A Guide To Wedding Guest Dressing For Men With Favourbrook

Having dressed everyone from rock stars to royalty and with three decades worth of experience under its belt, Favourbrook has not only established itself as the go to wedding outfitter of choice for grooms, but it also has the sartorial demands of their wedding guests very well catered for. It prides itself on the fact that the majority of its garments are manufactured in England to exacting standards. Look at it as a one stop shop, offering the whole marital kit and caboodle under one roof. To prove you’re not just limited to unimaginative lounge suits, men’s style consultant Lee Osborne deep dives into his five favourite wedding guest looks for the coming season, opening up a diverse assortment of looks for sartorial self-expression.

Wedding guest attire by dress code

Morning dress

If the groom is wearing a traditional black morning coat and cashmere striped trousers and you’d prefer not to take his limelight, then a nice take on the dress code is to opt for a navy blue morning suit with matching trousers. Favourbrook’s version is crafted from merino wool with a tiny bit of stretch incorporated into the mix. Weighing in at only 90 oz, Favourbrook’s Julian Brown says “it’s the perfect weight for heat” – perfect if the sun decides to bless your big day by shining brightly. Pair the suit with a more formal collared Gatsby shirt and a sky blue Randwick silk and linen waistcoat and classic silk tie. “It’s an updated version of a morning coat, and very English,” adds Brown. The morning dress shoe of choice is undoubtedly the black laced Oxford, but a pair of black penny loafers (as Nick is pictured wearing) are a smart alternative.

Black-Tie

A summer take on the black tie dress code, Favourbrook’s cigar black linen and silk herringbone Randwick dinner jacket utilises the inherent properties of linen and silk to render a jacket that’s more luxe in look and feel than the classic dinner jacket. Lightweight in construction, this dinner jacket, which appears black to the human eye, is actually an 80% dark chocolate colourway. For those that are happy to make more of a statement, this 1970’s inspired large frill ivory shirt is the perfect flamboyant choice, topped off by a jumbo black silk party bow tie and classic tuxedo trousers.

Velvet

Velvet is a classic option if the black tie wedding dress code places more of an emphasis on luxe. Julian has paired this beautiful navy velvet dinner jacket with a white Marcella bib front shirt, which features the archetypal rectangular panel stretching downwards from the chest to the navel. The “bib’ section doubles the thickness of the shirt’s fabric, ensuring that anything visible under the dinner jacket is bright white and not see-through. The ensemble is finished off with a party bow tie in black grosgrain, classic black dress trousers and black penny loafers.

Tropical or destination suits

Favourbrook’s Randwick linen and silk suits are the ideal midsummer wedding attire, particularly if you’re tying the knot overseas in hotter climes, or even in an English Indian summer. Brown presents the suit in sage green Ebury and ivory iterations, in the process extolling the virtues that the fusion of linen and silk creates: “It means you don’t get the creasing associated with 100% linen”. The jacket, featuring a subtle herringbone weave, is unlined, but with more structure than standard off the peg versions, and boasts the brand’s trademark slanted pockets secured by a contemporary single button closure. Instead of a crisp white poplin, a white linen shirt is a super comfortable accompaniment paired with a green patterned 100% silk tie, effusing Favourbrook’s trademark textural feel. Embrace the braces trend, as Brown adds “sales in our braces have tripled, and they’re the most underrated piece of kit in a formal wardrobe”. Crafted by the Rolls Royce of suspenders production, a certain Albert Thurston, Brown says “There’s a reason why military uniforms always looked so immaculate, it’s because they were always worn with braces”. Their function is to keep trousers at a set height on the body and, quite simply, nothing beats them, even side adjusted trousers, for creating the perfect hem break over an Oxford shoe or loafer. The ivory Ebury suit features all of the above, with the exception of the tie, which is navy. The beauty here is that the suit has longevity; post-wedding, you can break it out into separates, its flattering cut and exquisite texture pairing really rather wonderfully with white denim.

What guests should avoid wearing

While it’s important not to underdress at weddings, the same rules apply regarding overdressing. Read the wedding invitation scrupulously before the event and plan accordingly. If the dress code states ‘lounge suits’, don’t be the only one rocking up in a morning suit, as you will draw unnecessary attention to yourself and away from the bridal party. It may sound obvious but suits, be they morning, black tie, or anything in between, should fit properly, and with the proliferation of alterations tailors nowadays there really is no excuse. They should also be comfortable enough to withstand what is typically a long day’s wear, from the church to the reception’s dance floor. Ideally, wear Northampton bench made footwear and you won’t go far wrong. And keep novelty ties for the Christmas party.