Singaporebrides | The Groom Room
February 2021
The Ultimate Guide To Buying A Men’s Suit For Your Wedding
Shopping for a men’s suit for your wedding will be a breeze with this guide we’ve put together for all the grooms-to-be out there, with expert tips from Closeknip!
Let’s admit it, the wedding day is a big day for the groom as much as it is for the bride. While much has been said and written about shopping for the perfect wedding gown, there aren’t many guides out there for grooms to find the perfect men’s suit to help them look dashing on their wedding day.
Well, grooms-to-be, you’re in luck. We’re going to put the focus on you now and help you shop for the wedding suit that’ll let you shine alongside your beloved on your big day. Whether it is your first time shopping for a men’s suit, or you’re looking to get a brand new one for the wedding, this ultimate guide will help you find the perfect suit that’ll make you look like a million dollars on your wedding day.
1. Get The Basics Right
First, let’s get the basics right. When it comes to shopping for a men’s suit for your wedding, there are off-the-rack and customised options such as made-to-order, made-to-measure and bespoke, just like wedding gown shopping. There is no right or wrong choice here, and whether you go for an off-the-rack suit or choose to customise one depends on your budget, preference and what you intend to use the suit for.
If you are budget-conscious, fit well in generic sizes, or simply don’t have the time to tailor a suit for the wedding, then an off-the-rack men’s suit will work for you, since these suits are ready-made and do not require any further work to be done to it.
Grooms-to-be with a little more budget to spare, or are willing to invest in suit that is versatile enough to be used for any occasion after the wedding can opt for a made-to-order, made-to-measure or bespoke suit to get more bang out of their buck.
Made-to-order
“A made-to-order suit refers to a suit made according to a customer’s specifications, which are usually pre-determined, for example, in the form of sizing templates,” Darren from CLOSEKNIP, a menswear boutique specialising in made-to-order men’s attire, explains. “Made-to-order suits are made only upon commission by the client, instead of having an inventory kept on hand like that in the case of off-the-rack suits.”
Made-to-measure
“Made-to-measure suits, although similar to made-to-order suits, are different in the sense that they are specifically made to fit a particular person with his specific measurements, without the use of a pre-determined sizing template like that of made-to-order suits,” he elaborates.
Bespoke
“As for bespoke suits, everything is made from scratch. A new suit pattern is created for each customer instead of using a base pattern, thereby allowing a truer fit as the master tailor is able to capture small nuances, such as the degree of slope of the shoulder better,” he shares. “Bespoke suits also have no limitations in terms of design and customisation, whereas made-to-measure suits have a checklist of things that can or cannot be changed.”
Well, there you have it. Knowing the differences between an off-the-rack, made-to-order, made-to-measure and bespoke suit will help you make up your mind on which is the best option for you.
2. Fix a Budget
Now that you’re aware of the various options you have, the next step you should be doing is to decide on an amount you’re willing or able to spend. The type of suit you’ll get for your wedding will depend on various factors, with your budget being the most important determinant. Off-the-rack suits would be suitable for those who are on a budget or fit well in generic-sized clothings, while tailor-made ones are great for grooms with a higher budget or who are looking to invest in a suit that has plenty of mileage in the long run.
“Generally speaking, customising a suit can be more expensive than buying one off-the-rack,” Darren explains. “Off-the-rack suits are mass-produced and have their prices brought down by the economies of scale, whereas customised suits are produced one by one, upon commission by a client, and involves a great deal of time and handiwork invested in the making.”
“There are also off-the-rack suits that are comparable in price to custom-made suits or cost even more due to its branding by certain companies,” he adds on.
Premium quality versus cost
Now that you know that off-the-rack suits are not always more affordable than custom-made ones, don’t let the myth affect your decision. Instead, consider how much you can or are willing to spend, whether you intend to re-wear the suit in the future, and the look you want to achieve for your wedding day.
“Your choice depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a quality suit with premium finishings and more sartorial features, then the cost will reflect your choices,” Darren points out. “However, if you want to keep the cost low, you may opt for less premium fabrics and still get a suit customised for your wedding without breaking the bank.”
3. Decide On The Type and Style of Your Suit
Once you have an amount in mind, deciding on the type and style of suit for your wedding will be much easier. Your choice will very much depend on a few factors, namely the size, location and formality of your big day, and your intended usage of the suit.
A wedding in the grand ballroom of a hotel would call for a more formal suit than an intimate celebration at an alternative venue or at the beach. Your wedding venue will also affect the colour and fabric choice of your suit, as darker shades tend to work better for evening or more formal events while lighter shades are more suited for the day and less formal celebrations.
