MetaChat - AskMecha: What kind of suit do I wear to co-officiate my best friend's wedding?

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18 January 2008

AskMecha: What kind of suit do I wear to co-officiate my best friend's wedding? →[More:]

I'm officiating a wedding in April in Yosemite! Yay! But I need some fashion advice. The groom said these exact words when I asked him for advice on what to wear:

"a suit should be fine."

I'm 5'6"/167 cm, 145-150 lbs/65-70 kgs, with a bit of a spare tire around my waist, dark brown eyes/ short hair (in a kind of messed-up faux-hawkish style), bearded.

I haven't bought a suit (or really grown at all, lol) since I was 17. I am now 24. Eep.

I guess I'm looking for a few things:

- stores in southern California where I can get a suit or suit components (new or gently used for less than $250, if possible) that doesn't make me look like a trendy club-goer, a gangster, or an 8-year-old making his first communion
- things to look for as marks of good design/construction on a suit (buttons? lapels?)
- advice for looking distinctive as the officiant without overshadowing the happy couple?

Thanks bunnies!

post by: mdonley at: 07:28 | 10 comments

A simple two-button, single-breasted navy blue suit with a quiet tie and a light-colored shirt, kinda job-interviewey; probably a wool blend in a year-round weight.

You want to look neat and well dressed without calling undue attention to yourself. You could go into an S&K or JCPenney and explain, "I need a classic, conservative dark blue suit" and they *better* know what you mean -- a salesclerk in his/her 50s or older certainly would (unless s/he's an idiot).

I'm not a clothes horse but can dress myself for church and other necktie-obliging events, so I'm not hip to all the terminology. Hopefully some other lapine denizens of this site can jump in the mix right quick.

posted by PaxDigita 18 January | 08:46

The groom said these exact words when I asked him for advice on what to wear:

The groom's opinion on these matters is irrelevant. Ask the bride.

posted by ROU Xenophobe 18 January | 09:07

Why, a bunny suit, of course.

posted by netbros 18 January | 09:20

The groom's opinion on these matters is irrelevant. Ask the bride.

How enlightened, ROUX. Of course the groom should have no say in such matters. Ridiculous. Am I incorrect in assuming that MuddDude can dress himself (and therefore, advise his male friends) for occasions more formal than a BBQ?

Anyway, the most important part of buying a suit is the tailoring, so factor that into the cost - if you buy a $200 suit at JC Penney, the tailoring may cost more than $100 on top of that.

posted by muddgirl 18 January | 09:42

I would wear a shiny jumpsuit like Elvis did in the later years. This is why I'm not invited to officiate weddings anymore.

posted by birdherder 18 January | 10:07

If there's a Joseph Bank around, they seem to be having perpetual clearance sales these days. The quality is usually pretty good, and they're good at "classic" styles.

posted by occhiblu 18 January | 12:13

How enlightened, ROUX. Of course the groom should have no say in such matters.

Fine, let me rephrase myself.

There is a dangerously high probability (ie, more than 0.10) that the groom is not fully aware of his bride's desires about the officiant's dress and is passing along incorrect information. mdonley would be well served to hear the bride's expectations from the bride's mouth, especially since in American culture the wedding itself and its trappings are often of greater immediate concern to the bride than the groom.

posted by ROU Xenophobe 18 January | 12:17

If there's a Sims near you, they have a great selection of suits, discounted, and tailors on staff.

posted by bassjump 18 January | 12:28

I don't understand why any mis-communication between the bride and the groom is mdonley's problem.

To be a little fashion-forward without standing out, you can wear a light-colored shirt (that is not white!) with a subtly patterend tie. Like this look. Or a stripy shirt with a solid-colored tie.

posted by muddgirl 18 January | 13:59

Thanks everyone!

posted by mdonley 19 January | 15:07

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