as importantly, how to wear it – are my foolproof wedding dressing dos and don’ts.
1 | Do follow the dress code
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the main reason the bride and groom will be so hot on ensuring their dress code is adhered to is because they’ll want their guests (aka, you) to look as bloody gorgeous in the wedding pictures as they do.
Play along - they’re paying for your dinner (and your 17 flutes of warm prosecco) after all.
2 | Don’t even think about sportswear
Oscar Wilde once said, “You can never be overdressed or overeducated.” The former portion of the adage applies ten-fold to weddings.
Thus, unless you’re attending a The Royle Family-themed wedding or the dress code specifically dictates that you should wear sportswear, you must avoid anything made from synthetic materials with the same fervour that Dorian Gray avoided ageing.
That means no sneakers (not even clean white tennis shoes), no polo shirts, no sweatshirts and absolutely no tracksuit bottoms – even the smart kind cut from tailored fabric won’t cut the wedding cake. If they’re elasticated anywhere, they’re not coming in.
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If you’re really in the market for comfort, pick one of Paul Smith’s Suits To Travel In, which blend all the easy-wearing flexibility of a tracksuit with the taut tailoring of a Savile Row two-piece. Try brown or teal for an unexpected, flattering alternative to navy blue.
3 | Do make an effort (and do wear a tie)
Just because you’ve followed the dress code doesn’t mean that you should then scrimp on the details. If you’re wearing a suit, make it something that fits you properly and has seen the business end of a tailor’s chalk. If you’re wearing smart separates, in line with a more relaxed dress code, ensure that the colours of your jacket and trousers complement one another.
A wedding is one of the few opportunities you’ll have to dress in proper occasion wear, so grab it by the lapels and go for your life in clothes which you feel excited about wearing.
Speaking of which: ties might be back, but for formal occasions, they never really went away.
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At wedding season, this is not a sartorial bat-signal you should ignore. So powerful is the current pull of the tie that you should consider wearing one whatever the dress code dictates. Look to Turnbull & Asser or Charvet for smarter weddings and Dries Van Noten or Bottega Veneta for more fashionably casual events.
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4 | Don’t wear white (duh)
It should go without saying that as a guest you should avoid wearing any shade relating to white (this includes bone, cream, buff etc). It’s probably best to swerve faux fur, even at a winter wedding. And you should never wear a tux unless the dress code reads black tie.
By the same token, avoid anything too embellished, too decorative or too loud. Oh, and pulling a Liberace-cum-Liza Minelli by turning up in sequins and/or an oversized wedding gown probably isn’t going to make you many friends at the wedding breakfast, either.
5 | Do pay attention to fit
Just as no one wants Liberace turning up to their wedding, the bride or groom won’t want to witness a flannel-clad sausage gurning at them as they walk down the aisle, either. If in doubt, go a size up, whatever you’re wearing. Suit trousers, in particular, are a repeat offender – they should glide over your thighs, not mummify them. Even when you sit down. Especially when you sit down.
For roomy tailoring with a contemporary feel that won’t leave you feeling like a hot dog, head to Barena or The Frankie Shop, who are great for something at the more affordable end of the scale – always preferable if you’re not all that close to the bride(s) and groom(s).
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Pay attention to your jacket, too. For the most flattering effect, it should follow a longer line, nipping at the waist and finishing well below the seat. Unless you are wearing something deliberately cropped (eg, Thom Browne), you should avoid ultra-short suit jackets like the plague.
LA-based brand Fear of God is a great place to head for contemporary tailoring with a lengthier cut. For something more traditional, you could do worse than head to Tom Ford or The Row.
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6 | Don’t forget the dress rehearsal
If you’re involved in the dress rehearsal, then you’re an important element of the main event. It’s key, therefore, to make an effort and show your hosts that you’ll live up to expectation on the big day.
That doesn’t mean that you need to wear a suit, as such, but some clean tailored separates and a pair of nice shoes will signify the fact that you’re taking things as seriously as the bride(s) and groom(s) undoubtedly are.
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Flat-front trousers with loafers and a cashmere crew neck will set the right tone: relaxed, but considered enough to show that you care. Scandi brand mfpen would serve you well here.
7 | Do consider the location
If the wedding you’ve been invited to is taking place on the beach, plan accordingly – footwear, in particular, can be challenging to navigate. Sandals might feel too casual, but you’ll look much less out of place than you would shaking sand out of your leather brogues.
