So you’ve popped the question and were beyond emphatic when she said yes (hopefully!). You’ve scrutinized every wedding detail down to the most minute. Guest lists. Food. Booze selection. Venue. But you’re still tentative on what to wear? What, I thought our counterparts were supposed to spend weeks, if not months fretting over this?!
For men, the decision is supposed to be quicker than an Usain Bolt 100 meter dash, isn’t it? Come wedding time, everything suddenly seems more complicated. And to make matters worse (well, sort of!), your wedding is going to be smack in the middle of the summer. On the beach! Sunshine, higher serotonin levels, laughter and joy await you. But so does a massive clothing conundrum.
What can I wear that will appear elegant, yet prevent me from looking like I’ve just run a 10K in the desert? Here’s a guide to what you can take into consideration when dressing for your, or your best friend’s big day assuming its in the warmer months of the year: Suit Options for a Summer Wedding!
Linen
Linen is a fabric made from fibers obtained from inside the woody stem of the flax plant. The word ‘linen’ comes from the Greek ‘linon’ or Latin ‘linum’ meaning the thread of flax. The fabric is made of a coarse weave and a nubbed surface. Linen fibers are much stronger and more lustrous than cotton, but wrinkle easier.
What makes linen so attractive is that in addition to its lightweight properties, linen as a fabric is very cool and absorbent. Linen’s wicking properties are far superior to many other fabrics, wicking away up to 20% more moisture than most fabrics do. Hence, you can see why it would be an ideal fabric choice for a summer time suit!
Madras Cotton
Another fabric that tends to deal extremely well with summer conditions is Madras Cotton. Madras Cotton is loosely woven of shorter staple (fiber length), highly durable cotton from Madras, India. The fabric is often vegetable dyed in plaids, stripes and checks. The result is a lightweight, breathable fabric that bursts with different color schemes.
Combining Linen with Madras
So why am I going on about different fabric properties? Don’t worry, this is not just a ramble. There is a method to this madness! Madras cotton ties and linen suits have become an extremely popular summer combination over the last several years. With linen suits providing the perfect canvas for your summer strutting sessions, and madras cottons providing a burst of summery colors that perfectly compliment that lighter material, lighter colored linen suit, we have a winning combination!
Cotton
For most men, cotton seems to be a default choice during the summer. However, with a vast selection of cotton on the world market, it is imperative that you have a discerning eye when choosing your summer fabric. Ideally, you want to go for an open weave, one that lets in air more easily during the summer months. If you cannot see through the fabric when holding it against the light in the summer, it is not well suited for warmer weather.
Seersucker
Another choice that is gaining popularity, and has been so in the South for a while, is the Seersucker suit. The term seersucker hails from India, where it was known as “Shir –o – shaker” which in Persian translates into “Milk and Sugar”, which most likely represented the contrasting textures of the fabric: milk for the smooth, and sugar for the crinkle. Seersucker is a lightweight, crinkled striped summer fabric of puckered cotton. The crinkled stripes let air into the fabric to help you keep cool. While usually utilized within the framework of a suit, seersucker can also be worn as a sport jacket or a shirt.
The fabric typically comes in the form of blue stripes on white, but can also be found in cream or beige. The fabric’s lightweight cotton properties make it ideal for summer and allows for some fabulous color schemes! Given that seersucker suits are light in color, your best bet is usually for a lighter pastel colored or white colored shirt. Tie patterns can work great, as long as they are not too busy. Similar to wearing a linen suit, a madras cotton tie can really bring a seersucker suit to life, as can animal motif print ties!
So there you have it! Between linen, cotton and seersucker, and a little madras cotton or motif prints thrown in for your tie selection, you should have a winning combination that will ensure the transition from ‘yes’ to ‘I do’ is a smooth one for both you and your spouse to be!
To view ties suitable for weddings year round, please click here.
To view ties suitable specifically for the spring and summer season, please click here.
To view our Animal Print Ties that will give your Summer Wedding Suit a novel and fresh look, please click here.
And that's a wrap for this one! I hope you have had as much fun reading this as I did writing it!
