When it comes to weddings, we know full-well that the Bride ought to remain the centre of attention, but nevertheless, whether you’re a guest, the Best Man or the Groom himself, it doesn’t hurt to look the part. At New & Lingwood, we take great care to ensure that all the gentlemen who visit us in search of wedding attire are dressed appropriately for the occasion.

Of course, the most formal dress code for a wedding is full morning dress, and it can be a tricky thing to get right. First, you’ll need a morning coat that fits you properly; snugly across the shoulders and back, and the coat’s tails should reach to backs of your knees. Soft black wool herringbone is the traditional for a morning coat, some high street brands offer morning coats in navy, but black is correct. At New & Lingwood, we sell morning trousers in either mid-grey ‘stroller stripe’ wool, or ‘spongebag’ trousers in black and white wool houndstooth. The meaning behind the nicknames for these trousers is lost to history, but you’ll just have to trust us when we say that both are appropriate for a wedding! Finish your suit with a double-breasted dress waistcoat in either dove grey or buff wool, or else in soft pink or sky blue linen.

The finishing touches are important for morning dress too; be sure to wear a shirt with a contrasting white collar and a pale blue or light pink body for a classic look. Stiff collars are traditional for morning dress, and we offer a number of starched collars and detachable collar shirts in each of our stores, as well as online. Don’t forget your cufflinks and a pearl tie pin either, to really set off your look. It’s also worth keeping in mind that black shoes are required for morning dress, and our Northampton-made butterfly loafers are exclusive to New & Lingwood perfect for formalwear during the warmer months.

There’s a growing trend towards Black Tie weddings at the moment, and we’ll be only too happy to advise you on this dress code too. Dinner dress worn to a wedding can afford to be a little less sober, and a little more sophisticated than is conventional. As well as a classic dinner suit with silk faced shawl or peaked lapels, jetted pockets and matching dress trousers, we like to finish Black Tie with a glamorous silk jacquard waistcoat. As well as two and three-piece suits and separates, we can make all our silk waistcoats on a made-to-measure basis, using the same exclusive silk jacquard cloths that we weave for our gowns. You can find out more about our made-to-measure programme here.

Speaking of suits and separates, not all weddings will be quite so formal. A sharply cut suit like our Morton or Borrowdale models are ideal lounge suits for weddings. Both these suits are cut in high-twist, open-weave English wool with half-linings, which help to keep the wearer cool in warm weather. We like to pair these with cream poplin or silk shirts (we offer a sandwashed silk shirt that’s well suited for special occasions) and a richly coloured knitted tie. A flash of brightly printed silk pocket square brings everything together.

For warm weather weddings overseas, a linen suit comes into its own. Our Lingwood cream linen suit is available as either a double-breasted or single-breasted model, with trousers and a waistcoat available separately. A confident piece like a cream linen suit is best styled in a relaxed fashion; try it with dark brown suede loafers and a simple open-collar shirt. Our soft-collared Linden shirt contrasts nicely with pale coloured suiting.

Finally, if separates are your thing, the mid blue Lingwood jacket is an easy piece to mix and match. Try it with this season’s grey Tolpuddle fresco trousers, or even with lightweight Crom tartan trews and one of our blue linen button-down shirts.