As the groom, you’ll have a choice of a variety of styles of wedding tuxedos so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find one that fits with your needs and your personality. To begin getting an idea of the styles of wedding tuxedos available on the market today, you may want to spend a few minutes flipping through your fiancée’s bridal magazines. While most of the focus will be on the bride, her tasks, her wardrobe and the wardrobe of her attendants, there are also several pictures of grooms which will give you an idea of the types of wedding tuxedos currently available.
You can even go through bridal magazines with your fiancée to help you get a feel of the types of wedding tuxedos she likes. She’s sure to have an opinion on the type of formal suit she likes the best. And you want to make sure you choose one that she’ll like and one that will go with her dress. You also want to make sure you choose tuxes for your groomsmen that will compliment the bridesmaid’s dresses she’s chosen for her attendants.
While looking through bridal magazines will give you a good idea of what’s stylish now, it’s still important to understand the basics of the different styles of wedding tuxedos. The following is a brief description of the types of jackets and shirts available as well as the different styles of vests that are most common. The descriptions will also help you choose something that best suits your body type.
Jackets on wedding tuxedos tend to be double breasted, single breasted, cutaway and tails. Double breasted jackets are as the name implies and are great for larger men who are looking to hide the size of their waists. Single breasted jackets are classic and come in one or two button styles or three or four button styles. Shorter men may prefer the one button option to balance their bodies while taller men may like the two button option. The three or four button options also look good on tall men and lean men.
The cutaway is a traditional morning coat and has swallowtail lines. Tails are as the name implies and only work as wedding tuxedos for very formal or traditional weddings. There is a severe break between the back and the front which makes this a style that’s not very flattering for shorter or round men.
Vests tend to look classier than cummerbunds. There are two vest choices: high vest and low vest. The high vest is similar to a high button coat and is flattering on almost any body type. Men with large torsos often find this style to be the most flattering. Low vests have a low back and must be worn correctly so that they don’t look like belly slings.
Wedding tuxedos only look as good as the collar of the jacket and shirt. So make your selection carefully. Peaked lapels make your body appear leaner and longer. A shawl collar often has a variety of widths so make sure you choose one that matches your body type. Mandarin or banded collars are a bit dated, but can be a good option for slender men. Larger men or men with short, thick necks should stay away from this type of collar.