Your choice of fabric will also influence the style and formality of your suit, so pick wisely. “Cotton and linen fabrics are more suited for less formal occasions, which make them a great choice for afternoon or beach weddings. they are also more breathable and comfortable against the humidity here, which is perfect for our climate,” Darren points out.
To re-wear or not to re-wear
Then, there is the question of what you intend to use your wedding suit for after the big day is over. If you intend to re-wear the suit after the wedding, then go for fabric types, textures and colours that are more versatile and offer more mileage.
“Grooms-to-be here tend to go for more conservative options like darker blues that they can re-wear even after their wedding,” Darren reveals. “That’s why we usually recommend fabrics and colours that have more mileage and versatility, such as blacks, greys and blues, so our grooms-to-be can easily pair or re-use them after their big day.”
Avoid loud and bold colours, and striking patterns if you plan to re-wear your suit. While they be fun, they are also easily recognisable and less suitable for formal and work situations. You should also steer clear of linen fabric as it gives off a smart casual vibe that may not be suitable for formal occasions as well.
Go for a clean fabric, or a light texture for something interesting, in the three evergreen suit colours of black, grey, or blue, he advises, “That would give your suit the most mileage.”
4. Getting The Fit of The Suit Right For You
When it comes to shopping for the perfect wedding suit, or a suit for any occasion for that matter, it’s all about the fit. Pay attention to how the jacket, shirt and pants fit on you because a well-fitted suit should instantly accentuate your figure regardless of your body type or height.
“To be more specific, grooms should take note of how the neck, shoulder, length of sleeve, jacket and pants, and waist fits during a fitting at the tailor’s,” Darren points out. “Keep a look out for buckling of the fabric, which could mean that the suit is not constructed properly and is not sitting well on the body.”
The right fit
As a general rule of thumb, a well-fitted jacket should hug your shoulders, feature a slight nip-in at the sides to create a V-shaped contour and to accentuate the width of your shoulders, and be long enough to cover your pants zipper and rear end. There should also be no gap between the collar of your jacket and shirt, and the sleeves should be about a quarter to half an inch shorter than your shirt sleeve to show off a little of your shirt cuff and be just baggy enough for your arms.
The one-finger rule
To determine if the fit of the shirt is right for you, use the one-finger rule. If you can fit more than one finger between your shirt’s collar and your neck, then it is too big for you. A well-fitted shirt also features a sleeve that ends just at your wrist, not above or below it, while the cuffs should be narrow enough to sit just above the start of your thumb.
Lastly, a well-fitted pair of pants should rest comfortably on your waist with one finger’s space between the waistband and your waistline, and sit just above the top of your shoes with one fold in the fabric instead of bunching up.
5. Don’t Forget About The Finer Details
Don’t forget to pay heed to the finer details that will complete the overall look of your suit. While getting the fit of your jacket, shirt and pants right is important, your attire will not look good if you neglect the smaller details, like the lapel and your tie.
The Lapel
The width of the lapel generally determines the style of a suit. A slimmer lapel is more modern while wider ones tend to give off a more old-school look, so do keep this in mind when you are shopping for a suit.
“That being said, fashion is often cyclical. The skinny lapel look was in trend during the 1960s mod scene while wide wing-like lapels were all the rage in the 1970s,” Darren shares.
“We see wide lapels coming back into trend in recent years. At CLOSEKNIP, we believe that every man can carry off a wide lapel look regardless of their build, but how wide he can go will depend on his stature. So, someone of a larger stature will be able to carry off a wider lapel as compared to someone of a smaller build, who can still hop onto the wide lapel bandwagon with a wider-than-usual-but-too-wide lapel.”
The shape of the lapel, on the other hand, determines how formal looking the suit will be, with peak lapels more suited for formal dinners and occasions such as weddings and black-tie events.
The Tie
Getting the type and size of the knot on your tie right is also crucial to looking well put-together. Typically, the size of the knot on your tie should correspond with the size of the lapel and width of the tie. A classic Windsor knot can never fail you, but if you find it hard to master it, you can always opt for the easier-to-tie Pratt knot.
As a general rule of thumb, the size of the knot on your tie should complement the size of your head, hence, full knots are better for men with bigger heads while half knots are more suitable for men with smaller heads. The length of your tie should also ideally reach your waistband or slightly above it.
“Again, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to fashion,” Darren repeats. “For a trendier look, grooms can wear their tie longer than usual below the waistband, with the narrower end of the tie being longer than the wider end.”
“However, not everyone can carry off this look,” he warns. “The best course of action would be to seek the advice of your tailor if you wish to opt for this trendier tie look.”
6. Up Your Suit Game With Accessories
Accessorising is not an activity that is reserved solely for the ladies. Grooms are also allowed to dress their suits up with accessories! Consider polishing the look of your suit up with a clever choice of ties, pocket squares, belts, shoes and even socks.
