The big day is on the horizon – your best friend is finally getting married. For such a big occasion, you’ll need to be your best and look your best, but if your friend hasn’t set a dress code, then how will you know what to wear?
This article will run through some classic and contemporary options for men’s wedding attire so that you can match your appearance according to the mood of the special day, whether it be traditional or alternative.
Top
It is essential that you get the top half looking pristine and eye-catching, as this will be what will appear in most of the wedding photos. Headshots and selfies will both crop out your trousers and shoes, so choosing a top half and matching the bottom and boots to it is a sensible course of action.
Firstly, the alternative option. Your best friend and their partner have chosen that they do not have a formal dress at their wedding, so you need a colorful and comfortable shirt or t-shirt for the special day. Vice has compiled a list of 2022’s best summer shirts, ranging from retro kinds of cotton and 70s collars to stunning linens. These shirts would go very naturally with linen trousers or cropped blue jeans, making them exceptionally versatile.
If it is a more traditional, smart affair, then donning your freshly ironed dress shirt is step one to looking great at your friend’s wedding. White is the classic color, of course, but you may wish to add a little floral pattern to your shirt, particularly if your suit jacket is plain. Having too much pattern could come dangerously close to being garish, so be subtle. If you do choose to go for a plain jacket and patterned shirt, it would tie the outfit together to have a matching pocket square. This should match your shirt, or perhaps your tie, but should always contrast and stand out from the color of your suit jacket.
Shoes
For your shoes, the balance to find is always that between style and comfort. Weddings require a lot of standing around and, as the day wears on, dancing. It’s all very well having the best-looking shoes in the room, but if they are uncomfortable when you’re trying to let loose after a few drinks, you will undoubtedly regret choosing them.
The classic wedding shoe is the Oxford shoe. With over two centuries of history, the style is timeless, with closed lacing and a smooth design of just a single piece of top-quality leather. They are sleek and formal while remaining some of the comfiest shoes on the market. Look into the best Oxford shoes to get alongside your outfit and try some on, preferably with the same color trousers as you will be wearing on the day, to make sure you choose wisely.
If you’re using an old pair of shoes, shine and polish them before the big day to remove any dirt accumulated from the last time you wore them. Of course, if this is an informal or alternative wedding, throwing on a pair of boat shoes, Doc Martens, or sneakers could all work a treat.
Bottom
If you’re going in a full suit, your trousers should match your jacket either identically or at least in a complementary way. Make sure to have them dry cleaned and ironed if they are not new and try them on well in advance of the wedding in case you need to get them altered – bodies change shape and size very quickly and, depending on how long it is since you last wore them, they may have become too big or too small.
Wear a belt that matches the leather of your shoes – this ties the outfit together and stops any brightly colored leather shoes from standing out too much. Check or tartan print suit trousers are very popular currently, adding a little extra style to a plain pair of pants.
Alternatively, cords, jeans or even shorts would be suitable for an informal wedding. If your best friend is getting married on a beach somewhere hot and sunny, then your luck is in – a linen shirt over some smart shorts, finished off with boat shoes or sandals, is much more comfortable than a full suit and quite possibly much cheaper too.
With the three components of your outfit decided, your final choice is which accessories will finish off the look. Watches, braces, cuff links, ties, sunglasses, and hats are all options depending on the type of wedding your best friend is having – just make sure that you’ve run your outfit past them first to ensure they approve.
