Reader Questions

From Chris

"I have a friend getting married in two months. He is going to wear morning clothes (yeah!) but is having difficulty locating the proper neckwear. Cravats are hard to come by in number, it seems. Do you have suggestions?"

Macclesfield four in hands would be equally appropriate (that's what the Duke of Windsor wore to marry Wallis and HRH Prince Charles did the same when he married Camilla Parker Bowles) but there should be no problem securing cravats from New & Lingwood or Budd in London.

Planning for Easter

The man in the illustration to the left is wearing a version of the stroller, a form of semi-formal day wear that's rarely seen today. Formal day wear is worn at weddings, funerals, and diplomatic receptions in addition to important Sunday afternoons, such as Easter Sunday.

But for the trousers, it's all fairly standard stuff. Black double breasted jacket with jetted side pockets, Macclesfield necktie, striped shirt with white collar and cuffs and black oxfords. But the trousers! Black and white checked Cheviot, probably of 14-15 ounce cloth. Cheviot is a breed of sheep whose lustrous wool is woven into crisp cloth with an open structure that holds and reflects dye colourings well and wears cooler than its weight.

I have always considered the stroller to be one of the less appreciated parts of men's dress. It doesn't turn heads like the more formal morning coat. Worn in the double breasted version, a stroller doesn't require a light gray vest either, which I believe dates the look considerably. To the man on the street it's just a black jacket with loud trousers. To those in the know it's another way to honor the past in a reasonably up to date way.

I've worn a stroller for about fifteen years but have been frustrated by the trouser choices available. It's not hard to find what are called cashmere stripes, but I'd never seen a proper check. Until last week, when I found a source for black and white shepherd's check like the cloth in the drawing. I have a sample of it in hand - if you'd like a couple of meters, let me know.

What to Wear on Your Wedding Day

Your first marriage is probably your one opportunity for great wedding photos (if you marry more than once, you're likely to avoid making a spectacle of the subsequent occasions). A charcoal or black morning coat, dove gray vest, gray striped or checked trousers, and either a wing collared shirt with an ascot or a turndown collar with a conservative four in hand is the most elegant garb you can don when your bride will be wearing a long dress.

Whatever you do, try to avoid renting clothes. You don't want to find yourself regretting your decision ten years from now when you notice that the best man's shirt is hanging below his knuckles in his photos. Rental clothes are poor quality and they aren't going to fit.

Much as I like formal day wear, I can't insist that every man spend a considerable sum to bespeak morning dress for his wedding if he's unlikely to wear it a second time before he loses his figure. For those men, a charcoal gray suit is likely to be considerably more practical than a morning coat. Wear it with a white shirt with french cuffs and either a light gray or a silver tie. If you're having it made, order it with a double breasted vest. Nicholas Antongiavanni, author of The Suit, likes his.

If your wedding party members are not suit wearing men, put them in navy blazers. Blazers are a lowest common denominator, and your friends probably own one already (if some don't, buy it for them if budget permits and if that's impractical remember that the theory that members of a wedding party should dress alike was promulgated by the rental companies). Combine them with gray trousers, white shirts and matching neckties and you have much of the look of formal morning dress. The sheen of Irish poplin ties would be a nice touch that you could commission as gifts.

The overwhelming majority of weddings are in the afternoon and when that is the case you must avoid evening clothes at all costs. No dinner jackets or tailcoats before 6PM please, no matter how much your fiance may like the lavender ones at the rental store. You're going to have those photos for the duration of your marriage and that's hopefully a very long time.

What's in Your Lapel?

According to the author of The Boutonniere: Style in One's Lapel, wearing a boutonniere, or buttonhole, has never been particularly widespread. We see them today principally at weddings and specific occasions like Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth countries. Our days would be more pleasant if we saw them more often.

Some men probably fear the attention that might come with a buttonhole just as they fear the pocket square. To them I say that there's no need to push the envelope. Think of wearing a buttonhole as a replacement for a silk square, to be worn under the same circumstances. You'll be glad you did.

For day wear, avoid showy flowers in favor of blooms like red and pink carnations. Carnations, and their cousin the Sweet William, gained their popularity because they are among the very few flowers that remain fresh all day without water. Perennials, they are easily grown outdoors and bloom throughout most of the year in California. I have them in a box on my balcony in the City so I can cut one whenever the mood strikes but there's no need to go to that much trouble if you only wear a flower once in a while. The majority of florists I've entered have refused my offer to pay for a single carnation and the rest have been happy with a dollar.

Evening blooms need to remain fresh fewer hours, and that opens up your range of choices. The evening combination of white and black is consistent with white orchids, gardenias, and white or red roses.

At a wedding, the flowers worn by the groom should complement what's in the bride's bouquet. That's often a lily of the valley or a small orchid. The bride's father and the best man wear the same flower as the groom, and the ushers usually wear carnations, sweet peas or small white roses.

Of course, to wear a flower, your lapel must be prepared for it. Never pin a flower to your jacket. The lapel requires a buttonhole that's about an inch and an eighth long, so the base of the flower fits into the space and observers will see the top of the bloom rather than the side. The photo to the left shows the back of the lapel of a Fallan & Harvey suit, with the other necessity - a silk thread to hold the flower stem in place.

If you're one of those men who have open buttonholes on your jacket sleeves, make sure your tailor is also preparing your lapel. It's an inexpensive way to add elegance to your day.