Love My Suit ~ A Groom’s Sartorial Choices…

Picture the scene…

A recently engaged young woman, accompanied by a handful of the most important women in her life, spends a day shopping for ‘the dress’. There is laughter and smiles, the odd glass of bubbly and perhaps even a few tears. The stunning bride-to-be relishes her moment in front of the mirror, whirling and twirling in dresses she’s dreamt of wearing ever since she was a child. Soon she finds ‘the one’ and her attendants flock to her side to congratulate her on picking out the most important dress she’ll ever wear.

This may not be exactly how every bride’s foray into the world of bridalwear plays out, but it’s fair to say the experience of trying on, and ultimately buying a wedding dress, is seen by many to be something of a female rite of passage.

Moreover, women are expected to have spent a large proportion of their lives envisioning their frock. They’ll have thought about necklines, fabric and beading. They will have pictured the way the material drapes, how the train cascades over the floor behind them, and the way their veil will fall gently around their shoulders.

But what about the boys?

When photographer Kevin Belson submitted these beautiful images of groom David and his best man Matt shopping for wedding attire at Pakeman, Catto & Carter in Cirencester, I got to thinking about the way a man sartorially prepares for his wedding day…

Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2012, Kevin Belson

Bespoke wedding suits in Cinencester, by Pakeman, Catto & Carter. Photography by Kevin Belson

I’m going to risk making a sweeping generalisation here and suggest most men don’t spend weeks poring over magazines for inspiration before they go suit shopping. I doubt many have a Pinterest board devoted to the subject either. My husband didn’t take a crowd of onlookers with him when he went shopping, and there were no post-purchase celebrations…

Bespoke wedding suits in Cinencester, by Pakeman, Catto & Carter. Photography by Kevin Belson

All this makes me wonder, is the suit a man wears to his wedding not worthy of the same ritual as the dress that adorns his bride? Why does the frock get all the glory? Even if it is simply that men don’t want all the ‘fuss’, what informs their choice of clothing on their wedding day?

Bespoke wedding suits in Cinencester, by Pakeman, Catto & Carter. Photography by Kevin Belson

Bespoke wedding suits in Cinencester, by Pakeman, Catto & Carter. Photography by Kevin Belson

I know very little about the process of buying a suit. In fact, I know very little about the way men shop for clothes in general, as my chap is something of a ‘lone wolf’ when it comes to adding items to his wardrobe! Luckily, the groom David was able to give me an insight into his experience of shopping for a wedding outfit…

Bespoke wedding suits in Cinencester, by Pakeman, Catto & Carter. Photography by Kevin Belson

A Grooms Sartorial Experience, with Pakeman, Catto & Carter in Cirencester

A Grooms Sartorial Experience, with Pakeman, Catto & Carter in Cirencester

What sort of suit did you decide to wear on your wedding day and why? 

"My suit is not fully bespoke, it is tailored. This is when they take an already made jacket and tailor it to you so it fits perfectly. It means you can spend more like £700 for something that fits as well as a bespoke suit, but doesn't have all those finer details that you might expect for something costing more like £2k – £4k…."

A Grooms Sartorial Experience, with Pakeman, Catto & Carter in Cirencester

"The tailored experience is almost as rewarding as the bespoke experience and a lot lighter on the wallet! The tailor will measure you up, just as he would if you were going bespoke, and then put you in a suit that best fits the majority of those measurements. They will then adjust that suit in every way possible to ensure it sits perfectly. For example, one of my shoulders apparently sits a centimetre or so lower that the other, so the suit was adjusted to take this into account…"

A Grooms Sartorial Experience, with Pakeman, Catto & Carter in Cirencester

‘I think on an occasion as special as your wedding day it is important that you are able to concentrate on enjoying the moment. If you look smart you will feel more confident. I also feel that if your future wife has put so much effort into looking amazing you should support her by being well dressed. A badly dressed groom can really take the edge off the bride when stood next to her. Also, it’s not often a man has the opportunity to treat himself. I now have a smart suit I can wear again – the bride can't wear her dress again!"

A Grooms Sartorial Experience, with Pakeman, Catto & Carter in Cirencester

A Grooms Sartorial Experience, with Pakeman, Catto & Carter in Cirencester

A Grooms Sartorial Experience, with Pakeman, Catto & Carter in Cirencester

Did you explore any other forms of groomswear {hired, off the peg, etc} before deciding to visit Pakeman, Catto & Carter?

"I looked at hired but the fit was never quite right. Off the peg are made to the same measurements as hire wear, so unless you are one of the lucky few they fit perfectly, it would be a false economy…"

Did you have a clear image of what you wanted to look like on your wedding day?

"I'm a bit old fashioned and like to stick to traditional suits as I know they will work in all professional environments. Similarly, when it came to my wedding suit I didn't want to go for something modern or 'of the moment' that I would look at pictures of in years to come and think "what did I wear that for"! I do feel it's a formal day so I wanted to look as smart as possible…"

A Grooms Sartorial Experience, with Pakeman, Catto & Carter in Cirencester

Were you inspired by anything in particular when deciding on a style of suit?

‘Again tradition. I wanted to wear a normal tie, not a modern Ascot tie, a double breasted waistcoat, as they look much smarter under a jacket, and a shirt with removable collar so it kept crisp for the entire day.’

A Grooms Sartorial Experience, with Pakeman, Catto & Carter in Cirencester

Would you say your choice of suit is an expression of your personal style? Does it reflect, or is it a departure from, what you normally wear?

‘If I was born 100 years ago I would have loved to wear clothing that smart all the time. I think it's a shame that everything is becoming so casual.’

A Grooms Sartorial Experience, with Pakeman, Catto & Carter in Cirencester

I’d have to agree with David on that final point. Seeing my man in his suit on our wedding day made me long for a time when men wore suits more frequently. Alas, with his career in the music industry and penchant for Converse trainers, I doubt my husband will be ditching his uniform of jeans and black t-shirt any time soon. Still, a girl can dream, can’t she…

A Grooms Sartorial Experience, with Pakeman, Catto & Carter in Cirencester

A Grooms Sartorial Experience, with Pakeman, Catto & Carter in Cirencester

A Grooms Sartorial Experience, with Pakeman, Catto & Carter in Cirencester

So readers, I’m curious…

How have you and your husband-to-be approached the issue of what he’ll wear on your wedding day?

Has your betrothed decided to hire, or is he going off the peg, tailored or bespoke?

Did he have a clear image of how he wanted to look on his wedding day? What, if anything, inspired his choice of suit?

Was shopping for his suit a ‘big deal’?

Of course, we would welcome comments from any men that happen to be reading too 😉

Franky

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