Image from P Johnson Tailors

Ok, so I know that thus far, a lot of my posts have had a “do what’s best for you” kind of vibe about them, and I still stand by all the content of my previous wedding scribbling. However, when it comes to suits, I find very little room for such well-intentioned sentiment. There are some basics that always apply when suiting up for your wedding, no matter your style, or the style of your wedding day. A few things in particular to look out for in your suit include …

Choosing fabrics/cloths – Fair enough, you may not be having a bespoke suit for your wedding but make sure you do pay attention to fabric when choosing your suit. Especially keep in mind the time of year of your wedding …  you probably don’t want to wear a tweed three-piece in the middle of summer.

Lapel style – This one often gets missed but the lapel will pretty much set the tone for the style of the suit. Do you want a modern narrow lapel, something wide and retro, or classic like a shoal? Look up some pictures of suits you like and see what they have. Chances are, they may all have similar lapels.

Arm length – There’s nothing worse than a short arm and way too much cuff showing.

Jacket length – A well-tailored suit jacket should fall to the right place on your body. This will make a huge difference in keeping everything in proportion (in other words – you won’t look like a short arse on your wedding day).

Finally and probably the most important thing – Overall, your suit should fit you – well! Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about a cool vintage suit, or even better, a cheap suit found rummaging through a local salvo’s (just ask my groomsmen) but just remember buying the suit is really only half the job. The difference between a good suit and a suit that will make you look like you belong on “The Sartorialist” is good tailoring.

I recently went with my Best Man to a fitting for his suit for my wedding (at the remarkably handsome and talented P Johnson) and I instantly understood what all the fuss was about. Sure, you’ve watched the movie Wall Street and seen all those corporate guys on their mobile phones standing on the block being measured up by some mobster-looking dude and thought it looked kind of cool (and maybe a bit pretentious) but until you’ve witnessed the process in person it can be hard to understand or appreciate for yourself.

A good tailor will see things that you don’t; they will spot creases, identify posture issues, call you out on any previous sporting injuries or other strange body defects and adjust your suit accordingly. Really, visiting a good tailor is not dis-similar to seeing a psychic or a magician!

So whatever you are wanting to sport on your wedding day, make sure that you are deliberate about it, that you think it through and that you look better than good in it.

Ms Gingham says: It’s the return of Groomzilla (aka Julian) with a wonderfully informative post about suiting up! It’s so nice to see the myriad of options that grooms have and the amazingly talented tailors in our country!

Groomzilla describes himself as: Stylist, Meticulous planner and creative eye.

Read previous posts from Julian here.