It’s a piece of (wedding) cake.

IT’S A PIECE OF (WEDDING) CAKE

• WORDS: L. HOLMES

As wedding season kicks off, you might be thinking about what you’ll wear. Whether you’re a humble guest or taking centre stage as the groom, you want your outfit to feel worthy of the big day.

So how about embracing a more tactile fabric, like tweed? Once the go-to textile for the high-born country living set, today’s tweed translates as well to city celebrations as it does a knees-up in a traditional stately home.

slim fit herringbone tweed suit | white piquet textured shirt | white with sage border linen hankie | brown Camden loafer

HOW DO I WEAR TWEED IF I’M THE GROOM?

Wearing a tweed suit to your own big day is a piece of (wedding) cake. As some of you may already have noticed, we’ve got something of a soft spot for this hardworking fabric right now.

And why wouldn’t we? No longer just for the stiff-upper-lip set, tweed has successfully managed to shrug off its dowdy reputation and is full of character and heritage – ideal for the main man of the day. As the groom, wearing yours as a three-piece will have more impact, and all you’ll need to do is pair it with a shirt in a complementary shade and perhaps a floral tie and pocket square to contrast with the tweed.

Our sage green tweed ticks all the boxes when it comes to a modern wedding suit – in a trending green tone, it comes in as a three-piece or a two-piece (depending on how formal you’re planning on going) and works well with a pique shirt if you want to double on the texture front. Add a linen pocket square with a sage border for extra detailing, and finish with a pair of chunky loafers for a contemporary twist.

I WANT SOMETHING BOLD – DOES TWEED COME IN ANY OTHER COLOUR?

Indeed it does. We’ve also given this traditional textured fabric a contemporary spin in shades of khaki, light blue and olive. It’s a modern riff on a timeless classic if ever there was one, and is definitely something to consider for the more adventurous grooms out there.

Set off your tweed suit by contrasting it with a plain white shirt and a soft-hued tie, or double down on its bold colour by wearing it with patterns in the same shade, like a striped shirt or polka dot accessories – today’s tweed is nothing if not versatile.

If you do want to go down the neutral route, our slim fit stone donegal is a sharp, smart choice. Crafted from a wool blend with added stretch, it’ll keep you comfortable at the drafty town hall or barn wedding alike, and looks really put together when paired with a tonal tie.

I’M A GUEST AT COUNTLESS WEDDINGS – SHOULD I HIRE MY TWEED SUIT OR BUY IT?

Either – the choice is yours depending on your budget. Buying a tweed wedding suit means more of an investment, but it’ll take you all the way through wedding season by styling it differently each time you wear it. Keep yours smart with its matching waistcoat and a tie for one wedding, try it with a slightly more casual button-collar shirt for another and then dress it down with just a printed shirt or lightweight knit for a more relaxed big day.

One option for a wintry wedding is the slim fit brown tweed suit. With the optional waistcoat, you can up the ante and go full three-piece or tone it down with just the jacket and trousers. If you do want to style it the classic way, choose a brown bordered pocket square, while adding a chunky loafer and belt will add a modern more relaxed feel to the look.

If you do decide to hire tweed, you can experiment with a different tweed suit for each set of up-and-coming nuptials without the expense (or guilt) of buying a new piece every time. Win-win.

 

 

CAN I HIRE MY TWEED WEDDING SUIT?

Definitely. If you still have any lingering reservations about wearing say, sage tweed to your own wedding (and by the way you absolutely can) consider hiring rather than buying especially if you know that you’re only going to wear the suit just the once. Spending less money on yourself – or your groomsmen for that matter – should be incentive enough to encourage you to take that leap of faith while also leaving a bigger budget for that open bar you’ve promised your nearest and dearest.

The slim fit blue donegal is one of the many suits you can hire for your wedding. Crafted from a texture wool-blend, it’s a classic tweed design with a slim fit so it sits snugly across your shoulders and arms.