Style Guide for the Groom: How to Look Your Best – Continued

Know How It Should Fit

Chances are the people doing the tuxedo fitting know how it should fit. That doesn’t mean they are perfect and can’t make mistakes.  Having a good idea of basic guidelines for tuxedo fitting helps ensure that the groom looks and feels his best and gives the groom a little extra confidence during the fitting because they feel a little less out of their element.

The collar of the tuxedo/suit- The collar should lay flat on the back and sides of the neck without any gaps or bulges.

The jacket- The bottom hem of the jacket should cover the butt on most styles.  The vent (the opening/cut in the jacket by a hem) should not be open.  The sides of the vent should meet or nearly so.  If the vent is stretched open the jacket is too tight. The shoulders of the jacket should line up nearly perfectly with the person wearing it.  If the shoulder pads extend past the shoulders the jacket is too big. The sleeves of the jacket should hit the wrist bone and allow about a half an inch of shirt to show past the hem of the jacket.

The pants- The hem of the pants should meet the top of the laces on the shoes.

Get Involved in the Planning and Choices

The bride quite probably has a good idea of how she wants the color scheme to flow.  This doesn’t mean the groom shouldn’t be choosing his own attire and the attire of his groomsmen. Listen to the bride and talk with her about attire choices.  Discuss tie options, jacket options and really get involved in the conversation. If the groom has an opinion, it will be appreciated very much by the bride. The groom should take a half hour to browse catalogs and websites for ideas so he is going into the conversation informed and with opinions.

Make it personal- Add quirky ties to the ensembles for the guys.  Have everyone wear bright unexpected socks for fun. Have super hero t-shirts on underneath the dress shirts for a great photo opportunity.  Add small personal touches that are outside of the classic dress code for a personal and memorable touch.

The groom’s style is just important on the wedding day as the bride’s style.  A little advance planning and information can go a long way towards having the groom look his best on his wedding day.


For more wedding day attire tips for the groom and groomsmen, read:Style Guide for the Groom: How to Look Your Best

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