Wedding suit guide for groom and groomsmen

With so many moving parts in the wedding planning process, it's easy to overlook essential details when selecting the perfect attire for you and your groomsmen. Here's a comprehensive guide to ensure you're well-prepared for the big day and they you choose the brand, suit/tux style and experience that's right for you. The wedding tux and the suits are the only thing you can re-wear or re-use from the wedding after all, so why not know as much as you can before pulling the trigger?

1. Timelines: Start Early

The 8. month mark is the sweet spot to begin the wedding suit shopping process. Don't leave your wedding outfit to the last minute. This gives you ample time for comparisons and fittings. Consider factors like process, pricing, quality, and experience when shortlisting brands. Each brand offers a different experience so give yourself enough time to find the one that's right for you! For example, here at Sartoria Meucci we offer unique group experiences designed to bring you and your groomsmen together for a memorable fitting, complete with tastings with a spirit of your choice and sometimes a cigar cut and light activation! We see it as more than a suit fitting and more of a memorable event where you get a chance to reconnect with friends you may not get the chance to see as often due to different lifestyles.. Other brands might simply as you to bring your own food and beverage's but they could have another offer that could be more intriguing for you. View this process as a journey, not just a task to be completed. Once you've finalized three brands, book the first appointment for an official consultation five months ahead, and schedule your group fitting with your chosen brand 3 to 4 months before the wedding.

2. Fabric selection and design Appointment

Building a mood board or expressing your vision doesn't have to be daunting. An experienced menswear specialist can guide you in the right direction by simply having information about the wedding itinerary, weather, and venue backdrop as well as basic colour preferences. There are different fabrics at different weights so having this conversation can really help you get the right fabric and design to feel comfortable and confident on the big day!

3. The Groomsmen: Alleviating Groom Guilt

No one talks about groom guilt enough. It can be a tough ask to get your groomsmen to spend on a suit for the big day, but it does not have to be as hard as you think. Every groomsman is reaching a point in their life where they cause a well-fitting high-quality suit. Picking a high-value option with the right color or shade can make this suit a worthy investment for your groomsmen, so here are a few tips to ensure they thank you down the line.

• Choose a color they can get lots of wear off such as mid-blue, navy, mid-grey, or charcoal. It would be ideal to create a group chat and let the boys vote. Who already has navy and who already has grey? or hey let's get wild and go black if everyone has both?

• Opt for high-quality wools that match the groomsmen's budget. Although opting for blends (Poly wool/Cashmere/wool) may seem like a great idea for the cost, it will backfire down the line. Synthetics such as polyester absorb body oils over time, creating unpleasant odors and offering no airflow for a comfortable and breathable wearing experience. You might also encounter wool suits with 1-5% cashmere, which also sounds like a great idea, but the only reason there is cashmere in wools is when we work with a low-quality wool that needs to be softened due to being very rough. You can also experience pealing in the future for fabrics requiring you to buy the same suit all over again. As we like to say, it's expensive being cheap! Lastly, consider merino wools. Not only are merino wools more breathable, but they are also anti bacterial, helping you prevent crotch and elbow rips. Low quality wools host bacteria you collect from sitting and resting your elbow on surfaces, this causes the bacteria to eat away at the fibres thinning them and eventually causing a rip.
  

Here are mistakes to avoid with your groomsmen fabric, design, and styling:

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• Ensure they are never in a darker shade than you unless you are going with a very light suit such as cream.Ensuring you wear the darkest shade ensures that you become the focal point, which is more pleasing to the eye. If you are thinking of having all the gents in the same shade, consider having yourself in a 3 piece or wearing a darker tie to stand out.

• The second mistake is allowing the groomen to pick their individual design. There are 4 design aspects you need to be firm with to guarantee consistency across the boar:
  

1. The lapels(Peak or Notch?)

2. The button configuration (Single-breasted 1 button, 2 button or double-breasted?)

3.The pockets(Flaps, double welts or patch pockets?)

4. The trouser waistband design (Belt or no belt?)

Ideally these decisions should be solidified before your group appointment. On the day off, the only decisions they should make are their inner liner, Monogram, and suit cut that best suits their body!

• Avoid the mistake of having groomsmen match the bridesmaids' colors with blush ties or anything that fails to frame them properly. A man's suit and tie should complement his face between his hair and his attire. Darker-haired gentlemen should opt for darker ties, while those with brown or blonde hair can choose earth-tone ties like burgundy, navy, or dark grey. Blush ties often wash out against the suit and groomsmen's contrast. Accessories should enhance, not detract, so choose a tie that matches your contrast and suit color for better photos. However, consider adding subtle accents of the bridesmaids' dresses on your pocket square or socks.

Questions to Ask When Building Your Wedding Suit or Tuxedo

1. Construction of the garment, what's included what's extra?

2. Design and customization flexibility

3. The measurement process and the staffs experience

• The canvas construction plays a pivotal role in the structure of the suit. A fused canvas is a pre-set shape made of mesh and glued to the chest piece, lacking the ability to conform to your body over time and compromising breathability. Conversely, a half canvas, crafted from horsehair and linen, is stitched rather than glued, allowing it to mold to your specifications while providing flexibility and breathability. While a full canvas is typically unnecessary unless for larger sizes, a half canvas often comes with a higher price tag due to its more intricate manufacturing process. At Sartoria Meucci, we provide a half canvas with all our garments at no extra cost, believing that custom garments deserve a tailored structure rather than a pre-set template shape.

• It is crucial to ensure that the brand you choose for custom suits does not rely on templates. Customization is key, as every line on the suit should proportionately frame your body. For instance, thin lapels can exaggerate the appearance of a larger head while creating a broad-shouldered look, while overly wide lapels can make the head appear too small without providing adequate shoulder breadth. Therefore, it is essential to tailor the size precisely to the slightest centimeter. A flexible design process enables adjustments to lapels, pockets, button positioning, and garment sides, ensuring an impeccable fit tailored to your unique proportions.

• Accurate measurements are paramount in creating a well-fitted suit. While most brands take between 12-25 measurements, we take about 44, considering not only your size but also your shape and proportions. A suit should fit snugly while allowing freedom of movement without excess fabric. When consulting with your measurement specialist, ensure they have 3-5 years of experience, inquire about their approach to suits, including posture consideration and independent measurements for each side of the body. It's crucial to prioritize a fit that meets your needs rather than a generic standard.

Average and fair prices in the industry based on quality

• Low quality $490-650(Blends)

• Mid quality $750-950(100% wools)

• High quality$1,100-$2,600(Merino wools)

Lastly, a few things to also keep in mind is how a small swatch turns out as a full suits.It is incredibly difficult to imagine such a small piece of fabric into a full garment. The rule of thumb is that if a pattern or colour are already vivid on a small swatch, the full suit will magnify that loudness by 2.5x. Make sure to look at the fabric in natural light as well as it can have some hidden tones you can miss with indoor lighting. Ideally you should have your photographer locked in before the suit shopping is finalized so you can discuss their editing style. We have helped many couples who spent weeks finding the perfect shade only to have it majorly altered in saturation and contrast by the photographer. Send a photo of the swatch and ask the photographer to give you an idea of how they would edit it. Pro tip, send a photo of the swatch close to your face!

Once you have looked into all of these aspects, you will realize that every custom menswear brand on the market is competent in their own way, so you really can't go wrong. You just have to choose the one that works best with you and the team member who best understands and aligns with your needs and vision!

If you have any questions, we would LOVE to give you more clarity and guidance in this process. Book a call with us below!

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Thank you for reading, and best of luck with your journey!

Ricardo-Owner/Senior stylist and measurement specialist