Mens Clothing for Summer Weddings

Summer Wedding Survival Guide for Men

Now that the weather is great and conducive for good photographs, you can hardly blame people for wanting to get married in the summer. A summer wedding, however, could pose a fashion challenge, especially for the men in the crowd. How do you look sharp without sacrificing comfort? It takes a few workarounds to keep your cool, no matter how long the lovebirds might take to exchange their vows.

The Lightweight Suit
Countless things in fashion have workarounds, but there is simply no working around a dress code. If it says suit and tie, you had better wear a suit and tie to the ceremony. What you can do instead is to wear lighter, more summer-friendly versions of the same pieces.

Suits, in particular, come in a wide variety of weights depending on the style and fabric. Of the ones you are likely to see in the store, linen is easily the most summer-friendly of them all. The material is both light and breathable, making it easier for you to wear it all throughout a two-hour affair. Linen also has excellent wicking properties, so you’ll stay cool even when you’ve already begun to sweat.

Wools aren’t entirely displaced, either. There are certain varieties of wool suits – the 60/40 combo, for example – that can be made summer-weight. You’ll have to ask the salespeople, though, as the selection for wools is very, very wide. The bright side of this is that you can just as easily wear the suit to the office as the summer garden wedding.

The Light Color Palette
Surviving a formal affair in the heat also requires a change in mindset with regard to the colors you choose. Remember that darker colors take in more light and, consequently, more heat in the long run. Lighter colors don’t just give your outfit that summer vibe; they’re the practical choice when the mercury is way, way up.

Generally speaking, a light enough color should get you through most formal and casual occasions. That means you could have anything from a pale, pale olive shirt to one in a salmon color that’s slightly brighter and bolder. Greens, blues and pinks, however, are among the more classic colors. Don’t forget to match the shirt with a strong, dark tie to keep your ensemble masculine and formal.

For more formal occasions – somewhere in between "black tie attire" and "coat and tie" – you may find a colored shirt somewhat too casual. White is the safest option in such a case, but a pale enough shade of any color will also do well. Very, very pale shades of pink and blue – light to the point of being almost white – can sub for white while adding a bit of life and energy to your outfit.

If you can afford lighter colors for your bigger items – a beige or khaki suit, for example, as an option to navy or gray – make that investment. You can use the same pieces for daily office attire anyway, so you can still get a lot of bang for your buck.

The Light Accessories
Even when they have a lightweight suit and light-colored clothes, a lot of men forget to adapt their accessories for the warmer season. They are very small items, but each one of these minor fashion details matter when you are talking about overall comfort.

Most men's accessories have counterparts that make use of lighter and more sweat-proof (or sweat-friendly) materials. Your watch, for example, could probably do with a nylon strap for the summer to accommodate all the extra sweating you are bound to do. Silk ties can be subbed with microfiber ones, which are lighter and have more movement to them.

Try as much as possible (and prudent, as per the dress code) to swap out the leathers, silks and metals for lighter fabrics like canvas and linen. A canvas belt, linen handkerchief and microfiber necktie are all very popular items among the fashion set every time summer is due to rear its warm head.

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Mens Summer Suits
Mens Summer Fashion

Your Bows-n-Ties.com Team