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5 Best Wedding Guest Suits For Fall & Winter
Just as when the weather turns from summer to fall, and men switch out shorts and t-shirts for trousers and jackets, so too is it time to consider different attire for those inevitable fall and winter weddings.
The cooler weather means men should wear fabrics to look their best while also staying warm. And while you can never go wrong with blue or gray suits, the fall and winter seasons present an opportunity to branch out and do something different.
Here’s a look at our top five men’s suits for fall or winter weddings.
Dark Brown Donegal Tweed
A good case in point for the way fall months are a chance to ditch light and breezy cotton or linen suits for something warmer and cozy, is the dark brown donegal tweed suit. It’s a sophisticated and stylish option that looks right at home next to evergreen trees and fallen leaves.
Made from heavy wool, tweed is a rough fabric that typically comes in brown or gray. Oftentimes it has a pattern or the material can be speckled, as is the case with our dark brown Donegal tweed suit.
Given its rough texture, typical pattern, and color, tweed is on the informal end of men’s suits. In England, it was often worn in the country or while hunting. What that means for stylish men today is the freedom to wear it in many different ways since there are few “rules” to worry about.
A dark brown Donegal tweed suit for a wedding could be paired with brown leather dress shoes, or if it’s an outdoor wedding, try pairing it with a pair of dress boots (See our guide to the top five men’s fall boots.)
Try wearing it with a shirt and tie, but be sure to consider the color. Instead of things that are bright or shiny, think earthy and rugged. Burgundies, rust/copper, dark greens, and other fall colors will pair great with dark brown.
If the occasion fits, try a sweater underneath or a turtleneck. These will bring down the suit’s formality even more and keep you warmer if needed.
Dark brown tweed suits are an excellent option for fall weddings and can be worn in many other situations, whether a date night or a semi-formal business event. Forget the old adage of “no brown in town.” Tweed isn’t only for hunting anymore.
And if you’re looking for even more ways to style a dark brown tweed suit, here are five ways to do it.
Forest Green Flannel
Everyone wears blue and gray suits to weddings (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but the fall presents a great opportunity to do something different.
A forest green flannel suit is a stylish way to keep your wedding attire fresh. Traditionally made from wool, flannel has a much softer feel than the rough texture of tweed, but it remains an excellent option for staying warm during chilly weddings.
What’s great about a solid forest green color is that you won’t find yourself too limited in what can be paired with it. Feel free to break out a pattern shirt underneath, such as our brown gingham dress shirt with a tie. You can also go more formal with a white poplin dress shirt and let your tie and pocket square catch more attention.
A forest green flannel suit is also provides an excellent opportunity to wear a color often worn in the wrong situations: black.
Stylish men typically build their wardrobe around browns, grays, and blues, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a time and place for black. Black is a tricky color because of its formality, so pairing it with less formal items can be difficult. However, the a forest green flannel suit with a black cashmere turtleneck sweater and black loafers is a smart and casual suiting look.
This is a distinctive item that will serve you well at fall and winter weddings, but also at other formal or semi-formal events.
Medium Gray Solid
There is a time and place to be timeless, and a medium gray solid suit is just that. This is a great place to start if you’re new to suits. Why? Because in terms of versatility the only thing that might slightly, just slightly beat it is a navy suit.
A medium gray solid suit is a perfect suit weddings year round, but what makes this a great fall or winter suit is its versatility.
First, a medium gray solid suit, will typically have a lighter fabric than tweed or flannel. This might not keep you as warm if the wedding is outdoors in mid-December, but in exchange, you’ll also last longer on the dance floor. A fully lined jacket can go a long way in adding some extra warmth, while the suit’s versatility makes it hard to pick an overcoat that doesn’t work.
What’s underneath the suit is also just as easy to play around with. A white poplin button-up with a brown tie is an easy way to distinguish this suit in the fall from the way you might wear it in the spring, say with a navy blue and polka dot tie.
Pairing a medium gray suit with cream colors is also a sharp look. Try a cream-colored cashmere sweater or turtleneck to feel at home during a fall or winter wedding.
Navy Blue Flannel
Speaking of timeless, a Navy Blue Flannel suit is another smart, classic, can’t-go-wrong option for weddings. Like the Forest Green Flannel suit, this will keep you warm on colder nights and outdoor events.
As the king of versatility, the navy blue flannel suit can be dressed up for more formal weddings (though not black tie) with a white dress shirt and a solid-color tie. Here, you could add a fall accent to your suit with a rust/copper color tie, or try forest green.
If you feel overdressed, pair it with a stripe shirt or a dark blue houndstooth twill dress shirt and either add a tie (solid color is most straightforward, so you aren’t too busy with clashing patterns) or skip the tie in favor of a v-neck sweater for a more business casual look.
If the weather is a little warmer, keep cooler and more casual with a light cream sweater or a camel knit Pima cotton polo shirt.
Pair a navy blue flannel suit with brown or black leather shoes. You can go in many directions with the style, from the more formal black oxford to the more semi-formal brown tassel loafer. A navy blue flannel will also pair nicely with boots, such as leather chukkas or Chelsea boots.
Something Unexpected – Gray Plaid Flannel Double Breasted
Of all the items on this list, the gray plaid flannel double-breasted suit is perhaps the biggest statement piece.
It’s a suit to branch out from the monotony of solid-color suits and try something different. The gray plaid helps add visual interest and texture, while the six-button double-breasted cut sets you apart and keeps you warmer than a single-breasted suit.
What I like about this suit is how it pulls in two different directions. On the one hand, it draws more formal than the other suits on this list by nature of its double-breasted design, but its pattern helps bring it back down to Earth to avoid being, well, too formal.
But because this suit has that bit of an elevated formality, keep that in mind when styling. Dark brown leather dress shoes, such as oxfords or a double-monk strap, would fit nicely.
Underneath, a solid-color dress shirt is going to be the easiest to pair with this suit unless you feel comfortable matching multiple patterns well. The same goes for your tie. A solid color will be easiest to pair and keep the attention on the suit itself. That said, to me, there is something about this suit that screams white dress shirt with a polka-dot knit or a medallion tie in an autumnal color, such as our brown with maroon and gold small medallion tie.
What this suit might lack in pairing options, it makes up for in visual interest. In other words, let the suit do the talking.
The Bottom Line
Fall weddings are always a great time (I should know since I got married in the fall). With the falling leaves and the change in season comes a great time to consider some changes in your wardrobe. Plus, these suits transition nicely to winter – meaning they can pull double duty if you have more than one wedding to attend.
If you live in an area with four seasons, the fact is the weather will dictate your choice of fabric. Most flannels, tweeds, and heavier wools aren’t going to serve you well as year-round suits, but neither will most cotton, seersucker, or linen suits. There’s a time and place for everything.
Adding some cold-weather suits to your repertoire will not only functionally serve you better during the fall and winter months, but you’ll also look and feel more appropriately dressed for whatever comes your way, whether that’s a wedding, date night, or cocktail event.