Tweed for a Wedding Suit?

[billyspew]

so I'm getting married in about a year and have just started to plan it and budget for it. I've had the idea that I'd like to wear a full 3 piece tweed suit for the day (with trousers not breeks). I feel this would be slightly different and make me stand out somewhat from the groomsmen, as well as giving me ample choice of matching with the colour scheme, when chosen by my better half. Not sure where I'll have it made yet, but the tailor I normally use for made-to-measure suits (Roderick Charles) offers some tweed cloths or for a slightly lower cost option I might go with a Bookster.

The nagging thought is that this would be just a little too odd and eccentric or that it might be a major faux pas.

What do people think?

Thanks,

Bill

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I wouldn't have a problem, but i'm weird that way about traditions. Damn them to hell. If you care what other people might think (i usually don't; none of their business), e.g. parents etc, you might go for something a bit more "normal". Nothing worse than a badly fitting morning suit - go to any wedding and see them congregated.

I own a guy's wedding suit from 1948 that's 3-piece in a very heavy diagonal pattern tweed in alternating brown/taupe. Very nice suit.

bk

 

[KILO NOVEMBER]

This is a public event

Unless things are very different on your side of the pond, weddings (the public, ceremonial EVENT) are the province of the bride. It's very likely that since your intended was a tot, she and her friends have been dressing up and playing the bride. It's likely that she has been daydreaming about this more or less continually as long as she can remember.

I imagine that I am like most men. I can't say I gave the ceremony much thought until after my marriage proposal was accepted. You don't want to come in this late in the fantasy and do something that will upset your future wife's big day. And make no mistake. If there are bridesmaids and et cetera, this is going to be HER big day. So, the advice of a man who has been married more than half of his life (to the same woman) is, take her temperature on the topic.

If your question here is along the lines of, "Should I broach the subject?", then by all means, talk to her about it. If your question is, "Is it OK to tell here that I plan to wear a tweed suit at the wedding ceremony?", the answer is "No". Be prepared to yield gracefully on this one, if necessary.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I will add that i've seen many pictures of UK wedding days from the golden era, and the morning suit seems to have been the preserve of the upper middle to upper classes. No-one in my family, for example, got married in anything other than "their suit". They owned only one; after the war this was typically their demob suit.


There is a great illustration in esquire or AA (probably both) of a wedding party where the groom has acquiesced to the morning suit, but has spiced it up with grey herringbone tweed trousers, rather than the usual striped numbers.

bk

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I say, it's your wedding, wear what you want.

 

[Creeping Past]

I've been thinking about tweed for a wedding suit, so that's a second yes to your question.

As to tradition, my view is that the wedding day is not the bride's day. That's a throwback to the times when the wedding day was all she had to call her own.

 

[Feraud]

A custom decent fitting tweed suit has to be better than those ill fitting monstrosities most men have to endure on their wedding day.

 

[Lefty]

The two most important questions:

1) What does your fiance think of the idea (as addressed above)?

2) Who's paying for the wedding? If it's anyone other than you, consider running the idea by them.

Also, consider the reception. I'm not sure how much dancing and celebrating you plan to do, but even a lightweight tweed 3 piece is going to get quite warm.

 

[Geesie]

I've been thinking about tweed for a wedding suit, so that's a second yes to your question.

As to tradition, my view is that the wedding day is not the bride's day. That's a throwback to the times when the wedding day was all she had to call her own.

I think he may want to see if this is his fiancé's view as well. One does not want to cause undue conflict.

 

[billyspew]

In reference to the above, I have run it by her and she's fine with it (I wear tweed pretty regularly anyway), as long as it does match the colour scheme.
I am paying for it in full so there's no issue there.
In terms of dancing and celebration, it'll probably be just the first dance for me, plus it in in dear old blightly so I'm not going to hope too much for good weather!
Plus on weather it's her wedding or ours, it's very much ours as I will be expected to do much of the planning and management - I'll just leave the actual important stuff to her.

Thanks for all your opinions, once we've decided on colour scheme I may well ask about which tweed & lining to go with.

TTFN,

Bill

P.S. BK, I'd love to see the design of that wedding suit from 1948 if possible - it might give me ideas?

 

[Carlisle Blues]

You seem to have answered your own questions. Good for you.:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Good luck. Post Pics.

 

[Orsini]

Unless what you propose is some normal variation in your locale, I do not recommend this.

This is the bride's (and her mother's) big day and you are stuck having to comply with their wishes. If you are fortunate, you may be able to successfully lobby for one of the conventional alternatives for your culture. If you insist on something the bride (or her mother) does not like, you will get to hear about it for the rest of your life from your bride (and her mother).

I like day semi-formal a lot, but the navy solid lounge suit with black captoe oxfords, white FC shirt, and a wedding tie can be a very nice alternative. I expect there must a vintage variation of this, the bride (or her mother) is much less likely to hire a hit man to hunt you down, and you can wear it the rest of your life for business (less the wedding tie.)

I almost forgot: include a boutonnière and a pocket square and don't match the bride's dress if you can at all avoid it.

EDIT: Actually, I see by the OP's later post, he is clear on all accounts. This is excellent.

In that case, go forth, and dazzle the multitudes!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

P.S. BK, I'd love to see the design of that wedding suit from 1948 if possible - it might give me ideas?

Sure, i'll get some pics to you soon. I have some images hanging around somewheres. It was a January wedding in Minnesota (according to the family member i bought it from) so it's a very heavy tweed.

bk

 

[Paisley]

The nagging thought is that this would be just a little too odd and eccentric or that it might be a major faux pas.

I have nothing against a tweed suit. But if you have a bad feeling about something, it's almost always best not to do it.

 

[Tiller]

Well since the misses has no problem with it go for it! Will you also have a hat on outdoors?

The best of luck to you, and I hope you have a long happy marriage :eusa_clap . Don't forget the pics for your friendly neighborhood Fedora Loungers to admire .

 

[GBR]

I would see no great problem with it. It is your wedding and your call, no one else's - and it is a damn sight better than those that wear evening dress for a daytime wedding.

Good luck.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

... and it is a damn sight better than those that wear evening dress for a daytime wedding.

Yes indeed. The word that come to mind is "arriviste", if not downright "vulgar".


Frankly, overdressing tends to be overrated around here.


.

 

[Paisley]

Frankly, overdressing tends to be overrated around here..

Agreed.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

The key is to dress well for any occasion. If you must err, then do err on the conservative side of dressing. But don't make the mistake of equating "conservative" with "overdone". You can be conservatively dressed on a tennis court or in a gym and still be comfortable, relaxed and in sync with (though not necessarily in full imitation of) the environment around you. Be tasteful without being pretentious, and you'll win every time.


Above all, don't dress to convey a sense of high falsehood. If you're an entry-level office employee, don't wear the duds of a CEO. You'll fool no one and unimpress many. Don't use your clothes to make you feel superior.


If an invitation doesn't say "Black Tie" or "Black Tie Optional", then don't wear black tie.

.

 

[Matt Deckard]

/\ what he said.

It's cool to wear tweed if it doesn't look affected. You should just look like you are getting married in a country suit. I could see how it could look off base by trying to make it over fastidious, yet if the whole look is kept even keel with the tweed then tweed shouldn't be a problem.

Now what is the rest of the wedding party wearing? you cant have groomsmen in tuxes with a groom in tweed.