Why Wear a Waistcoat?

If you wear a suit to work and don’t want to wear tails at your wedding what do you do?  Simple, buy or hire a suit and add a waistcoat.  Ideally this will co-ordinate with the suit and neckwear, but a waistcoat can also reflect your personality; flamboyant may be your thing.

A waistcoat is a garment that will definitely enhance any outfit, and of course will also ensure that whatever you choose looks less like an everyday outfit.

A waistcoat is also a way of differentiating the groom’s outfit from those of the groomsmen should there be any.  Often the groomsmen can consist of 5-7 people, with the groom (gently guided by his missus-to-be) wanting to stand out or be different.  Nowadays, irrespective of the general colour scheme, the groom is often accessorised to blend in with the bride, resulting in a white or ivory based waistcoat and neckwear.

Assuming you have groomsmen, there are several ways of dressing them to co-ordinate with the groom whilst adding a difference.  This can be that everybody has the same suit and waistcoat, but the groom wears a white or ivory cravat or tie, and the other men wear a colour that matches the colour scheme, usually the bridesmaids’ colours.

Another difference could be that everybody has the same suit and neckwear but with the groomsman having a different waistcoat to the groom.  There are endless combinations to be had, but I would give one piece of advice - limit the amendments within your look otherwise you may lose the ‘group look’ that your guys need.

In addition, I believe that a waistcoat is a garment in its own right and not a basic accessory.  A waistcoat, irrespective of design or colour, should be of a quality that ensures that you and your groomsmen will still look tip top when (not if) your jackets or tailcoats come off as you hit that dance floor.

Article by Groomswear Specialist Steve Bishop

Images Courtesy of Hugh Harris

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