With This Ring: August 05, 2016

26 With This Ring
YOURSELF
Depending on the style of the wedding you may need
to buy or hire a suit for yourself and/or your groomsmen.
Whether your preference is formal, traditional,
contemporary, casual, funky or dapper, your “look” is
expected to complement the style the bride has chosen
for herself and her attendants.
An ill fitting suit looks dreadful on the day and completely spoils the
overall look in the photos. So don’t guess your size or that of your
groomsmen and make sure the menswear store or the suit hire company
measure waist, inside leg length, neck size, chest size and arm length.
Make sure you have allowed sufficient time before the wedding for any
alterations to be made.
CLASSIC
For traditionalists, a morning suit is the most formal style for day time
weddings, a dinner suit is right for a formal evening reception although
a lounge suit is usually considered formal enough for most New Zealand
weddings, especially if they include a waistcoat or vest. A suit jacket
should fit smoothly without constricting movement of arms or shoulders
and shirt collars should fasten comfortably at the neck. Waistcoats
should button easily just below the waistband of the trousers and the
hem of the trousers should rest on the instep, allowing 2/3 of the shoe
to show. Make sure socks are the same colour as the suit and shoes are
clean and polished.
CONTEMPORARY
Grooms who prefer contemporary
style will find an appealing selection
of suit styles and designs; single
and double breasted jackets, fitted
and double vented jackets and the
comeback of blazers, tail coats and
satin lapelled dinner jackets. Checks,
(Prince of Wales and Houndstooth),
flecks (Harris, Donegal and Lewis
tweeds and stripes (pinstripe, chalk
strip and Oxford) are “in” again and so
are patterns and prints on shirts, vests
and ties whether a bow or a knot!
SUMMER SAVVY
More casual attire is often accepted for summer weddings and sartorial
savvy can be achieved in several ways. Selecting a suit in a light colour such
as grey, taupe or natural can look casual yet distinguished. Perhaps forget
the jacket and simply wear a waistcoat over a crisp cotton shirt. Sometimes
a light weight fabric is preferred but be careful about linen which tends to
crease and look untidy in photos. Other options include shirts designed to
be worn out rather than tucked in, large collars with no tie or even bold
Hawaiian style shirts for a truly tropical or on-the beach wedding.