Wedding Guest Outfit Ideas For Every Dress Code
There’s a little room for creativity here, too. Your waistcoat can be the same shade as your jacket and pants, but it could also be contrasting. A grey waistcoat tends to lend itself nicely to a navy suit.
In terms of shoes, a black Derby or Oxford will always be a safe bet. However, if you’re comfortable stepping things up a level, why not try a double monk strap instead? Suede and leather are equally acceptable, just be sure to keep an eye on the weather if you go with the former.
The Black-Tie Wedding
“Black-tie optional”. Three words that when printed on a wedding invite are likely to inspire more confusion and apprehension than any others. Well, aside from, perhaps, “you’re not invited”.
Optional? What could be the meaning of such a word in this context? Does it mean you could wear a dinner jacket, but actually Robocop cosplay would also be completely acceptable? Does it mean you should wear a suit, but with any color tie that takes your fancy. To answer all of the above, no. Especially not the Robocop thing.
In actual fact, “black-tie” means, “wear a dinner suit or tuxedo”. Meanwhile “optional” can be loosely translated as, “wear a lounge suit if you really have to, but you’re probably going to look a little out of place because nobody else will be”.
The really confusing part, however, is that black doesn’t necessarily mean black. Obviously, it’s the safest bet, but a midnight blue will look equally suave and won’t be violating any dress-code rules. Plus, it has a tendency to actually look more black than black as the light dims over the course of the evening.
The important thing is that you’re in a tux or dinner suit that fits, you’re wearing a bow tie and you’ve finished it off with a traditional pair of black, patent-leather Oxford shoes.
The Country Wedding
If the wedding is in a house, a very big house in the country, there are some extra considerations when packing your suit carrier. Whether it’s a manor estate or a tiny village church, country weddings often have a rural, rustic vibe that calls for a softer approach to tailoring.
