The perfect wedding suit

Pawan & Ashish of Knights & Lords on crafting the perfect bespoke attire

It has always been tricky for gentlemen to have a wedding suit look different than a work suit. Equally challenging has been the need for the groom's suit to blend with the bride's wedding dress on the day. Fortunately, there are ways to have them complement each other.
Bespoke wedding suits for men are increasingly being styled as three-piece suits or bespoke tuxedo suits. This keeps classical tradition alive and adheres to the formality of the occasion. It also ensures the groom looks slightly different from the sea of other men, who could be wearing their usual two-piece suits. It is quite common for the groom to go for a different colour for the waistcoat that contrasts with the colour of his wedding suit jacket and trousers. The waistcoat colour, in this case, could be opted for in a manner that coordinates with the colour of the bride's dress. This showcases the oneness of the couple with elements of her outfit incorporated into his.
Bespoke suits can be conceptualised as a relaxed outfit with soft bespoke tailoring to give a more leisurely feel, like a beach wedding or if taking place in the locales of Santorini or Mykonos in Greece. In this case, wedding suits for men can be broken down to a bespoke custom blazer and bespoke trousers in linen or cotton. Furthermore, the blazer could be deconstructed or partially lined to make it look effortlessly elegant and it could be styled as a single-breasted or a bespoke double-breasted blazer. Bespoke custom shirts with a casual soft collar to be worn without a tie or bowtie in linens or cottons are preferred with this look.
With even more subtlety, if enough extra fabric is left over from the bride's dress and if it is of a permissible material, it can be used as the lining material for the groom's suit. Even though it'd be quite discreet, glimpses of it inside can be seen when the button of the gentleman's jacket is relaxed. Additionally, some grooms are opting for a bespoke custom lining specially created to match with the theme of the wedding.
The suit jacket of the groom could have elements of colour that could be coordinated with the bride's dress. The first buttonhole of the sleeve from the bottom in the jacket could be matched to the colour of the bride's dress. It could also be matched to the colour of the lapel hole in the coat where the flower or boutonnière is placed.
Accessories in a gentleman's suit can play a huge part in complementing the entire outfit with the bride's dress. In a formal suit, the tie can lend that support with it matching the colour of the bride's dress. Alternatively, elements of the colour in the bride's dress can be had as the colour of a motif or patterns on the tie. If the groom decides to wear a tie to match the theme colour of the wedding, then the pocket square can be used effectively to complement the bride's wedding dress. There are times when braces or suspenders add an extra layer of formality to the suit, apart from being a more classical way of holding the trousers in place than a belt. The colour of the braces, if worn, should be matched with the bride's dress colour to maintain that uniformity in look when walking in together as a couple.
In a wedding, the aesthetic of thoughtfully pairing details of the groom's attire with the bride's dress remains unmatched solely because they are the focal point of attention on the day. It is even more gratifying to see how seriously the wedding couple takes their newly wedded union in the way they dress, along with doing so in thought, spirit and tradition.
Meet the authors
Pawan and Ashish are bespoke tailors at Knights & Lords, a bespoke tailoring house in Dubai. They are inspired by the alchemy of craftsmanship and bespoke tradition aimed at re-designing the wearer's inner architecture. They have learnt the traditional craft of bespoke tailoring from Savile Row, London - considered to be the spiritual home of bespoke tailors even today. Visit www.knightsandlords.ae or email bespoke@knightsandlords.com.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com