Well Groomed: The Beach Wedding

Happy Saturday y’all! It’s been a week of hectic jetlag and post-travel lurgy for me, but before I move on to next week’s loveliness (and some exciting reveals!) I wanted to share a bit of beachy inspiration with you all- and this one’s for the boys. The fact is, beach weddings can be a difficult dress code to crack, both for grooms and their parties (and even for male guests).  A suit too smart for sand? Shorts too casual for an important occasion? It’s hard to find the right balance, but fortunately there are lots of stylish grooms both in our own archives and across the web to give the lads some inspiration. I’ve noticed that it really comes down to personal taste – for example, some grooms go all out and take their black tie to the beach, while others jump at the opportunity to wear shorts and sandals. As with all the best groomswear, I think it comes down to personal taste – a little tweak on a favourite summer look – but with a bowtie here and a well-cut open shirt there, just about any combination can be made to work handsomely. And when in doubt, a light linen trouser and white shirt will never serve you wrong. Here are 20 groom’s parties who rocked their tropical look.

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Well Groomed: Tweed Suits

This afternoon, we’re off to the English countryside. Tally ho! Or at least, that’s what it feels like, with this particular trend in groomswear that just happens to be perfect for an autumn wedding. The look is all British heritage – tweed, herringbone, waistcoats, blazers – even cravats. I think of it as ‘country pursuits’, as in “I’m jolly well going clay pigeon shooting after this wedding chaps, or possibly for a stroll on the estate”. The good news is, you don’t actually have to be a lord of the manor to pull it off – it’s all about those warm, heavy fabrics, and pairing them the right way to suit the overall style and level of formality for your wedding. Whether just the groom goes for a tweed suit, or whether the look is extended to the whole set of groomsmen, here are a few ways to make it work.

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Well Groomed: Smart Casual

Today’s trend roundup is all about the boys (hello, boys!). And one of the biggest trends in groomswear (and even more so for groomsmen) is smart casual wedding gear. Obviously this isn’t going to suit all weddings (you want your levels of formality to match, for example) or all grooms (this is his chance to dress up in a beautifully tailored suit, just as much as it’s yours to wear a fairytale dress) but if you’re planning a less formal occasion or if he’s the kind of guy who just isn’t going to feel like himself all stuffed up into a jacket and tie, then there are some other stylish options to consider. Debrett’s defines ‘formal’ smart casual as “a jacket or blazer, flannels, needlecord trousers, or chinos (not jeans), a shirt with a collar, not a t-shirt, and smart shoes, not necessarily lace-ups, but not trainers or sandals”. Where the look leans towards informal, Debrett’s allows for “jeans, but smart, clean, dark-coloured jeans… a shirt and tie can be worn but an open collar is also acceptable.” With these guidelines in mind, here’s a roundup of some of our favourite smart casual looks from real weddings. (Oh, and PS, one of them happens to be a sneak peek from tomorrow’s wedding, so be sure to stop in for more of the groom’s laid back jeans-wearing style!)Read More

Well Groomed: The Pastel Wedding

So here on SBB, we are often all about the girls (well, it is SouthBound bride, after all). But we really do want to make sure that we’re offering inspiration for the boys as well. And the biggest question I get when it comes to the groom and his merry men is: “What colour should the groom wear if our colour scheme is x”. Ah for the days when this was an easy answer, and all you had to do was match your blush and bashful to his shiny cummerband, right? (I’m kidding, obvs. NObody misses the cummerband.) In fact, the first questions to ask when choosing your groomswear aren’t about the colour scheme at all, but rather about the formality of your wedding, the time of day it will be held, and what will make him (and his budget) comfortable. So taking thes factors into account, I’ve put some options together for ice-cream pastel weddings (one of the more challenging of the groomswear dilemmas). Simple answer? Don’t make him wear a pink suit.

Brunch & Daytime Weddings

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