Because, yes, at the end of the day, a groom, his groomsmen, and guests want to peacock it out a bit—it ’ s a special occasion, why not ? ! —but they besides want to follow some rules to make sure all the elements of their wardrobe make sense and fit the hang and feel of the day. While the shirt might not seem like the anchor of their wedding-day spirit, we spoke with a stylist and menswear charming who assured us that a shirt provides the staging for the rest of the corps de ballet. “ Which shirt to wear to a marry boils down to three things : first, the snip code ; second, what you feel most comfortable wear ; and third, what looks best on your body type, ” describes Nick Arrington, effigy adviser and men ’ south fashion model .
Meet the Expert
- Nick Arrington is a sartorial connoisseur and model. Over the years, he has styled for RalphLauren.com and hosted numerous suiting tutorials for J. Crew, while also representing standout brands like Brooks Brothers and Duchamp London. Beyond modeling campaigns, he also curates looks for brand storylines and aspirational shoots, and provides white-glove styling services to grooms and groomsmen on their actual wedding days.
The Basics of a Dress Shirt
dress shirts are surely more decorous than a tee shirt or polo shirt, but that doesn ’ thyroxine mean every button down shirt with long sleeves is on par in terms of formality for a marry. Arrington tells us that “ it ’ s crucial to go over the basics of a dress shirt, first base, and then move into the vary types, starting with the most ball, closing with the least dinner dress, and some that should not be worn to a wedding, if ever. ” As a note, Arrington prides himself on being a steadfast advocate of the dialect “ classics always win, ” so his style cues do lean more courtly .
Collars
On a dress shirt, the collar is frequently the most classifiable contribution of the dress. There are some who believe that collars should be chosen to counterbalance a certain facial determine ( i.e. for narrower faces, a unfold choker is good ; for round faces, a pinpoint collar is best ), but we see it as more of a personal taste call .
Pinpoint or Classic
Consider the pinpoint or classic collar your al-qaeda point of reference—your ‘ criterion ’ collar, so to speak. “ You ’ ll find this on a distinctive dress shirt you would wear to the function, but they can besides be found on a courtly dinner jacket shirt, ” relays Arrington. Depending on the human body you choose to follow with your pinpoint or authoritative collar, you can make this shirt more or less formal. But as a general rule of finger, “ a well-tailored plain, white dress shirt will suffice for any dinner dress occasion – like a wedding – with the correct accessories. ”
Spread
Alternatively, a spread collar—especially one that is ‘ tall, ’ with a higher collar band, is a act more dinner dress, extremely versatile, and decidedly on-trend. “ To the untrained center, a gap collar broadly looks the same as a pinpoint ; however, the ends of the choker are ‘ unfold ’ away from your apprehension bone, ” defines Arrington .
Cutaway
When the points of the collar aggressively spread away from your collar bone, it ’ mho called a cutaway collar. Arrington continues that “ they are cut back far enough that the points are hidden under the lapels of your jacket. If you see a gentleman in one of these, this is far from his first dinner dress event. He ’ s a temper semiformal attendant and he doesn ’ t mess about. Or, I may have dressed him. It ’ south my personal favored. ”
Club
The club collar became democratic in the mid-1800s, as depart of Eton College ’ mho ( where Prince William and Prince Harry went to school ) dress code. Though it isn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate seen excessively much nowadays, the round collar, or “ soft ” collar, as Arrington calls it, is still an interesting and exclusive front. You can turn up the level of edification by keeping the connect knot small and sticking a horizontally lying metallic pin across the spread to connect the two points. however, as a largely nostalgic and preppy aesthetic, you credibly wouldn ’ triiodothyronine be turning up to a wedding wearing a club collar unless you were a truthful style-phile .
Wing
A wing-tip collar has been en vogue for decades : It features a little standing collar with the points ( tips, like the claim ) pressed polish so they stick out horizontally, like wings. “ You would never wear a shirt like this outside of pairing it with a dinner jacket and, more importantly, a bow tie, ” relays Arrington. “ If the groom is wearing a winged collar dinner jacket shirt, chances are he may even be donning tails and the event ’ second attire code could even be white-tie. Posh, to say the least. ”
To add, apprehension stays will be your greatest defense against flaps flying all over the place at your marry or one that you ’ re attend. “ The stopping point thing you want is your collar roll around or getting out of topographic point, and the easiest way to prevent this are collar stays, ” assures Arrington. “ They ’ rhenium little tab, typically made from brass. I have seen them in greatest silver, gold, and even platinum. You precisely pop them in the pinpoints of your collar, and if you ’ rhenium unretentive like me or forget to take out your collar stays in the laundry, go with brass, that ’ s your most economic option. ”
Cuffs
even though cuffs are largely concealed when worn under a suit or dinner jacket crown, the few centimeters that are visible can hush be especial and uniquely courtly or less courtly. You can choose between two basic types of cuffs, and then make humble tweaks to the supreme headquarters allied powers europe of the cuff. Rounded edges are traditionally more elegant and refined, while straight cuffs skew a bit more relax and casual .
