Friday May 5th is the launch of Halcyon Mag (www.halcyonmag.com), for which I am writing a column about the more formal side of menswear.  The first is, simply, how to dress for a summer wedding…

Reprinted from the launch issue of Halcyon Mag: http://www.halcyonmag.com/2011/05/06/halcyon-basics-dressing-for-a-wedding/

Dressing for a Wedding…

No matter what time of year it might be, chances are there’s a wedding coming up to which one has been invited. Always a grand day out for the bride and groom, the big day can be a source of trepidation to the gentleman who wants to look his best.Fortunately, the lot of the more hairy sex is a happy one when it comes to weddings: know the rules and it’s very hard to go awry.

Usually.

However, the summer wedding can be a different beast. The big day, after all, demands that a gentleman attending must keep his jacket on throughout the day, at least until the dinner. When the weather gets sunny and balmy the usual safe wedding choices of navy, black or charcoal suits can be transformed into sweaty torture machines.

So, what to do?

– First find out if there is a dress code. It seems an obvious question but it can be overlooked. Turning up to a black tie wedding in a grey suit, or vice versa, is just not done. In extreme heat, a wedding in foreign climes for example, the wedding party might stipulate that jackets and ties are completely optional and perhaps that neat shorts would be acceptable. It never hurts to ask.

– All things being equal of course, the basics are suit, shirt, tie, shoes. Consider these mandatory unless specifically directed otherwise by the wedding organisers.

– As the saying goes: there is no such thing as bad weather, just a bad choice of clothing. The same is true when dressing for sun and heat. Pale colours are your friends, as well as thin, natural fabrics. In terms of suit material, think wool, linen or even cotton. In terms of colour, think grey, tan and even navy if in an extremely light cloth. Any sort of polyester blend will ultimately serve to trap heat so, no matter how cheap it is, it’s probably not worth it.

– That which goes for suits goes also for shirting. It should be made of cotton, or a cotton-linen mix, and should fit properly at the neck to remove any sense of constriction from the tie. Go for a solid colour such as white, pale blue or pale pink and it’s hard to go wrong.

– The tie should complement the suit and shirt. The good news is that with pale colours as a base the world is one’s oyster when it comes to both colour and pattern.

– Finally, it goes without saying that shoes for a wedding must be smart. If they look as if they could be worn with ripped jeans and a t-shirt then the odds are good that they’re not formal enough.

The three looks below suit various thicknesses of wallet but are all of similar style. Weddings are not a time for thumbing one’s nose at conformance in the name of sartorial independence. There is room for personalisation, of course, but within certain well-defined boundaries. The day is about the bride and groom; the guests are but a backdrop.

ON A BUDGET:

Light Grey Suit (NEXT – £99)

Slim Fit White Shirt (M&S – £25) Pale Pink Tie (TM Lewin – £20)

Brown Shoes (Aldo – £55)

A DECENT AMOUNT OF CASH:

Silver Blue Suit (Reiss -£325)

White Shirt (Boggi – £65)  Pink Herringbone Tie (Emmet – £59),

Brown Shoes (Barker – £165)

DESIGNER:

Grey Suit (E. Zegna – £1,210)

White Shirt (Turnbull & Asser – £130), Tie (Ralph Lauren – £85)

Brown Shoes (Church’s – £485)

(Any of these outfits should be completed with a belt of matching colour and material to one’s shoes, cufflinks if required, a nice formal watch and a pocket square in plain white cotton or linen.)

Reprinted from the launch issue of Halcyon Mag: