Stay potently fashionable and perspirant free this summer with our style suggestions.
Words by Craig Sterriker
Wedding season is heating up and there’s a high chance you’ve been invited to a summer celebration. Whether you’re the best man or just one of the general invitees, it’s certainly too hot for a tuxedo. That being said, it’s important to stay stylish, whilst also remaining respectful of the chosen dress code and avoiding fashion faux pas wherever possible. This may sound like a monumental task whilst battling the boiling weather, but there are certainly several ways to stay cool, calm and classy as a guest during mid-summer nuptials.
Sublime Suit Selections
General wedding etiquette often calls for male guests to sport a slick, black suit and accompanying white shirt. All shades of black are infamous conductors of heat and the idea of trying to style out the sweltering temperature in your finest tailored suit sounds incredibly unpleasant, to say the least. However, colouration isn’t the only adversary you’ll face during the summer season – selecting the correct fabric for your attire is paramount in order to survive the soaring temperatures.
Seersucker: Taking its name from the Persian words for milk and honey, there is scarcely a sweetly textured choice of suit. Seersucker suits are created through a particularly meticulous method of weaving cotton, with the intertwined fabric relieving tension from the garment and allowing for incredible levels of breathability and summer wearability. The puckered texture of seersucker’s allows for a relaxed, yet visually unique and formal fit, ensuring you can show up in distinctive style and unparalleled comfort.
Linen: Although it’s definitely considered a more traditional textile, it’s difficult to go wrong when throwing on a luxurious linen suit when attending a wedding ceremony at any point in the year. Summertime soirees are no different – the composition of linen suits stem from natural flax fibres, expertly crafted in an open weave style, increasing airflow and providing a natural cooling effect. Sometimes simplistic, conventional choices prove to be the best and this definitely the case for linen-based suits.
Tweed: If refined stateliness is more your style, maybe try your luck with some tweed. Although the roughly hewn appearance of tweed apparel may inspire inclinations of heaviness in the fabric, this could not be further from the truth. Interwoven with wool, tweed suits are surprisingly lightweight and breezy, whilst remaining irrevocably fashionable. Much akin to the aforementioned linen, a carefully selected tweed suit will carry you through summer celebrations, all the way through to the winter months.
Carefully Chosen Colours
Although you’ll most certainly be at the mercy of the host’s chosen colour schemes when attending any wedding, summer celebrants often opt for lighter, more naturalistic palettes, allowing for a wider range of choices when selecting your outfit. The standard, ever-versatile choice of black remains steadfast, however sporting dark colours in overwhelming heat isn’t always the best choice, unless paired with an excellent fabric. Luckily, there are a myriad of options available to choose from.
Off-white tones such as ivory, champagne and pearl will help you avoid socially conventional slip-ups whilst reflecting the worst of the beaming rays overhead. Luscious, leafy choices and earthy hues such as khaki, chestnut and sage are certain to harmonise with outdoor ceremonies, also. Slightly more adventurous shades of lavender and opal are a more vibrant alternative, manifesting themselves to provide equal parts flair and function during the stifling heat.
Shirts, Shoes & Sunglasses
The first thoughts that cross your mind when selecting your perfect summer wedding outfit will almost certainly be in relation to your suit. Be that as it may, it is imperative to remember the accompanying garb and accessories necessary to form a cohesive, fashionable style of dress.
Acting as a baseline for the entire ensemble, a traditional, white shirt is almost assuredly the way to go when selecting the ideal underlayer to accompany your suit. The shirt’s fit is where you’re able to get creative – with varying collar sizes and necklines making room for a more freeing sensation during marital festivities that coincide with more stifling days. Bear in mind that white is merely the safest option, if you’re attending a wedding with a more relaxed dress code, the aforementioned colour suggestions can also extend to your chosen shirt.
A thoroughly thought-out choice of footwear will also aid in keeping you suave during a ceremonial summer’s day. The choices are vast in nature, with a number of options available to keep you cool; loafers and monk straps in particular combine formality with respiratory function, keeping the sweat at bay and you comfortable whilst celebrating the special day. An eye for eyewear never goes amiss, either. Whilst not typically worn by the happy couple, when attending as a guest, some slick sunglasses will reduce the strain beset upon you by the sun. A sophisticated pair of shaded spectacles will come in incredibly handy at outdoor functions with standardised, black frames blending beautifully with almost any outfit.
Summer wedding fashion is constantly evolving and we hope you’ve found our recommendations on how to instil chill, contemporary clothing into your formal attire useful. For any pre-marital ponderers wondering how to further provide seasonally appropriate services on their special day, why not check this out?
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