The Most Common Groomsmen Fashion Faux Pas

Common Groom & Groomsmen Fashion Faux Pas to Avoid

Usually we at Bows-N-Ties spend our time giving advise on how to do things right in terms of style, clothing, and fashion. This time around, however, our attention goes to some of the worst fashion faux pas. In particular, we have focused on the worst wedding fashion mistakes commonly made by grooms and groomsmen. With the input from our 8,000+ Facebook fans we compiled a list of the Top 9 Worst Groomsmen Fashion Faux Pas below, along with an explanation of what makes each one so awfully bad.

#1 Poorly Fitting Suits & Tuxes
Poorly fitting suits or tuxedos are never a good thing - especially not on your wedding day. You have spent months preparing for this occasion, and there is simply no excuse not to have sought out  the help of an experienced tailor. Things like the right shoulder fit, proper length on sleeves, pants and jacket, as well as the right fit on waistline and torso, are all things that need to be taken into consideration. Our tip: do a Yelp review on some tailors in your area. Seek a professional! You will be glad you did once you see the pictures.

A good example of poorly fitted tuxes. The pants are too long, and the pieces are simply too baggy for most of these guys' builds. Unfortunately this is an all-too-common style Faux Pas found on rentals. Seek an expert tailor instead!

#2 Wrinkled Clothing
Going right along with poor fit, there is no excuse to show up in wrinkled clothing to a wedding - especially not when you are in the wedding, or are the groom himself. Wrinkles will make even the nicest and most expensive designer suit/tux look sloppy. Don't even attempt to iron your own garment but instead entrust this to a professional dry cleaner. Should you be part of a destination wedding, then check beforehand where to get your clothes dry-cleaned.

A suit that is not only too big and baggy but is also quite wrinkled. This is an all too easy mistake to avoid. Our tip: Seek the help of a professional dry-cleaner, and plan ahead in case of a destination wedding.



#3 Bad Shoes
Given the fact that shoes are one of the most noticed accessories, it is worth it to pay extra attention to your footwear. This means that your worn out dress shoes, the ones you wear to work each day, will look out of place at your friend's wedding. The same is true for flip-flops and tennis shoes. Instead invest in a nice pair of calfskin oxfords - something that will never go out of style - and don't forget to shine and polish them the night before.

Worn out and un-polished dress shoes are (unfortunately) an all too common thing at weddings. Instead, invest in a classic pair of calfskin oxfords, and don't forget to polish and shine them.



Even worse than worn-out dress shoes are sneakers or tennis shoes in combination with a tuxedo.  Paring formal suits with tennis shoes are one of the most common Fashion Faux Pas, pointed out by our 8,000+ Facebook fans.



#4 Camo Print or Jeans
We never even thought  there would be wedding parties that would decide to wear Camo. This major wedding style Faux Pas was brought to our attention by our Facebook fans.



We actually couldn't believe it when our Facebook fans told us that they have attended a "hunting themed wedding" with groom and groomsmen dressed in Camo. After some searching on Tumblr, Pinterest, and Google, we realized that this indeed exists. We asked ourselves if the women wore fur coats???



#5 An Overly Matchy-Matchy Look
When we asked via our Facebook page about the "Biggest Groomsmen Fashion Faux Pas", many of our fans were not shy to voice their dislike of the "overly matchy-matchy look" consisting of color matching cummerbund, vest, tie, and pocket square. Words like "tacky", "Disney", and "High School Prom" were used to describe this look. We at Bows-N-Ties have never been a fan of overly color matched ensembles. For that reason we worked diligently with our designers to offer a wide range of different wedding ties for all the popular bridal colors. That way you can dress your men in color coordinating ensembles that are not too overly "match-matchy".

Our Facebook fans were not shy about sharing their dislike of the overly matchy-matchy look. Many of our fans told us that wedding parties that try too hard to color coordinate with cummerbund, tie, and pocket square look too much like "High School prom".



#6 Color Clashing
Wearing clashing colors on one outfit is likely not done on purpose. While an overly "match-matchy" look is a wedding fashion Faux Pas on its own, dressing a group in too many clashing colors can be equally bad. Instead choose colors that harmonize with one another, and avoid too many bright hues from the same color family.

A good idea but bad execution: Colored and patterned socks are a perfect way to add uniqueness to your formal wedding ensemble, but too many clashing colors (as shown by the socks above) can cause a major disconnect.



#7 Poor Personal Hygiene and Grooming
While we think that this one goes without saying, some of our Facebook fans told us that they have seen scruffy bearded groomsmen all too often. While we think that a beard can indeed be stylish, poor hygiene, on the other hand, never deserves applauding.

While Michael Bolton might be able to rock his 1980s mullet, you on the other hand, most certainly can't. Our Facebook fans voted poor personal hygiene (incl. unkempt bears, scruffy hair, and mullets) as one of the most common groomsmen fashion faux pas.



#8 Sports Sunglasses
No matter how much you like your pair of Oakleys when racing your bicycle, leave them at home when dressing in suit & tie. Instead, opt for a pair of shades that were not designed with sports in mind. Additionally, our Facebook fans pointed out that wearing "sunglasses at night or indoors looks nothing shy of ridiculous."

Nick Nolte's look from the 2012 Oscars deservingly put him on many "worst dressed lists". Besides poor clothing fit, his choice of wearing sports sunglasses at night, paired with a formal black tie ensemble, was enough to give him a "worst dressed man" of the evening award.



#9 Oversized Boutonnieres
Boutonnieres are one of the more commonly worn accessories used to decorate wedding suits and/or tuxes. But all too often wedding parties take it too far. Bigger is not always better! The boutonniere is supposed to be a small accessory. Wearing anything larger than a few inches tall will look out of place. After all, it is called boutonniere, and not bouquet.


The boutonniere should not be much wider than your suit's lapels. Anything larger than 4-5 inches tall will look out of place.

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Mens Style Tips for Summer Weddings
Groomsmen Attire for Teal Weddings

Your Bows-N-Ties Wedding Team