Lessons in outfitting a wedding party by stylist Gareth Scourfield
Our guest editor Gareth Scourfield styles three suits for the whole wedding party.
Styling ideas for everyone in the wedding party (and for those invited to party at the wedding)
Gareth Scourfield, our guest editor for AW23, contributes to GQ, Esquire and Gentleman’s Journal, and styles high-profile clients like Ben Whishaw and Daniel Craig. We asked him to turn his outfitting skills to wedding suits. The result? Stylist-approved looks for three distinct big-day styles.
The location’s been booked, the invites have gone out and now it’s time to focus on what to wear for the most important day of your adult life. Grooms have a lot to consider when it comes to navigating how they and their groomsmen look on their special day.
Take your styling lead from aspects of the wedding that you and your partner are agreed on – the time of year you’re getting married, the location of the ceremony, how formal or informal you want the overall day to be and any colour themes you are fixed on. These are valuable visual aids in getting the styling nailed for the groom, his groomsmen and fellow wedding guests.
More recently there has been a break away from the traditional tailcoat or black tuxedo outfitting, which sit very much in the formal camp of dressing. Now, grooms are taking a more personalised approach with coloured suits, noticeable textures and contrasting jackets and trousers. While it’s a day you want to look and feel the very best, it’s important to let your personality shine through too. The choice of suit and how you style it will be the best way to show your true self.
Below, I look at three very different suit styles you could consider for your wedding, how you can interpret each one with various styling choices to give you a look that’s individual, works for the theme or style of wedding, and is still considerate across the wedding party from groom to guest.
groom sage green shirt | liberty print floral tie | burgundy socks | dark brown monk shoe – best man white stretch shirt | sage and toffee bottinelli tie | olive socks | brown Oxford shoes – groom’s party sky oxford shirt | wine knitted tie | burgundy ribbed sock | brown Oxford shoes
Sage tweed suit
This slim-fit sage tweed suit offers a great alternative if you want to stay away from the traditional blues and greys, which can often look more business-like. While it appeals to a more countryside setting, with a different take on the styling it can work for more urban location weddings too. Play to its strengths – its heritage-style, two-tone herringbone structure can let you build a more textured and tonal outfit. It’s a very British style of tailoring, so work with it.
Important tip for any groom-to-be: when it comes to styling your wedding suit, keep to a tight colour palette. The less array of colours, the more elevated your wedding outfit will look. It allows you to introduce more texture if you need to without it becoming distracting.
For a country-themed wedding, I would suggest the groom wear the full three-piece version, with a lighter-coloured sage green shirt under and teaming it with the navy Liberty print floral tie. For his best man and father of the bride or groom, I’d go with the two-piece suit, opting for the darker green slim fit stretch shirt and keeping the theme of the Liberty print floral tie for everyone – this may help tie in with any of the floral colours of the day, or pull out the rusty reds in the print to inform the colour palette of the button holes. If the Liberty print is a step too far for some of the male members of the party, try a knitted wine or bronze silk tie with the green shirt. It will keep the colour palette tight and amplify the burgundy in the printed tie. Add a burgundy sock to help bring the look together. Keep to the warmer wintery palette and have the men in your wedding party wear dark conker-brown shoes; double monk strap for the groom and his best man, and lace-up brogues for the other male members.
groom white oxford shirt | neutral and navy bottinelli silk tie | taupe melange socks | dark brown oxford shoes – groom’ s party navy stretch shirt | neutral and navy bottinelli silk pocket square | blue ribbed socks | brown oxford shoes – guest camp collar shirt | chestnut loafers
Blonde camel double-breasted suit
Lighter colour suits continue to be popular for summer weddings. This camel double breasted suit is designed with that in mind, offering versatility for the groom and his male wedding party with numerous options on how to style it. This two-piece, with its contemporary patch pockets and peak lapels, can be dressed up or down while still looking wedding-ready.
For the groom that wants an elevated look, I’d suggest a crisp white shirt worn with the neutral and navy Medallion print Bottinelli silk tie and pocket square, to keep it sharp and coordinated and with a flash of print. Finish the look with a pair of taupe melange socks and dark brown Oxford lace-ups. Keeping to the rule of a strict colour palette opens up options for the other male members of the wedding party. Navy and white works very well with this camel-coloured suit.
If the groom is wearing the white shirt and printed tie and pocket square, select a navy blue shirt for the groom’s party with the same printed pocket square for consistency, but omit the tie. These visual styling signposts photograph well in group shots with all the wedding guests.
The versatility of this suit style also allows for it to be broken up. Your groomsmen may compliment you by wearing the same DB jacket with a more relaxed but smart navy tailored chino, styled with a white shirt and a pocket square but no tie – timeless pieces that will be worn over again. As a guest for the wedding, I’d suggest styling the suit with a print camp collar shirt to show some individual flair, worn open neck with a leather loafer.
groom blue double cuff twill shirt | sage textured tie | tan brogue shoes – best man white oxford shirt | gold silk tie and pocket square | brown monk shoes – guest pink linen shirt | mulberry silk pocket square | brown tassel loafer
Stone puppytooth linen suit
Achieving the goal of looking your best on your wedding day without wanting to compromise on comfort is what you want to look for in your suit. This puppytooth three-piece suit offers up a number of styling solutions that will see you looking pin-sharp while at ease in the lightness of the linen.
For the groom I’d suggest going all out with the three-piece, showing off the low-cut DB waistcoat. I’d look towards Hollywood style inspiration by referencing Robert Redford’s wardrobe in The Great Gatsby. Introduce those pastel ice cream colours from summer by teaming this suit with pale pinks, ice blues and soft mint greens for shirting and working a complimentary tie in the same colour, keeping the colour focus.
For the best man or husband-to-be, I’d suggest a classic white shirt with either a sky or gold silk tie and co-ordinating silk pocket square. Finish the look off with a smart pair of monk leather shoes. For the groomsmen, I would suggest they all wear an aqua blue shirt and each choose from a selection of silk ties (avoiding the groom and best man’s tie colours). It keeps to the summery colour theme of the party, all while showing some individualism. Have everyone coordinate their socks with their tie colour for a unified finish.
If you’re going as a guest, wear the suit as a two-piece and select a tailored fit linen shirt to wear open-necked. Then, style the jacket with a complimentary silk pocket square. This gives a more relaxed but no less smart approach, and plays to the strengths of the linen fabric. Team the suit with a suede or tasselled loafer.