Picking Out Your Wedding Tuxedo

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...
Posted on March 2nd, 2008 by

His Fantastic look on his wedding tuxedo
His Fantastic look on his wedding tuxedo
So you’ve proposed and your significant other has accepted; the only problem is finding the perfect wedding tuxedo for this momentous occasion. You can expect your bride to look her most stunning on your wedding day, which means there’s extra-pressure on your part to show every single guest in your wedding exactly why you deserve such a beautiful woman.

If you’re more of a tee-shirt-and-jeans kind of guy, then you may think that one tuxedo is just the same as the other. Your guess couldn’t be farther from the truth. Wedding tuxedos come in many different styles, colors and designs.

On your first trip to the mall or designer shop selling formal wear for men, you may be a bit surprised to find out that there’s more than one tuxedo shirt style available, and that’s not even half of your entire attire.

His perfect outfit on your wedding
His perfect outfit on your wedding
The best groom on his white tuxedo
The best groom on his white tuxedo
His Fabulous Tuxedo and Bow Tie
His Fabulous Tuxedo and Bow Tie

If James Bond can pick out tuxedo styles that make any red-blooded woman swoon with desire and delight, then why can’t you? Choosing the perfect tuxedo won’t be easy, but with more information on the different tuxedo styles, this hard decision could become less complicated.

The Wedding Tuxedo

The Perfect Man to Marry
The Perfect Man to Marry
The wedding tuxedo is the same tuxedo that you wear to any formal event. Its design and style may be a tad bit more formal than your prom tuxedo, but it generally has the same pieces and accessories. A complete wedding tuxedo consists of trousers, a jacket, a tie or bow tie, a shirt, studs, cuff links and a vest or cummerbund.

Traditionally, the wedding tuxedo’s jacket is supposed to be single breasted and made of black wool. The jacket may have either trick, notch, peaked or shawl lapels, and should be covered in satin. Modern wedding tuxedo jackets may be trimmed with wool or grosgrain instead of satin. The buttons, however, should remain satin-covered.

Your trousers on the other hand, should be made of the same material as your jacket. The trousers bear side seams that are designed with inch-wide satin ribbons made to match your lapel.

The shirt is usually white in color with linked cuffs. When picking out your shirt, you can go for pleated shirts with a turn-down collar and barrel cuffs, or you can go for a pique bib with French cuffs and a turn-down collar. If you’re going for a wing collar shirt, find one with barrel cuffs to complement your tux design.

Tux with green combination
Tux with green combination
Would you want an all black
Would you want an all black
A simple black tuxedo
A comfortable black tuxedo

Wedding tuxedos can be purchased from malls, retail stores and designer shops. If you’re looking for a great deal, you can look for discounted designer wedding tuxedos online.

If your wedding is going to be the first and the last time you wear an expensive tuxedo, rent your tux instead of buying a brand-new outfit.

Choosing Between Tuxedo Styles

Bride and Groom
The best Attire for your Wedding
The classic tuxedo may be black but you’re not restricted to wearing this somber color. Most modern tuxedos come in varying colors. There are also numerous tuxedo styles available to you. You can go for a peak lapel tuxedo jacket, a notch lapel tuxedo jacket or even a shawl lapel tuxedo jacket.

The following are some of the most popular tuxedo styles available.

  • Stroller: The stroller is a tuxedo type worn by male attendants in a wedding. You can also use this type of wedding tuxedo if you plan on having a day ceremony.
  • Full Dress Tailcoat: Ultra-formal and über-fashionable, the full dress tailcoat is a tuxedo type that is often worn for highly formal weddings and White Tie events.
  • Notch Lapel Tuxedo: The notch lapel tuxedo is highly recommended for formal weddings.
  • Peak Lapel Tuxedo: Another fascinating option for formal weddings, the peak lapel tuxedo is the more traditional version of the notch lapel tuxedo. You can wear this type of tuxedo for morning weddings or nighttime ceremonies.

When picking out the perfect tuxedo style, go for a wedding tuxedo that complements your bride’s attire and also flatters your frame.

Notch Lapel Tuxedo
Notch Lapel Tuxedo
Your frame ultimately affects your choice of tuxedo. If you’re on the short and stocky side, the last thing you need is a tuxedo that adds the look of extra pounds to your frame. Pick a tuxedo that gives you the illusion of a longer and slimmer outline.

Slim shawl collars are highly effective for lengthening your appearance. Make sure the top button is located near the small of your waist to provide a less-rounded appearance.

Steer clear from broad-shoulder jackets and stick to a tuxedo jacket that follows your natural shoulder line instead.

If you’re on the short and slender side, then go for tuxedo jackets that are single breasted with long lines. Wide-peak lapels and a low button stance help create the illusion of length for your body. You could also wear a delicately patterned vest, a double-breasted jacket and a matching tie for a more distinguished appearance.

Ready for his Bride
Ready for his Bride
As for your trousers, make sure they are hemmed somewhere near top of your shoe. The end of your pants should also slant a bit downward at the back.

If you’re tall with a husky frame, you can enhance your broad shoulders with a shawl collar tuxedo. Jacket-length is of utmost importance, so make sure your fingertips reach the end of your tuxedo jacket. Your shirt cuffs should also be about half an inch longer than your jacket sleeve.

Now, if you’re tall and slim, you can pick out any tuxedo style you wish, just make sure the tuxedo follows your body’s natural lines.

You will find a great number of tuxedo shirts available. As for your trousers, you can opt to have pleated trousers or non-pleated trousers with either an adjustable or a non-adjustable waist band.

Accessorizing the Tuxedo

Traditional tuxedos usually have black bow ties that are made to complement the lapels. A low-cut and usually three-button waistcoat or a cummerbund is usually a required part of your tuxedo. Patent leather shoes that match your tuxedo color are a must!

If you want a more modern appearance, go for a five or six button vest that matches your bride’s gown, along with a tie of the same color. Use studs or cuff links to complete your overall look.

When to Wear It?

Tuxedos are worn at black tie events or on formal and semi-formal occasions.

This will help you pick the perfect wedding tuxedo, see the video below.

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video


What Other People Thought

Jerold said on, October 02, 2008
Pretty comprehensive article and one that I found really useful. Thanks for writing this up. It has really helped me a lot. Keep up the good work.

View 1 Comments

What Do You Think?