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Look for a suitably elevated pair, in leather – Manolo Blahnik, Berluti, or The Row offer styles that are compatible with a suit. Flip flops and slides, not matter the designer, are not acceptable.
A linen suit from masters of summer sprezzatura Richard James, Canali or Zegna will look presentable and prevent you from overheating. Don’t feel obligated to wear a tie – but don’t feel obligated not to.
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If your friends or family members are getting married in the autumn or winter, you need to pack appropriate footwear. A pair of Goodyear-welted Derby shoes from Bottega Veneta or Grenson will look great and last forever.
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Wear these alongside a suit in a tweed or heavy wool flannel from The Row and maybe even a fine gauge rollneck sweater from Loro Piana, providing the dress code dictates “lounge suit” or “smart casual”. You can afford to go moodier with your colours in the colder months than you might in the summer.
8 | Do experiment with colour and fabric
Weddings are a wonderful opportunity to play around with fabrics, colours and cuts you’d never usually go for in your quotidian tailoring looks – from bright linen Richard James numbers to Oliver Spencer worker seersuckers.
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What you absolutely must not do, when you turn up on the big day, is wear a saggy, baggy old workaday two piece which would look better on the rail in Oxfam than it would on your back at a wedding.
9 | Do think carefully about your accessories
I’ve quoted Coco Chanel before, but when the most stylish woman in the world tells you to look in the mirror and take off one item whenever you leave the House, you should probably listen. This is as applicable to wedding outfits as it is to every other eventuality.
Ties are essential and shouldn’t be treated as a secondary element of your look (ergo, invest in something nice from Turnbull & Asser, as above), whilst pocket squares are just about acceptable if you don’t make it too flouncy and stick to something which actually compliments your suit.
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When it comes to watches, it’s always best to go for a dress watch at a wedding - no matter how informal the dress code might read, a smart dress watch will add a sense of occasion to any look. A Cartier Tank is the best (vintage or otherwise), closely followed by a Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso. At the more affordable end you could look for a nice vintage Omega DeVille with a champagne dial, or failing that Longines does a quality-yet-affordable take on a Tank shape.
Elsewhere tie bars and cufflinks will add a bit of flair. Avoid novelty socks or waistcoats (anything novelty, in fact), and experiment with jewellery - a nice bracelet to match your watch or a signet ring could work.
10 | Don’t forget the shoes – and do polish them
When it comes to weddings, it’s important to treat your shoes with as much ceremony as the rest of your outfit. Not least because your older self, flicking through past wedding photos on his phone, will thank you for it when he looks down at your feet.
So, find pleasure in picking the perfect pair of patent Tom Ford slippers to team with your tux, and relish the process of buying a superlative pair of chestnut-brown Oxfords from Tricker’s or John Lobb to wear with your double-breasted suit and enforced carnation corsage (eek!).
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There is absolutely no excuse for not polishing your shoes. Invest in a comprehensive shoe-shine kit (such as those from Lorenzi Milano) and keep it by the front door and remind yourself to give the uppers a quick buff whenever you head out.
This is particularly important in advance of weddings, as you’ll be standing for at least a few hours at the reception, meaning your feet will be more on show than they usually are.
11 | Do plan your haircut carefully
A pre-wedding haircut is essential, but timing is everything. Get the chop too close to the big day and you run the risk of looking like a Ken doll – all freshly shaved edges and thick swathes of keratin meeting flesh – have it cut too much of a distance before and it’ll look shaggy and unkempt.
I’ve done it before, but I’m going to give my barber Joe Mills a shout out here. I go to him once a month, he knows my hair, his cuts never miss and he’s a friend. Pay a visit to Woolf, his place in Kings Cross, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.
The optimum moment to get your hair cut, in my experience, is one week prior, as this will give the ’do sufficient time to bed in, without looking scruffy around the edges. Remember to wash it using high-quality shampoo from Aesop or Le Labo. Greasy hair does not an elegant wedding look make.
12 | Don’t do your fake tan at home
Although it might be tempting to give your face a lift with some self-applied fake tan the day before the wedding, chances are you’ll end up looking like Mr Hugh Grant in Wonka. If you do want a glow, a professional spray-tan is a far safer bet. Just be clear with your technician about the level of colour you’re aiming for. We’ve all seen that episode of Friends.
Word to the wise: get your tan at least one day before in order to achieve optimum bronzed-ness. Head to James Harknett for the best.
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