TIPS TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT WEDDING SUIT FOR GROOM Hugo de Juana TIPS TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT WEDDING SUIT FOR GROOM © Hugo de Juana 2017 Thank you to Rebecca Pickard (Source Studio) for helping me with translation This book is distributed under license Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution-Non-commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International – Complete Licence Under the following terms: Attribution — you must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. Non-commercial — you may not use the material for commercial purposes.. No Derivatives — if you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material. This is a non-profit e-book. I invite you to share it in your site, blog or social networks with your friends and people, that you think it can be useful for, with the only requirement to respect the license terms. Thank you very much in advance! TIPS TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT WEDDING SUIT FOR GROOM INTRODUCTION Congratulations! I understand that If you are reading this eBook it is probably because you get soon married and you need some advice or at least to confirm your previous ideas concerning the apparel for your wedding. Far from trying to be a ceremony wear treaty, this modest book offers direct tips to help you choosing the most suitable garment for your style and features. It is structured in a decalogue of brief and direct advices, that you can read in a single session, and surely it will help you to focus better your goals. These recommendations have been gathered from an extensive experience of my family, with many years successfully advising the most demanding customers and of course grooms, in the shops of Javier de Juana, President of the Club de Sastres de España (grouping that meets the most outstanding Spanish Master Tailors), knowledge that in turn we have translated from one generation to another. I invite you to read them and after that submitting them to your consideration, because I understand that fashion is living and should not be dictated. Reach an agreement between them and your personal tastes to transmit your own style and personality in the most important day for you. PAGE 3 Hugo de Juana TIPS TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT WEDDING SUIT FOR GROOM 1. DEFINE THE STYLE OF WEDDING YOU PREFER The first great decision you should take with your partner is the style of wedding you like because it will determine the sort of garment that will be worn by groom and wedding guests. If you like a formal or traditional wedding style, the morning coat will be the most adequate both in summer and winter, provided its condition of daytime dress code garment. If you prefer a more casual or sophisticated style, opt for a formal suit or even a frock coat. Nowadays, there is great freedom so with independency of the style chosen, be sure to feel elegant and flattered with your look as that day you will be the sharp focus. As Hardy Amies used to assert “A man should look as if he had bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care and then forgotten all about them”. FORMAL WEDDING (FORMAL ATTIRE) - MORNING COAT waistcoats are admitted. Cutting can be single or double breasted and with 6 buttons they look great. The morning coat is one of the most renowned garments of the Pants should be formal striped with pleat and never cuffed. men’s attire and the most Exceptionally, with mid grey morning coat, pants can be of the same adequate for daytime dress code, colour than jacket and waistcoat. It is worn preferably with braces and which takes place before 6 PM or without belt loops. with sunlight. The afternoon dress code garment is the tailcoat, It is worn with a flower in the lapel and white linen pocket square. The although is discouraged for top hat that traditionally was made of silk or shiny fur is today in disuse, weddings, unless the take place as it obligates excessively to guests and it is preferable to keep it for very late. The tuxedo, although more ludic events like Ascot races. The same can be applied to gloves. very commonly used in various Shoes must be black, in tafilete or fine boxcalf and lace-up. countries, is a party garment and not adequate for weddings. INFORMAL WEDDING - (INFORMAL ATTIRE) - SUIT There was a time (mid XIX century) when the morning coat was a daily Far from what the concept “informal attire” seems to suggest, this dress garment and its design was slightly code requires the use of suit, not accepting other less formal stylings different to the current one, as it like the combination of jacket and trousers, elegant but not strict. Morning Coat had been thought for horse riding so the tails do not result Until the 30’s, when the use of suit was consolidated as the office uncomfortable to the horseman, when he had the feet inside the working attire, people used to wear tailcoat, frock coat and then stirrups. morning coat, reserving the use of suit for less formal occasions Today it should be black or dark grey with a single button to tie and with The origin of suit is located in England under a concept of elegance peak lapels. In summer the mid grey is accepted although the most based on following the dress codes imposed by the dominant classes. suitable is still the black one. There is even and old dress code rule, With posteriority, it has been influenced by the Italian concepts of which indicates that only the groom and viscounts should go in grey and elegance more subordinated to aesthetics. the rest of the guests should wear in black. Nowadays, we can choose the best of both currents and there are no Traditionally the waistcoat was Pearl grey, light beige or of the same such strict codes, so a new world of possibilities for wedding suits opens color than the coat, in which case, some fabric ribbons are stitched in up. Nevertheless, the wedding suit “codes” are different from the the neck and they are usually white in summer. Today, coloured working suit ones and it is convenient to know them to focus better your choice. PAGE 4 TIPS TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT WEDDING SUIT FOR GROOM 2. LOOK FOR STYLE INSPIRATION A good starting point can be to browse magazines, search in the Internet grooms’ photos that you like, and even can carry and show them to your tailor so he can better interpret the image you want to convey. Those pictures will give you clues about cutting styles, combinations, ideal lengths, fittings and additional orientation about how to wear the garments and accessories. I am referring to for example, how to tie the tie, put a pocket square, and what accessories to choose, etc… essential details that we usually don’t give the due importance to. With the exception of some popular magazines, the majority Italian, and some websites, there are not many sources, so to make this research effort easier for you, we have created an “Inspiration Gallery” with many different suit and ceremony proposals, which I suggest you to visit. You can access in www.xelectia.com , ¡Don’t miss it!. PAGE 5 Javier de Juana TIPS TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT WEDDING SUIT FOR GROOM 3. MAKE YOUR BESPOKE SUIT WITH A WELL KNOWN PROFFESIONAL Today there are a lot of valid Prét â Porter options and however, our clients insist on emphasizing this tip as one of the most valuable, due to the fact that a well-made bespoke suit will bring you benefits that are widely superior to the difference in price: First, bespoke tailoring achieves a perfect fit without shortfalls in movements. That is because in tailoring, the garment is fitted over the client’s shoulder, so it settles down in morphological valleys and not in crests like the Prét â Porter, which to be sold to many people, act as “boxes able to contain many sort of different bodies”. In bespoke tailoring shoulders, sleeves and fronts lines are “more rounded” and the neckline is low slendering the figure. A suit designed for you will not remain indifferent to anyone because it will emphasize your strengths and conceal your defects or weaknesses. For that purpose, we study aspects like the most flattering width of shoulders or lapels for you, total lengths, height of pockets, fittings, etc… with special attention to “create volumes”, what results in garments which “produce sensations” of great comfort and assurance, considerably increasing the service life of the garments that can be estimated in an average of 10 years. Moreover, you will be able to customize and imprime your personal touch. Especially interesting are the sutile details, hardly perceivable to the naked eye, that are present but need a closer look to the suit to be really detected. For example, a different color in collar felt, special linings, and chest pocket slightly more slanted, different colour of a sleeve buttonhole or your initials embroidered in some specific place. Unlike the bride, the groom counts with the advantage of having chances to wear again the suit with posteriority to the wedding, which contributes to reaffirm the investment although the suit don’t be used daily. Every man should have at least one representative suit in the wardrobe. Choosing a well-known professional, who works with maximum standards of quality will ensure your success.