2011 December

So you have the dresses….. Now what?

After an amazing experience buying a bridal gown and having a blast shopping with the maids, many brides get stumped when it comes to what the guys are wearing or have an idea but no clue when/how/where to turn to for quality menswear.

Buying Suits V. Renting a Tux
First of all these are only two of the MYRIAD of choices that the modern bride is presented with. There are rental suits and purchasable tuxedos. There are partial rentals (think just the pant, shirt, and tie) available most of the year. You can always try to wrangle the guys to buy the same exact items from a retail store in the mall. See the break down below:

Rent v. Purchase
For 90% of the population, renting is vastly more convenient and affordable than even the steepest “buy one/get one” discount can offer. The average rental package in the United States is around $150 (including shoes and upgrades) and that includes ALTERATIONS, even last minute ones. This askmen.com article lists it’s ‘economical suit’ at $737, without alterations and let’s face it…. people just don’t fit into finite sizes very often without a slight tweak here and there. Tuxedos and Suits are also much more fitted and have much less stretch than ready to wear clothing than the typical American Male is used to. (The Wedding Tree does offer retired rentals at a much lower purchase price, but that is another topic entirely.)

Trust me, everyone needs (or should have) alterations to look their best. For that matter, do your guys really want to own the same exact suit? My brother and 5 of his friends bought a suit for his friends wedding and none of them has ever worn it since. They’re all too afraid that the other ones will wear it too. Turns out, sometimes guys are just as conscious of their looks as we are, they just don’t want it broadcast to the world!

Coat and Tie v. Pants and Shirt
The difference here ladies, is formality. If the shindig’s guest list is topping out at 300+, you’re wearing a princess ball gown and the girls are in formal floor length bridesmaid dresses, you should seriously think about going with a full tuxedo to avoid making the guys appear sloppy in comparison to the girls finery.

Somehow short and flirty barefoot maids look perfectly comfortable next to a simple shirt and tie.

Long dresses in a ballroom beg for the James Bond cool of a beautifully cut basic black tux!

Charcoal grey looks simply stunning at both relaxed vintage inspired fetes and upscale, posh affairs.

Brown has made a serious splash for fall/outdoorsy weddings and it surprisingly looks beautiful paired with many gorgeous colors.

I love the soft informality of the vest and tie paired with mix and match dresses. A bride could have her girls order at the same time from the same company to assure the correct color match but allow her girls the freedom to choose any dress that made them feel comfortable and pretty!

Above all, I recommend choosing the source of your menswear with care. A good supplier will help to fulfill your vision while making everything as painless as possible for your guys. This includes providing last minute alterations to provide as close to a perfect fit as possible. Why are last minute alterations ideal? For a variety of reasons 1) There is no exact size 40R any more. Many of the more slim fitting coats have smaller arm holes and a more narrow clearance through the middle, some older styles are much longer through the torso. This means that the same gentleman can be a 40R in one coat, a 39S in another and a 42R in another coat. 2) The fit is dependent upon accurate measurements. Certain areas/stores are notorious for providing poor measurements to anyone except their renters. Smart and forward thinking shops provide accurate measurements regardless of who is providing the rental, because any person could be a future customer. 3) No one in customer service wants to acknowledge the elephant in the room, nor should they, but sometimes people change size.

Until Next Time!
-Amber

Archive for December, 2011

So you have the dresses….. Now what?