Groomsmen wear?

Knottie64496517

So we ordered our groomsmen tuxes through mens wearhouse because we have groomsmen all over the country.  I just called to verify the reservation and they said it had been cancelled. Whatever. Anyway, they were a little pricey to begin with and some of our groomsmen had complained about the price.  What other alternatives are there for groomsmen wear for groomsmen all over the country other than mens wearhouse? Thanks! We are looking to do tan/khaki pants and vests for the groomsmen with chocolate shoes and belt and the same for my fiancee but with a jacket.  We are having bowties speciality made as a gift.

Maggie0829

Well you should check with your GMs in regards to their budget before you pick anything else.

But if I were you I would just tell the guys to buy a pair of tan slacks and wear a brown belt and shoes and a white shirt (assuming a white shirt) and nix the vest.  Then your FI can be the only one wearing the vest so he stands out a bit more from the rest of the guys.

And the bow ties shouldn't be considered a gift since they are a requirement in the GMs attire.

CMGragain

This is traditional dress for a wedding:

1. Tuxedos, worn by all men in wedding party over the age of 12 at an evening formal wedding.  Black!  They should not be worn in the daytime.
2. Dark suits worn with white dress shirts and long ties.  This is proper for any wedding.  Vests are optional, but if worn they should be the same material as the suits.  The suits do not have to match each other.
3.  Tan or white slacks worn with navy or black blazer.  This is appropriate for an informal wedding in the daytime.

This is the traditional dress for men at weddings.  It is NOT traditional for men to wear vests without a jacket.  Men wearing just shirts are not considered dressy enough for a wedding. The groomsmen should wear the same level of dress as the groom.  If the groom wears a tuxedo, then the other men should wear them, too. The groom is usually distinguished by a special boutonniere which is different from the groomsmen's.  Bouts should only be worn on jackets for practical reasons, since shirts are too flimsy to support them.
I hope these guidelines help.

julieanne912

CMGragain said:

This is traditional dress for a wedding:

1. Tuxedos, worn by all men in wedding party over the age of 12 at an evening formal wedding.  Black!  They should not be worn in the daytime.
2. Dark suits worn with white dress shirts and long ties.  This is proper for any wedding.  Vests are optional, but if worn they should be the same material as the suits.  The suits do not have to match each other.
3.  Tan or white slacks worn with navy or black blazer.  This is appropriate for an informal wedding in the daytime.

This is the traditional dress for men at weddings.  It is NOT traditional for men to wear vests without a jacket.  Men wearing just shirts are not considered dressy enough for a wedding. The groomsmen should wear the same level of dress as the groom.  If the groom wears a tuxedo, then the other men should wear them, too. The groom is usually distinguished by a special boutonniere which is different from the groomsmen's.  Bouts should only be worn on jackets for practical reasons, since shirts are too flimsy to support them.
I hope these guidelines help.

So for my barn wedding, which is in, well, a barn, and starting at 5pm, my FI and his BM should wear either a dark suit or a tuxedo?  Yeah no.

The guys are wearing jeans, cowboy boots, vests, shirt, tie.  And they'll look great.

julieanne912

Knottie64496517 said:

So we ordered our groomsmen tuxes through mens wearhouse because we have groomsmen all over the country.  I just called to verify the reservation and they said it had been cancelled. Whatever. Anyway, they were a little pricey to begin with and some of our groomsmen had complained about the price.  What other alternatives are there for groomsmen wear for groomsmen all over the country other than mens wearhouse? Thanks! We are looking to do tan/khaki pants and vests for the groomsmen with chocolate shoes and belt and the same for my fiancee but with a jacket.  We are having bowties speciality made as a gift.

What about Jos A Bank or Brooks Brothers?  I would also think any nationwide department store should be able to help you. 

augsum15

CMGragain said:

This is traditional dress for a wedding:

1. Tuxedos, worn by all men in wedding party over the age of 12 at an evening formal wedding.  Black!  They should not be worn in the daytime.
2. Dark suits worn with white dress shirts and long ties.  This is proper for any wedding.  Vests are optional, but if worn they should be the same material as the suits.  The suits do not have to match each other.
3.  Tan or white slacks worn with navy or black blazer.  This is appropriate for an informal wedding in the daytime.

This is the traditional dress for men at weddings.  It is NOT traditional for men to wear vests without a jacket.  Men wearing just shirts are not considered dressy enough for a wedding. The groomsmen should wear the same level of dress as the groom.  If the groom wears a tuxedo, then the other men should wear them, too. The groom is usually distinguished by a special boutonniere which is different from the groomsmen's.  Bouts should only be worn on jackets for practical reasons, since shirts are too flimsy to support them.
I hope these guidelines help.

Please ignore this. What you've picked for them to wear is fine, just give them guidelines (pictures help too if you can find one) and have them pick up their own. There's no right or wrong to what they wear. If FI wants to wear a grey suit with a red vest, guess what, no big deal! Vest doesn't have to match jacket. Jacket can be worn without vest. Vest can be worn without jacket. Stick to your vision. There's a lot of suit rental places (hello Google!), so you can always call around and get prices if the guys would like you to do the grunt work, but ask them each what their budget is, go with the lowest. Being that your wedding sounds pretty casual the costs probably won't be too high. You can even price out (just to compare) how much it would be to buy the same thing. 

lachattefatale

Yeah, most guys already own khakis and white shirts. I would tell them to buy those if they don't already have them, then provide the vests and bowties if you want them to match exactly. You can probably rent just the vests from Mr. Formal (or Men's Warehouse, since just vests will be cheaper than the whole outfits) if you'd rather not buy.

Maggie0829

Well I mean formality of attire needs to be considered somewhat. I don't think it needs to be as extreme as what CMGr noted but the attire OP noted would not be appropriate for a black tie wedding and black tie would not be appropriate for a barn wedding. I think as long as what you are planning goes with the formality of your event then you are good. Attire picked does not have anything to do with the comfort of your guests so if you wish to disregard fashion 'rules' (to a point...see my examples) that is completely fine. Not everyone may likening but hey it isn't like you are making me pay for a drink or serving me only cheese and crackers at a meal time.

southernbelle0915

First have your FI get each GM's budget by asking them privately. Go with the lowest budget. Then decide if you want to dictate specifics (i.e. "these tan pants" or "any tan pants").

Unless your wedding is black tie or super fancy, I would probably just tell them "any khaki pants; a long sleeved, white button down; brown shoes; brown belt".

CMGragain

The OP asked for suggestions.  I posted the traditional attire.  Not everyone has a traditional wedding.  If  you are having a non-traditional wedding (beach, barn, etc.) then perhaps you do not want to use the traditional guidelines.  This is certainly up to the individual, but you should know what the rules ARE before you decide to break them.
There are plenty of places where guys can get a two piece suit for less than the rental cost of a tuxedo, and they get to keep the suits for other use.  (Kohl's, Penney's, Macy's. etc.)  They could also buy a blazer to wear with khakis they already own.