Barrel Cuffs
These types of cuffs are the standard for most dress shirts. Featuring a elementary clitoris settlement, it ’ s a extremely simple, but streamlined and efficient look. furthermore, you can opt for a one or two-button barrel manacle, which basically fair relates to the constriction of the cuff. Two-button barrel cuffs are a bit longer and can be made more cubby at the wrist—they besides read more conventional than their one-button counterparts. therefore, for wedding guests, a two-button barrel cuff may be the arrant balance of traditional and formal, without overshadowing the dress or his groomsmen .
French Cuffs
Whereas a barrel cuff uses buttons to secure the ring in position, a french cuff is folded back over itself and fastened by cufflinks. Arrington notes that “ the eminence of this cuff, in using cufflink closures, adds a degree of formality and sophism to the shirt you ’ vitamin d want for a wedding. ” Whether the groom and his groomsmen decide to wear dinner jacket or tailored suits, the choice to wear french cuffs will always be the more dinner dress and advisable recommendation .
And as for the cufflinks to go with the french cuffs, “ I would recommend something simple that matches the rest of your hardware. For exemplar, if you are wearing a signet band or determine, your cufflinks should follow suit, ” says Arrington. “ I would discourage any freshness, excessively, when it comes to questions of formality. Will anyone take you badly with jack-o-lantern fungus cufflinks ? even if the marry is actually on Halloween, don ’ thyroxine risk being that guy. ”
Front Placket
Don ’ t get thrown off by the foreignness of the name, placket merely refers to the double over layer of framework in the center of the shirt that holds buttons on the shirt fastening. There are several types of them, but for the sake of brevity, Arrington notes the downstairs as the three most common and desirable for wedding events—ranging from least to most dinner dress .
That being said, you can bump the formality and wedding-worthiness up on your wardrobe with stud. “ In ball settings, like weddings, these are used in place of buttons to fasten your shirt. A valet ’ mho studs match his cufflinks, for a expect that is evolved and elegant, ” shares Arrington .
Standard
On a basic dress shirt, the buttons that close the shirt are visible. It ’ s the most traditional, no-fuss look that can work in both professional and social settings .
Hidden
A more courtly design wholly hides the buttons of a shirt. This fairly, polished, and modern likeness looks great for a marry and pairs sublimely with a bow tie .
Bib
A more formal invention that features a special piqué framework sew on the battlefront. The pleat model is very high-society and a perfective fit for grooms and groomsmen to wear with classic dinner jacket.
When Each type of Shirt is Preferred
once you have a well-defined understand of dress-shirt slang and how each is constructed, you can begin to think about the wedding settings conducive to wearing each, respectively. Going back to Arrington ’ s earlier point, remember that formality is decidedly influential, but not the only factor in determining what type of shirt you should go with for an approaching marriage ( if not your own ). Comfort-level and body-flattery are crucial, deoxyadenosine monophosphate well. “ so, if you do not like or feel convinced in bowties, it ’ mho credibly not a adept mind to wear a wing-collared dinner jacket shirt, ” offers Arrington. “ If you are a larger valet, a bibbed shirt with pleats may make you look wider, and frankincense, it ’ s not the particular style for you. fortunately, this is a shirt type for all of us. ”
Using “ semiformal ” —the pinnacle of formality ( away from white-tie ) —as a start bespeak, Arrington notes which combination of shirt and accessories best aligns with the gentleman ’ south character in the wedding ( from attendant to dress .
As an attendant
As a guest for the marriage, if “ semiformal ” is noted on the invitation, you can opt for any of the above-mentioned shirts and feel confident in your choice. Arrington cautions that you may want to leave the fly collar for the dress —it ’ s a classify of thunder he may want to keep as the guest of respect on his day. “ Black-tie optional is constantly a crafty one, ” he continues. “ I think couples default to a semiformal optional dress code, because their guests may not necessarily be semiformal fix. But if you can do your homework and adopt these firm style rules, you ’ ll be ready when semiformal takes center stage. Well, at least when it comes to your shirt. ”
As a Groomsmen
As a groomsman for the marry, “ you are pretty much at the mercifulness of what the groom wants or assigns to his wedding party, ” concedes Arrington. “ The best matter you can do is make sure your shirt is pressed, clean, and tailored by rights. ”
As the Groom
As the groom for the marry, you should always look the most formal ( for your context ). “ Assuming the dress code is semiformal, a stableman should stand out from his groomsmen in every means, ” says Arrington. “ I would suggest a bibbed shirt, dot, and a bow tie. Again, classics constantly win. ”
Fit and Tailoring
Of course, once you ’ ve found a shirt for the marriage, you ’ ll need to make sealed that it fits you, not good the affair. Arrington tells Brides that “ in order for your shirt to fit you by rights, you ’ ll need something made-to-measure or off the rack with a certain sum of tailoring. ”
How to appropriately Assess Fit
The best way to decide whether tailoring is needed ( and this should be a given, evening in little instances, to ensure your wedding appearance is a perfect as possible ) is to see how the shirt looks tucked in. “ If the shirt mushrooms or balloons over the girdle of your trousers, it ’ randomness besides adult, ” promises Arrington. “ To prevent your shirt from looking like a little chute around your shank, take your shirt to your nearest cut and ask them to adjust the back of your shirt. basically, they will taper the shirt, folding the access substantial in the back and sew darts into it—you can see where the framework is being pulled. ”
If the shirt is distillery besides big, even once the darts are added, then you ’ ve most likely bought the wrong size wholly. To avoid having besides much work to do on your valet ’ s outfit, “ visit a cleaners, a tailoring workshop, or department store and ask an associate degree to measure your neck and arms for a dress shirt. ”
early Types of Shirts to Consider
Since the marry global is constantly evolving, turning trends into newfound traditions, we asked Arrington if he could sound off on a numeral of other shirt types and give us clear-cut answers on whether or not they ’ rhenium “ I do ” apropos—even for more relax dress codes .
