Putting Together an Outfit for a Wedding
It’s wedding season. That means that as a fully autonomous adult, you’ve got some thinking to do about dressing yourself. Gone are the days of having your clothes picked out by a parent. Gone are the days of school uniforms. And, on weekends, you don’t have a company dress code to guide you. When you have to put together an outfit for a wedding, you have to do it entirely yourself—and that means you’ll want to know a thing or two if you want to make a good impression.
Fortunately, it’s not as difficult as it sounds—as long as you stick to a few key tips:
Find Out the Theme of the Wedding
If you only have a black suit, you’re not going to be very comfortable at a beach wedding. It’s important to understand the theme of the wedding before you decide what to wear. Lighter clothes will work well outside in the sun, while darker colors like navy blues, charcoals, and blacks will be more weather-appropriate if the festivities are indoors.
Hopefully, your invitation will make any special dressing codes apparent, but if it’s not, you can always ask about them as you RSVP. You know the old phrase—“better safe than sorry.” It works with outfits, too.
Fitting In
Because weddings tend to be formal occasions, it’s important that you fit in with an outfit that’s appropriate to the expected attire. Just as you wouldn’t wear sweatpants to work, you’ll want to choose an outfit that would make sense for a wedding.
Generally, this means at least a few minimum requirements:
- A collared, button-down shirt. An Oxford Cloth Button Down is great for the purpose.
- Formal trousers. Leave the jeans for more casual occasions; you’ll want to stick with suit pants or khakis.
- Tucking in. Wear a belt with your trousers so you can tuck in your shirt. Keeping a button down untucked in this situation tends to be too informal. This also means that you’ll want to wear a tasteful belt to match your shoes.
- Ditch the sneakers. More formal shoes like oxfords, suede bucks, and even chukka boots will make a more tasteful impression.
It’s safe to add a blazer to an outfit like that, which adds to the formality of your outfit. Generally, a tie will be optional, but if you want to be on the safe side, it’s a good idea to wear one.
Spice it Up
You’ll notice on our khakis page we have plenty of colors for trousers—not just the classic “khaki” color. Yes, you can absolutely spice up the colors in your outfit, including wearing colors like brick. This is especially true in summer when lighter, brighter colors tend to be the norm. It’s a great way to stand out from the crowd without failing to fit in—after all, you still look formal.
It’s not difficult to put together a wedding outfit for yourself once you know the basic rules. After that, feel free to tinker and shop around to match the specific clothing to your unique tastes. And don’t forget: it’s a wedding, so have fun.