what to wear: a summer wedding | for men

Summer is upon us and that means weddings. Lots of emm. Katherine brought you her take in her wedding segment and now it’s time for the gents. If you’re attending as a part of the wedding party, your life is easy. Your clothes are picked out for you and all you have to do is show up (watch out for speeches though). If you’re a guest however, you have more options on what to wear and this can get tricky.

You secretly want to out-do the groom but not go too over the top. Opt for subtly over garishness — after all, you do want people to say “oh wow check out what he’s wearing” instead of “oh wow, he wore THAT?!”

I don’t want you to be ‘that’ guy, so onto the #styleguide.

1. The suit
Ditch the black or dark navy suit. Choose a light summer offering like khaki, a light grey or blue suit. Something you can’t ignore though is fabric (because you’ll be hot enough as it is breaking it down on the dance floor). So go for something in a light cotton, linen, or seersucker. If these options aren’t available to you, then no worries as a well-fitted suit is arguably all you need. Our good friends at Southern Gentleman have a wonderful piece on what to look for when getting your suit tailored.

2. The shirt
If you’re more the traditional type or are shopping on a budget, this is where you can get creative. Swap the usual white button down for a light-colored offering or even a darker chambray, which would pair nicely with a khaki suit. Patterns such as gingham are great too.

3. The details
This is one of those occasions where you should go all out and show your sartorial sense. Besides the tie, we’re talking tie bars, lapel pins, cuff links, watches — all of it. Now to make it all work together, start with an interesting tie. Small dots or simple patterns are cool, but no ‘banker’ ties. As for accessories, pick a focal point and build around that. So if you’re going to wear a silver watch, pick a silver tie bar and belt with a silver trim. Oh and don’t forget about the pocket square, which should complement your look but not overly match your tie.

4. The shoes
This ain’t the time to dust off your trusty ol’ black wingtips. Try staying away from something too office-esque, and go for a neutral Oxford in either buckskin or suede. Cool socks are must and there no rules here — go wild.

Wrap-up

There you have it, my guide on how to suit up for a summer wedding. However, as it is only a guide, it’s not always meant to be followed. Case in point: I wasn’t wearing a matching top and bottom so don’t be afraid to mix it up. Want to go sockless and rock some loafers? Go for it. Whatever you’re wearing, make sure it fits well and don’t forget about the details. All of this adds up to being the best dressed guy in the room (after the groom of course, right?)

I’m interested to hear what you’d wear to a summer wedding. Agree or disagree with anything above? Let me know.

What he’s wearing  Le Chateau blazer | Boulevard Club chambray shirt | Banana Republic khakis | Le Chateau knit tie | ALDO shoes | Happy Socks | DIY lapel pin | Vintage sunglasses

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