How to dress male for a wedding?

After the guide for female guests, here is the answer to how to dress for a men’s wedding. Because yes, evidently not even boys have such clear ideas about what to wear to a formal or semi-formal event from time to time. It’s not enough to put on a half-unbuttoned white shirt to be suitable for the occasion (and sometimes not even that), so let’s start with:

What not to wear absolutely to a wedding?

I know certain things that I will say for some will sound easy and for others even obvious and offensive, I apologize in advance, but the need to write the guide for how to dress for a wedding for boys derives from the fact that for many obviously it is not so. So let’s go!

Jeans: forget them. Allowed only for children under fifteen years of age, although, in my opinion, there are other more beautiful and fresh solutions, without looking like dandy. Because the fabric of the jeans is in any case not very elegant. But if you are an adult, no, jeans NEVER fit. No, not even for the wedding in the garden of the villa, not even for the joint wedding. Repeat with me: NO.

The shorts. No, I’m not kidding you. Sometimes I see this too. And, needless to say, any type of men’s shorts is always too casual and sporty for a formal event such as a wedding. Even if the marriage is informal. Obviously if it is an event on the beach, barefoot with a swim in the sea planned after the ceremony, maybe you think about it, but there are always excellent alternatives without showing the calf.

The sports shoe. More and more often I see guests in sneakers and I ask myself, why? The lace-up shoe, the double buckle, the moccasin, what have they done wrong to not wear them even at such an event? There are a thousand ways to be alternative while maintaining elegance, the sports shoe for once let’s leave it under the stairs.

And if the event is very informal and you just don’t want to wear more appropriate footwear, then at least wear a shoe that is not overly sporty. The bride will thank you.

The shirt out of the pants. I’m not going to delve into the subject but I’ll just say one word: sloppy. 

So how to dress for a wedding? And what to wear in moderation?

How to dress will depend primarily on the type of event: the best clothing for a formal wedding in the church will certainly be different from that for a bucolic wedding in the woods. Obviously for the first it will be necessary to wear a classic suit with tie or bow tie, while for the second maybe we can give ourselves some more freedom. For instance:

The patterned shirt. Let’s use it in moderation. I am a huge huge fan of elegant and simple white shirts that are always perfect for any occasion, but I admit that delicate patterns can almost always be accepted. Instead, pay attention to the more particular ones, to be eliminated for formal events but to be evaluated for less glossy ones. Obviously we don’t talk about Hawaiian or similar themes, we keep those for the beach, as well as the short sleeves. But in August and for weddings with a more “casual” outdoor ceremony, I believe that a linen shirt is absolutely accepted. The black ones maybe we avoid them, for a wedding they don’t fit much.

The broken dress. Can be used only in less elegant weddings, however it must be combined with care. Let’s avoid strong contrasts and maybe opt for two similar tones. A good atelier will certainly be able to give you the best advice (beware that some will refuse to sell you a broken one!).

The ideal dress? A suit of not too bright colors (the rule of not taking your attention away from the bride and groom is always valid), so blue, gray, beige are fine. Watch out for black which should only be used in evening events (but no one disdains a nice black men’s suit). Wear a nice tie or a bow tie, if you like it you can use suspenders instead of a belt, and if you want to wear a vest under your jacket it will certainly be welcome. If you want to be daring, focus on details such as cufflinks, watches (even pocket watches, why not) or perhaps less classic shoes, but always following the rules of bon ton and the requests of the spouses!

I hope this little (and ironic) guide on how to dress for a men’s wedding was useful to you! For the damsels I refer you to the article for them.