“Generally speaking, the colour of your belt should match your shoes, and as much as possible, the shade of colour as well,” Darren advises. “On the other hand, ties and pocket squares should never be of the same colour and design.”
Aside from matching in colour and shade, it should also complement the colour of your suit. “As a rule of thumb, brown always pairs well with blue or navy, which is one of the most requested suit colours for weddings,” he continues.
If you think that your socks will go unnoticed amongst all the other details, then you are quite wrong. Nothing is more unsightly than a handsomely-dressed man with hairy legs and ankles, or a pair of old or mismatched socks, which can be seen as he sits or walks. Avoid being that man by choosing a pair of socks that is long enough to cover your ankles and the area above it. You can even pick a coloured or patterned pair to jazz up your suit and add a little fun to it, if you wish.
7. Top Three Suit Recommendations
Image by Eirik Tan Photography
There are more than one style of men’s suit available for your choosing, and picking one for your wedding might be a little tricky, especially if you don’t have a favourite style or if you are concerned about whether they would complement your body type.
“Strictly speaking, there is no specific suit style for specific body types,” Darren divulges. “It is more about the overall fit and proportion rather than the style of the suit that would determine whether it fits your body or not.”
Two- and three-button Suit
Classic and timeless, the two-button suit is the first on our list of suit recommendations. Often regarded as the male version of a woman’s little black dress, this suit style is extremely flattering for any build due to its frame-lengthening qualities. “The two-button suit with a lower buttoning point would complement a customer who is shorter in stature as it would create the illusion of height,” he advises.
A variation of the two-button suit is the three-button suit and double-breasted suit. Just as timeless as the two-button suit, the three-button variation carries a 1960s mod feel to it and is best suited for men taller than six feet, or 1.8 metres.
Double-breasted Suit
For grooms who want something out-of-the-norm, the double-breasted suit would be our recommendation for you. The image of the quintessential gentleman’s style, the double-breasted suit is universally flattering once you get the proportions right. “A larger sized customer with some height would benefit from a double-breasted suit as the diagonal line on the front jacket closure would visually elongate his stature,” Darren points out.
Three-piece Suit
Last but not least, and my personal favourite style of men’s suit, the three-piece suit is the one to go for if you’re after a classic, suave and dressy look, even after you take the jacket off. Here, the vest is actually the star of the outfit and getting a proper fit is just as important as getting the right fit for the rest of your suit. A well-fitted vest is one that contours your body without developing lumps or protrusions on the sides, is closely fitted yet still gives you room to breathe. Anything too loose or tight will look unkempt and ill-fitted – not quite the image you want to give off on your wedding day.
8. It’s Time To Shop For Your Wedding Suit
As the modern groom becomes more fashion conscious and discerning towards their wedding attire, more are opting to customise a suit instead of renting one or buying off-the-rack. They are also starting to recognise that a customised suit is actually value-for-money as the suit can be used not only for but after their wedding day, for work or other formal events, while looking exceptionally sharp.
If that sounds like a perfect deal to you, then shop for your customised men’s suit from our list of men’s suit tailors here!
BONUS! Three Suit Faux Pas You Should Avoid
Founded by Leslie Chia of bespoke menswear PIMABS and a team of veterans with over two decades of experience in men’s tailoring, fashion design and styling, CLOSEKNIP is a men’s suit tailor that understands what the modern man is looking for in his suit. Specialising in made-to-order suits, CLOSEKNIP is committed to offering timeless, versatile and functional menswear at accessible prices in a short turnaround time, made possible by the CLOSEKNIP Fitting System, a system that is unique only to CLOSEKNIP.
With their vast experience in making men’s suit for a wide customer base, Darren shares with us three faux pas to avoid at all costs when wearing a suit.
“First up, buttoning both buttons on a two-button suit jacket is a no-no,” he shares. “The general rule of thumb is to button the top button only.”
“Secondly, never button your suit jacket if you are wearing a waistcoat or vest inside. It should be left unbuttoned, while the waistcoat or vest should be fully buttoned up, except for the last button.”
“Last but not least, never pick a suit that is too big or small for you. Your suit should always fit you properly in all the right places for a sharp and put-together look.”
Need more help or advice on getting the right suit for your wedding day? Then, make an appointment with the professionals at CLOSEKNIP, and let them tailor a suit that is uniquely yours.
Exclusively for SingaporeBrides’s readers, quote ‘SingaporeBrides’ for an overall 10% discount at CLOSEKNIP when you purchase a Premium Suit together with a Premium Shirt to complete the look. This promotion is valid till 4 September 2021. By appointment only.
CLOSEKNIP is located at 20B Cavan Road, S(209851).
Feature Image: KAI Picture / All other images courtesy of CLOSEKNIP unless otherwise stated.
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