When was the last time you heard of a groom-to-be trawling through Pinterest, pinning his favourite accessories to show the boys on a Friday night? Never. Our point exactly.
Ladies, the reality is this. If you want your man to be a handsome, well styled gentleman on your big day, you’re going to have to do the hard yards and play stylist.
Of course we’re not saying that all men are style delinquents. We know many men out there have serious style and kudos to them and their lucky ladies. But just imagine your delight when you’re walking down the aisle and see him wearing his Jamaican crochet friendship bracelet his workmate brought him back from holidays, or seeing a glimpse of white Puma sports socks peering out from under his suit pants. No.Uh-uh. No way. We don’t think so Mr.
Below are some easy tips to nut out your groom’s style and lend an extra helping hand:
Theme
First things first, what kind of wedding are you having? Beach, vintage, black-tie. This is relevant when choosing the accessories to match your man’s suit. For example, if you’re having a black-tie wedding, he wouldn’t pair his slick black suit with a pair of boat shoes. His accessories must match his suit from top to bottom. If he’s wearing a tuxedo, he must wear tuxedo shoes. If he’s wearing a preppy suit with suspenders and a checked bow tie, he can opt for two-tone shoes rather than point toe patent lace ups. Mismatched accessories can jeopardise a whole look.
The tie/ bow tie
Whether he decides to wear a tie or bow tie doesn’t matter, as long as it complements the suit. Simple is best when it comes to a tie, because a multi-colour Looney Tunes tie might be just a little distracting. The size of the tie should also be in proportion to the groom. If your man is a big stocky guy and he’s wearing a pencil thin tie, it will look silly. The same rule applies if you’ve got a petite groom who’s drowning in a thick oversized tie. Urge him to experiment with textures and fabrics too.
The socks
Wearing the wrong colour socks is enough to turn every bride running in the opposite direction. A little too dramatic? Okay, but it’s true. If he’s wearing a black suit, the socks MUST be black. Not white, not navy, not camo print, just black. Unless you want them to be, socks shouldn’t be a feature.
The belt
A great leather belt is a must-have for all men, especially on their wedding day. Whether it’s patent or matte leather or has a silver buckle or not, it’s all fine. As long as it’s not white cracked leather with make-shift holes he created after his growth spurt anyway (true story.)
The watch
A watch is one of the most common ways a groom will accessorise his suit. But it’s the band of the watch that will make all the difference. Is it a plain leather band? A plaited leather band? Is it fluoro green or a big chunky sports watch which times how many minutes he can hold his breath underwater? Be sure to check what he has in mind. You could even buy him a beautiful watch as a gift in the lead up to the wedding. That way you’ll be sure it will be the right one.
The cufflinks
Cufflinks are the perfect way to get a little quirky without it being too noticeable. There are so many fun and customised cufflinks to choose from. Whether it’s your initials or his, the date you met or his favourite car, this is one you can let him choose. So long as he doesn’t go crazy and have LEGO figurines hanging off his cufflinks, you’re pretty safe. (Dangly LEGO cufflinks? Yes, they do exist!)
The pocket square
Many people say a suit without a pocket square is naked, unfinished looking even. A pocket square can either be patterned or solid, but the general rule of thumb is that it should complement a colour in his tie. So if his tie has a bit of navy blue, he could wear a solid navy blue pocket square. But, it’s best to avoid matching the colours exactly otherwise it might look a little too matchy-matchy.
So what are you waiting for? Plant all the seed and he’ll think his tasteful styling is all his clever work.
