How to shop for men’s clothing (for your Colorado Wedding)

It’s becoming more and more popular for grooms to buy their wedding suit or tuxedo than rent something. Of course I’d say that, right? Being a bespoke provider and all, but it’s true. It makes sense. A great looking suit can be worn many times over after the wedding ceremony. However, when you decide to buy a suit or tuxedo in lieu of renting, you have some decisions to make. Here’s everything you need to know about Colorado wedding men’s clothing and style.

#1: What’s the occasion?

Fortunately, you already know this one, but we still need to consider what time of day you’ll be having your wedding. For instance, events at night usually require a darker fabric, while lighter shades like grey and tan are better for occasions held during mid-day.

Sure, you can bend the rules a bit here and there and sport an elegant white or cream tuxedo for an evening event, but as a rule of thumb – lighter shades for during the day and darker shades of fabric for the evening.

#2: Formality

As you may expect, a very formal wedding will likely be a black tie event. How about a very casual wedding? Or someplace between the two extremes?

Let’s go over a few examples.

Is it casual?

For discussion’s sake, let’s take a look at a beach wedding. This will likely mean a linen or linen/wool blended suit is appropriate. Or, at the very least, a 100% cotton suit. The weather is going to be warm so your fabric will need to breathe well to keep you comfortable and your shoes will probably be relatively casual, since you may be standing in the sand.

And you’re probably going to want to stick with a tan or other light colored fabric to refer to the beach theme.

Or semi-casual?

But what if you’re someplace between a formal, black tie event and the beach?

You’re not going to be wearing a tuxedo in this instance. And maybe you’re considering a venue outside. It could be a grassy open space, a chic barn, etc. Maybe it’s a vintage-inspired wedding?

Consider the featured image above; the couple had an outdoor wedding, but the groom still opted for a 3-piece suit. He chose a softer shade in almost a grey tone, but up close the suit fabric still had a lot of texture and character.

It’s a great look.

Perhaps formal?

Colorado wedding men’s clothing can also be a very traditional and formal look. This is what you’re probably most familiar with. It’s what you see at a lot of weddings and it’s become the go-to standard. On one end of the spectrum, you have a full tuxedo with a black bow tie, and on the other end, a dark suit.

Regardless, a formal wedding means that you will want to make sure that everything else in your wedding is at a similar level of formality. Mason jars at the reception will clash with your elegant tuxedo, for instance.

According to Heather Dwight, of Calluna Events, “The groom’s individual style should match that of the bride, neither being more formal or less formal than her but right in line. For example, if the groom is wearing a tux the bride shouldn’t wear a short dress, but a more formal gown…The groom could opt to match the bride’s coloring – if her dress is more of a champagne his tie or pocket square could also be in that tone.”

Peaked or Notched Lapel?

The lapel style is another important consideration. Generally speaking, notched lapels will be more versatile and just a little bit more casual than a peaked lapel.

#3: Versatility

This is an important consideration. When do you think you’ll be wearing the suit after the wedding? Hopefully, you’ll be wearing it to the office now and again. Or, maybe for fancy events with your significant other?

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples at how your Colorado Wedding men’s clothing can do double duty and help you down the road:

Office use down the road

Let’s say you’re going to end up wearing your (former) wedding suit to the office. If it’s your first suit, then go with something dark, like a charcoal or near black shade. It will be the most versatile for your needs.

If it’s going to be your second suit, then you have a few more options. I would recommend a navy or grey suit. Not many men own grey suits and that will help to set you apart. Navy is a little more conservative, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t sport something with a subtle plaid or textured look.

But remember, whatever you opt for, it can’t be too wild and crazy because it’s going to be your wedding suit after all!

And date night!

Do you want a suit that James Bond would approve of? Then a tuxedo is the obvious answer, but a dark suit with a custom fit would be a close second.

You could go with a handful of different suit fabrics, but the takeaway is that you need something dark. Why dark? Because you’re going to be wearing this suit out and about. Whether it’s a swanky bar, another wedding, or a gala-type event, it’ll likely be at night, and so therefore, you need something dark.

#4: Fit

A wedding suit is still a suit and that means that fit is very important – in fact, it’s the first thing people are going to notice.

So, regardless of whether you end up with a tuxedo or a dark suit or a very casual outfit, fit is key. By the way, our Groom’s Guide to Wedding Planning has some great pointers on how your clothes should fit.

Even if you don’t decide to go bespoke, make sure whoever is helping you knows what he/she is doing.

#5: Customization

A wedding suit is a very special thing, and so we want to encourage you to go the extra mile and add a few unique customizations.

At the very least, have your name monogrammed on the inside of the jacket. Remember when you wrote your name on your jacket in grade school so that the other kids wouldn’t take it by mistake? Same thing here!

And something else that you may be interested in is adding your wedding date to the jacket, and your bride’s name. That way when you wear the suit again in the future, you’ll find a thoughtful reminder of your wedding date.

From here, you can select a handful of other customizations that can nod to the overall wedding. Maybe you want to highlight your lapel button hole with a contrast thread color that will refer to your overall wedding colors? Or maybe you want working button holes on your jacket – one of the signs of an indisputably custom suit.

And remember, a common element of Colorado style, and certainly Colorado Wedding men’s clothing, is that it’s practical.

Whatever you choose, make it your own. It’s your wedding, and so no one else but you and your bride should be making the decisions above. And when you know you look great in a custom suit, you can devote your attention elsewhere, where it belongs.

Colorado Wedding Men’s Clothing – Wrap up

There are a lot of ways to figure out your Colorado wedding men’s clothing. You can go formal, casual, somewhere in between. It’s all up to you.

Remember, if we’re building a custom suit for your wedding, we’ll need at least 7 weeks to get your suit manufactured. We want to make sure it’s absolutely perfect!

Need some more resources? Check out our Weddings page here. Or, how to buy a tuxedo: the complete Bespoke Edge guide.

And the best way to stay in the loop with those of us at BE, is with our twice-monthly newsletter. No nonsense, only the things you want to know about dressing sharp and the occasional James Bond reference!