Best Man Suits

Picking Best Man Suits tends to a lot easier than it is for the groom who has all kinds of decisions to make about hiring or buying; selecting morning suits or regular suits; or going for the humble tie over the more traditional cravat. The good news is that best man is largely exonerated from  these tricky fashion conundrums which means there is one less thing for you to worry about. Your main job with regard to the wedding suit is to follow, rather than lead. For the rest of the look, from the shirt to the socks, see our best man outfit guide.

Statistically over half of wedding parties will hire suits so there’s a decent chance you’ll find yourself in one come the big day. If this is the case, in your situation it’s a relatively painless exercise but can mean a bit of running around just to forewarn you. You’ll need to get measured, get hold of the goods, look after it during the day and ensure it’s returned in good nick, along with the rest of the wedding party, the following day. Not a great deal of responsibility but some.

Consistency

So, all’s relatively straight forward if the groom’s organising the wedding suit and taking all the tough decisions on styling (well, his missus us will in actual fact but that’s a separate issue!) but what happens if he’s not?! In this instance you have a little bit more work to do. The last thing the bride will want to see is a clash of colours on her wedding pictures because the lads are in suits and ties from all the colours of the rainbow –  it’s not a good look. The other thing you do not want to do is upstage the groom in any way. This is his wedding and for one day only should be the main man!

What to do then? If the groom has opted not to hire morning suits it’s your job to work with him to ensure that you and the rest of the wedding party are coordinated. This doesn’t mean you have to turn in to Gok Wan and style the group, rather it means doing simple things to ensure consistency. In practice this means the colour of the suit, shirt, shoes and belt should mirror the groom. The tie might differ in terms of colour, so the main man differentiates himself, but it should be similar in design and style to demonstrate a consistent style.

With this in mind, find out as early as possible what the groom intends to do with regard to formalwear so you have the time and budget to follow, er suit! Below we’ve picked a few out that are affordable and suitably understated for the wedding.

Wedding suit ideas by season

If the groom hasn’t settled on a look and wants a few ideas, let the time of year do the work.

Autumn

Rustic and vintage weddings are all the rage, with jam jars replacing wine glasses and hay bales acting as church pews, and a tweed tuxedo fits the theme perfectly. It’s more than a country twist on black tie: it brings a proper autumnal feel to the day and is guaranteed to draw a few compliments. Match it with black shoes, and stick to the tuxedo rule of pairing the bow tie fabric with your lapels.

Winter

Bring a bit of festive spirit to the traditional wedding suit with a grey morning coat and trousers, a warm red cravat and a waistcoat. Finished off with black shoes, belt and buttons, the colours of the accessories are perfectly framed by the grey. Add a matching pocket square to complete the look.

Spring

The classic wedding colour scheme with a subtle twist. Wear a full-length black morning coat, preferably slim cut, with a white shirt and a silver paisley waistcoat. Match your pocket square to the waistcoat to break up the contrast between the black jacket and white shirt. Pair it all with striped trousers and black patent shoes, and the paisley waistcoat and cravat are what people’s eyes are drawn to first.

Summer

A blue suit has become the go-to for summer smart wear. Add a gold skinny tie and pocket square for extra summer vibes. It also doubles up as a suit you can bash out for office meetings (or job interviews) long after the wedding.

Whatever the season, the rule above still stands: follow the groom, and don’t upstage him.