What To Wear As The Best Man?    

Being asked to be the best man for a wedding is an honour and a responsibility. It’s your job to smooth things over for the groom, or whoever you are being best man for. You have to keep them calm and collected, handle any issues, greet and meet guests, make a hell of a speech, plan a bachelor party, and help with the wedding planning. It’s no easy task.

 

Joe's Countryside Wedding Suit

  

While SUAVE OWL can’t help with everything, we can certainly help with one aspect – your outfit. You’ll want to look your best for a day so important to your loved one and you’ll want to feel at your upmost confident for any public speaking or nerves inducing tasks. For outfit inspiration, advice, and information about what SUAVE OWL has to offer you, read on…

 

What Should A Best Man Wear?

 

While you can look your best as a best man, there is one rule. You cannot outshine or outdress the groom or couple getting married. Don't worry, looking good but not the best is achievable through a few small steps.

 

Caridi Olive 3-Piece, SUAVE OWL White Shirt

  

Matching your outfit to the grooms seems like a good idea, but consider that it doesn’t give the groom much space to shine. Wear something similar to the groom, but not identical. Make sure your outfit compliments the groom’s wedding suit but let your best man’s suit be the less flashy of the two. Make his the more formal of both of your wedding suits – it’s the groom’s big day after all. Cohesive but different is the way to go when it comes to your best man's outfit selection. Check out our main suits collection for inspiration!

 

 

Your outfit also needs to match any practical demands the day has of you. Generally, you need to consider pocket space for holding a copy of your speech, potentially a small flask, and a pocketwatch for time keeping. However, in some cases, these requirements may be a little more unusual. For a farm wedding, you may need to have a backup pair of wellington boots. If the wedding ends up taking place in a heatwave, you may want to carry suncream or a fan for the groom. For a rainy day, a microfibre compact towel may came in helpful. Make a list of all the things you need to bring to the wedding or have on your person. From there, consider how your outfit can be optimised to help you. When it comes to the big day, you’ll be glad you planned your best man's outfit as best you could.

 

Jack Brooks Wedding Guest Outfit

  

How To Look Your Best As The Best Man?

 

You know the requirements for your best man’s attire, that you allow the groom to shine and that your outfit allows you to be as prepared as possible for your responsibilities. However, that doesn’t help you find the outfit that makes you feel confident on such an important day. While you may not have the last say on what you wear during your friend’s big day, you can certainly make suggestions on what you think makes you feel and look your best.

 

 

 

Cody 3-Piece Suit, SUAVE OWL White Shirt, Plain Twill Tie & Pocket Square Set

  

Consider what you think or know the groom will wear. There are a few ways that you can use this to get the best possible outcome for the both of you, allowing him to stand out while you also remain well dressed in your suit for the best man. Knowing this is essential before picking out your best man's outfit.  

 

 

Do you prefer 3-piece or 2-piece suits? If you’re a fan of just a jacket and trousers, or even just a waistcoat and trousers, suggest that you and the groomsmen wear a 2-piece whilst the groom wears a 3-piece. This allows the groom to be easily distinguishable, saves the cost of a suit piece, and might even make you feel more comfortable.

 

Elwood 3-Piece Suit, SUAVE OWL White Shirt, Plain Twill Tie & Pocket Square Set, Braces

  

Is the groom more of a tie or bowtie man? Does he like an intricate knot or would he consider one for a day such as his wedding? If you like a tie and he likes a bow tie, stick with that set up. The groom can wear a fine bow tie while the best man’s suit and the groomsmen’s suits can be worn with a regular tie. If you are both tie wearers, suggest that he wears an intricate tie knot, such as our favourite elderedge knot, and the groom’s party wears something more subdued. You could also suggest an identical bow tie or tie with the groom’s party wearing a paler colour than the groom or a neutral shade.

 

 

When it comes to other accessories and floral arrangements, less is best. This is not the case for the groom but for the best man’s attire and groom’s party making sure you have slightly less flashy pieces of your ensemble is an easy way to keep the groom standing out. You should also consider having have less flowers, or a different colour, to the groom. When it comes to accessories, try a few statement pieces instead of everything you could, or want, to wear. If the groom is wearing a tie, braces, cufflinks, a pocket watch, boutonniere and pocket square, try only wearing two or three of the same accessory.

 

 

 

Lastly, and this advice goes for suit wearing for any event or occasion, even for your office wear, fit is essential. You’re not going to find the finest best man’s suit and feel your best if the suit itself is hanging off of your frame or tightly restricting you. The best man’s suit advice that is imperative to follow is to get your suit fitted to you by a professional. This may be simply getting your measurements taken, or taking them at home, and translating it into the available suit sizes. This may be getting a slightly larger sized suit and having it tailored. At SUAVE OWL, we offer our suits in independent piece sizing – meaning you could order a jacket, waistcoat, and trousers in three different sizes. Not all suit shops offer this, and it allow you as a customer to find the best suit for you in the most convenient method. Don’t neglect size – and make sure the rest of the wedding party isn’t neglecting theirs either.

 

 

If you have the right suit fit, a suit that makes you feel good, your outfit gives the groom space to shine, and it meets all your practical needs, you have the right best man's suit for you. It really can be that simple!

  

Weddings With SUAVE OWL

For blogs about looking your best while suit wearing, start by reading our Ultimate Guide To Men's Suits and our formalwear guide Navigating Men's Formal Wear: A Comprehensive Style Guide, both are perfect for best men, grooms, and members of the wedding party trying to find the best possible suit for them.

 

 

We also have plenty of style guides for grooms. If your groom needs some help finding his ideal groom's suit, send him these blogs: Preparing For Your Wedding Day - Getting The Best Suit For the Big Day, Wedding Day Attire For Men: What To Wear & How to Choose, From Aisle To Dance Floor: Men's Wedding Suits That Make A Statement, and Men's Wedding Style: How To Look Suave On Your Big Day. 

 

 

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