The sun is shining, the temperature's rising, and your mailbox is full of fancy invitations. It can only mean one thing - it's summer wedding season! So first things first - check your calendar, find a date, and buy a gift. But don't forget to read the small print on the invitation - the print that says 'beach wedding' or 'cocktail attire' or 'black-tie optional'. This is what you need to know to figure out what to wear, since different weddings usually call for different styles of dress.
Are you perplexed, and need help decoding the standards of attire? Worry no more - check out our favorite summer wedding looks and be prepared to be the best dressed one there (excluding the bride, of course!).
CASUAL WEDDING
Dressing for a casual summer wedding can be tricky. You may be at the beach, or in someone's backyard - so what's appropriate AND respectful of the big day? In this case, it's all about what you're wearing on the bottom - lightweight pants or snappy shorts.
A beach wedding calls for an easy breezy look, and what's more breezy than a linen shirt? Keep cool in thin cotton pants, but add some color so you don't blend into the sand. With a look this simple accessories are key - so find your striped espadrilles, a belt with texture, and some killer shades.
Yes, you can wear shorts to a backyard wedding, but you need to dress them up. A button-down shirt, vest and lace-ups let you bare your legs in style.
AFTERNOON WEDDING
An afternoon wedding is sometimes inside, sometimes outside - but by nature of the time of day, it's a bit more casual than an evening affair. Think ceremony and reception at a vineyard, or church wedding at noon with late lunch at a restaurant. But just because it's casual doesn't mean it’s time to be slouchy - the occasion still calls for a jacket, but you can definitely have some real fun with your look. There are two ways to go - light colored suit, or statement blazer.
A light colored suit is a mainstay in a warm-weather traditional work wardrobe, but take it to the wedding weekend by losing the tie, adding a fun pocket square, and remembering your loafers but forgetting your socks.
Want to stand out in the crowd? Grab a blazer with loads of personality, add some white khakis, and then play up the color.
COCKTAIL
When the invitation says 'cocktail', a blazer is required, but a suit is not. This is the time to make your look a little more serious. So the question is - suit or sportcoat?
A dark suit is the ultimate in versatility in any man's wardrobe, but for a summer wedding make sure it's in a lighter weight fabric. Linens, silks, cottons, and even lightweight wools will weather the rising temperatures. To raise your style quotient, add a dark shirt in an unexpected print.
Do you wish you had more opportunities to wear a tie? Even if you don't, this is the time to pull one out. After all, how many weddings do you really go to anyway?
BLACK TIE OPTIONAL
'Black tie optional' is, at face value, cryptic, but is actually pretty straightforward. You can either wear a full-on tuxedo with black tie, or a dark suit, or something in the middle. Now wasn't that easy?
If you don't own a tux, you don't need to buy one - a darker toned suit does the job just as well. Remember to keep the finishing touches classic - this is the time to be subtly suave.....
If you do own a tux, it’s your opportunity to shine. Shake it up a bit with a pale blue french cuff shirt, flash some fun at the ankle, and be prepared to hit the dancefloor.
If you're looking for more men's style inspiration - check out our Pinterest boards! Our street style and accessories boards will give you ideas for all your warm weather occasions, and beyond.....
