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Wedding etiquette: the groom

The elegant man is the one whose suit you never notice

wrote William Somerset Maugham.

The sacrament that certainly requires the most attention in preparation is marriage. By focusing our attention on the groom’s suit, there is an etiquette that must be respected, the etiquette of marriage.

Let’s see together what are the rules to follow to stand out with personality and good taste on your wedding day.

It is in the detail the measure of style

Can the groom wear a tuxedo to celebrate his wedding?

The tuxedo can only be worn from 6:00 P.M. onwards, on formal occasions but not in wedding environments. In wedding etiquette, the only clothes allowed to say yes are the morning suit, the dark suit and the tailcoat. Today, however, it is good to remember that there are hybrid alternatives between a suit and a tuxedo that can be inserted, with taste and sobriety, inside the groom’s suits.

The tight: The fundamental things to know

Let’s start with the tight, typical attire of English royalty. The name itself means “tight, snug” but also “severe, hard, difficult” and originally referred to the compound shape of the trousers but then ended up qualifying the entire suit. Today the tight is almost always worn in elegant weddings that take place during the day.

The bride is white and beautiful inside her bubbly veil and in her evanescent long dress, as splendid as he, the groom. The dry and linear appearance of a tight-fitting suit invests it with that much authority mitigated by a certain gracefulness, perfectly suited to the celebration of an ancient rite and the thrill of experiencing a milestone in life. A curiosity that few know is the function of the left collar of the groom’s jacket. The latter in fact, has an eyelet in which a flower should be inserted, the same as the bride’s bouquet, as long as it is small. More importantly, it is to know that when the groom wears the morning suit, his father, brothers and witnesses are also required to wear it.

In front of the mirror, attention to detail

Exploring the more technical details, the jacket must be in worsted, textured or Tasmanian wool, grey, iron-grey or London smoke, following the tailcoat, dovetail or rounded models. The tails of the jacket, strictly to one breast, must not exceed the height of the calves. The tip of the lapel must not exceed half the distance between the neckline and the shoulder while the sleeve must reach exactly the wrist and the shirt must not protrude more than 3 centimetres. The latter must be white in poplin, batiste, cotton or silk cloth. The neck will be starched, classic straight or floppy or, for the most romantic, high with the tips upside down. The pants, absolutely without turn-ups, can be in the classic pinstripe or striped in shades of grey, black and white. The strictly white suspenders and cuffs, preferably double, will close thanks to sober gold or enamel cufflinks, to avoid precious stones. And to conclude the long tie or the plastron, which can be in plain silk or jacquard, ivory, grey or lead or for the more meticulous, in a palette with the theme of marriage.

The suit makes the man of society

The tight, so impressive in its classicism and elegance, has accompanied millions of men to the altar. The morning dress, which we present to you on the right, is a broken Made in Italy dress, consisting of an anthracite grey jacket and striped trousers, signed by Lardini.

And for the dark suit, are there any canons to be respected?

Absolutely yes, the elegance of the groom is determined by many details.

Let’s start with the three fundamental pieces:

  1. The jacket must never be double-breasted.
  2. The waistcoat which, as a sign of uniqueness, should be worn exclusively by the future groom.
  3. The trousers which always cuffless.

Generally speaking, the most used colours are midnight blue and grey, whose nuance can change depending on whether the ceremony is in the morning or in the evening.

Paying attention to the shirt, whose colour must be white, or silk colour if the wedding dress is ivory, the detail that makes the most difference is the wrist. The wrists must come out from under the sleeve of the jacket by about 1.5 centimetres, and it would be advisable for them to be closed by two important twins. The style of the collar must be chosen in view of what you will wear: whether the tie or the bow tie.

One of those accessories that should not be missing is the pocket-handkerchief, avoiding coordination with the tie in terms of fabric and pattern. The latter must not come out of the pocket more than 2 centimetres and for the wedding the white colour in fine linen or silk is mandatory. Another original option is a flower, as seen above, taken directly from the bride’s bouquet.

Finally, the shoes are preferable laced and perfectly shiny. Etiquette aside here is a little trick of the trade: it is always recommended to wear shoes a few hours before the wedding celebration, in order to opacify the sole and give the idea of a shoe used in view of the photoshoot.

Etiquette: the rules of the tailcoat

The tailcoat is the most elegant a man can wear but it is used more and more rarely and usually in the evening.

The model now codified includes a black tailcoat with tails just below the calf, silk lapels, straight black trousers with silk bands a bit narrower than those of the tuxedo. Once again the shirt is strictly white with a shot, high collar and inverted tips. The tie is in white cotton piqué and the black patent leather shoes.

To conclude, tradition also provides for the white silk scarf to be worn with the coat, the black top hat and white gloves.

And if, as Balzac said:

The brute covers himself, the rich and the foolish adorn themselves, the elegant dress up

we hope we have been of help with this little practical textbook guide of the perfect gentleman. Once all these rules are clear, they can be revised and reinterpreted to your taste and pleasure. Here are some of our suggestions for choosing an original and at the same time flawless wedding suit.

If you are curious to find out more, we are waiting for you in the shop in Florence.

If you are interested in finding the perfect groom’s suit for your wedding, we would suggest you to book a shopping tour, a complete and personalized shopping experience, accompanied by the discreet and competent guide of our personal shoppers.

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