The Guys Summer Style Guide for Weddings
— By Lydia Martin

And trust us, you’re not alone in your confusion. When you carefully read those invitations you begin to face words that hold little to no meaning for you. What does semi-formal mean? What’s appropriate for the beach? More importantly, how are you supposed to get all dressed up when it’s 30 degrees outside? Custom suit creator, Devonchéis here to breakdown the jargon you'll find in those wedding invites and bring some clarity to our style choice for the scorching hot wedding season.

Formal

Image by Andrea Natali

This is the most straight-forward of the lot because every guy knows how to wear a suit, shirt, and tie. But it’s hot, and your old black workhorse might do the job for a funeral but isn’t going to cut it in the blazing summer heat for a couple-hours long wedding ceremony. Formal for summer means lighter colours, unexpected fabrics, and slim fitting styles. (insert suit examples) Don’t be afraid of brown leather lace-up shoes, either — they’re more versatile than you’d expect (just don’t wear them with black). Finally, if it’s too hot for comfort, you can simply lose the tie. A few undone shirt buttons look far more glamorous in photos than sweat patches.

Semi-Formal

Image by Krystian Krzewinski

It might be the most dreaded combination of words in the English fashion vocabulary, but semi-formal doesn’t need to cause you such a headache. It’s actually pretty simple: 1. Take your favourite suit jacket, blazer or sport coat; 2. Add a button-down shirt or a plain t-shirt; 3. Pair the aforementioned with your best pair of khakis or chinos; 4. Lace-up your go-to leather or suede shoes; et voila, you’ve just nailed semi-formal. Leave your denim at home. Throw on a tie if you feel like it. No show socks are a great semi-formal option too. Try the lot with a good-looking pair of shorts if you’re feeling daring. Easy.

Casual/Beach

Image by Luxe Digital

Now that you're almost fluent in wedding style jargon, let's move to the easiest of the lot. Nobody expects you to wear a tuxedo on the beach. The key to nailing a casual summer wedding outfit is in the fit, the proportion and the colour. Try a cool Hawaiian, striped or colourful short-sleeve shirt with a pair of pressed walk-shorts and suede lace-ups. If it’s too hot for shoes you can get away with jandals, but make sure they’re dark and unadorned. Canvas sneakers are optional too, but it’s a wedding, so they have to be clean, and preferably white.

Don’t forget you’re going to be outside, it’s going to be hot, and there’s a high chance of sunburn — bring a hat, some dark glasses, and plenty of sunscreen.

Edited from an original article by Isaac Hindin-Miller and Lydia Martin