The Office Shirt
The epitome of business casual, the office shirt is an article of invest most likely to be worn in a corporate environment. normally sported in egg white, blue, or pink hues, the workplace workhorse is probable to be a pure-cotton Oxford or a herringbone-woven button-down.
Can you wear it? Short answer: Yes, but with caveats
“ typically, when people ask me ‘ Can I get away with this, ’ my answer is ‘ no, ’ ” says Arrington. “ I turn this question around on my customer, would you want anyone ‘ getting away ’ with anything at your wedding ? If you are ever asking yourself if you can ‘ get away ’ with something, chances are, you are going to fail at adhering to the dress code. ”
“ That said, if the dress code is not semiformal, you can confidently wear a shirt you ’ five hundred wear to the office with your suit, ” he says. “ I do encourage solid colors and avoiding button-down collars like the blight. button-down collars are far besides cozy for a wedding. You wear those on a casual Friday to the office. What will dress up your office shirt is preciseness tailoring and a solid steam. If it fits well and is wrinkle unblock, no one will know you wear this shirt on a random Tuesday at your desk. ”
The Overshirt
The overshirt is an outerwear option that can be worn like a shirt, but styled like a jacket ( when in between warm and cold seasons ). This heavier material-made shirt typically features a collar, a clitoris or zip up blockage, and simple barrel cuffs that can be rolled up or down. Keep it open, over a T-shirt for a laid-back look, or buttoned up for a fine-looking hypebeast appearance .
Can you wear it? Short answer: No
“ When I see overshirts, I think lumberman or ‘ man in the woods. ’ In my life, I have never seen a wedding apparel code read ‘ outdoorsy, ’ ” says Arrington. “ Overshirts are besides loosely styled, open, and untucked. It doesn ’ thyroxine sound remotely formal, right ? thus, I wouldn ’ thymine do it. ”
The Linen Shirt
The breathable, moisture-wicking secret weapon for staying cool and comfortable in the height of the leap and summer seasons. Given its delicate, yet durable construction ( sustainably-sourced from fibers of the flax plant ), the shirt can be cadaver at first and require some break in .
Can you wear it? Short answer: Yes, but don’t confuse lightweight for a festive print
“ Destination weddings are most surely a thing ; that we can agree on. The confusion arises when we are deciding what to wear after seeing the temperature of the address, ” shares Arrington. “ If you are reaching for a tropical print shirt, please stop. ”
“ I normally do not recommend linen as these shirts hold wrinkles and photograph ill. however, if you are at a finish wedding with sauna-like temperatures, I can concede, ” he says. “ What I would encourage is finding a cotton and linen-blend dress shirt to mitigate some of the wrinkles. ”
Colors
Arrington notes a few extra tips to follow when choosing the right shirt to go with your suit. If all else fails, he confesses that you can not go wrong with a bright, egg white, crisp shirt. “ It ’ s going to work with every suit no matter the swatch, ” he shares. “ Navy suit, white shirt. Black dinner jacket, white shirt. Gray suit, whiten shirt. Navy crown, white trousers, white shirt. alternatively, if you do prefer a pop of color, then I would recommend a solid unaccented pink or blue. ”
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condition
good manners and respect for the dress code besides mean that you pay attention to the condition of your garments. “ If you have had the shirt for a while, say a release is missing, strings are fraying, or there is any yellowing under the arms of the shirt ( face it we all fret ), do not wear that shirt to a marriage, ” cautions Arrington. “ Buy a new shirt and wear this one entirely for semiformal and ball occasions. It ’ ll be worth it. But, if a newfangled shirt is not in your budget, Shout and Clorox should be your best friend. ”