Wedding season is here, and with wedding season comes the age-old dilemma of “what do I wear?”
In this blog we are going to discuss all things fashion related to make sure you are the best dressed guest! We couldn't just do any old blog for this topic, we had to bring in one of our dearest friends and fashion expert Louis Levanti !
We sat down to get all the inside scoop from how to coordinate with your wedding date, to how to get style tips from the invitations. Read all the fun below!
Friar Tux: When thinking about what you are going to wear to a wedding, are there things you look at from the invitation to help you? (Like a dress code, color scheme, vibe?)
Louis Levanti: I always look at the invitation for a dress code! A lot of the weddings I've been to recently have had some sort of dress code or color scheme that they want their guests to try and loosely match, but it's never been mandatory. I have a wedding in July that asked for “Summer Colors” which definitely helps me narrow down my choice in what I want to wear. I personally appreciate themes, because it allows me to branch out into different styles and colors of suits that I've never worn before and it takes some of the stress out of it for me as well.
Friar Tux: When it comes to wedding guest style, are there certain style “rules” one should follow?
Louis Levanti: For me, I never want to take any of the attention away from the bride or groom so I try to keep to a solid color suit that is not too over the top or vibrant and is not a crazy pattern - it's not about me! I will also sometimes ask what color the bridesmaids are wearing (and sometimes the groomsman) that way I don't unintentionally match them, because although I don't think that's a known thing for all of the wedding guests, I never want to look I'm a bigger part of the wedding than just being a guest. If you have to ask if it's too much, it probably is - also a great piece of advice I received.
Friar Tux: We are now in peak summer wedding season, what are some of your favorite colors/patterns to wear to weddings during this time?
Louis Levanti: For a wedding last Memorial Day, I wore a Friar Tux Tan Stretch Suit that was one of my absolute favorite suits ever. It felt so summery and fun for the wedding which was on the water on Long Island. We paired it with a light blue tie and pocket square which also made it more vibrant and summery. I am not a big pattern person as is, but I do love fun and unique colors - this upcoming September I'll be wearing the Friar Tux Rose Pink Venice Suit as a Bridesman for my friend which I feel like is perfect for summer and it Fits the brides theme of pastels and pops of color for the wedding. I also have been loving mint colored suits which I think is the perfect color for summer weddings and just summer events in general. Something I do want to experiment with one day is an all-over suit, I love how they look on other people and I want to see if I can pull them off.
Friar Tux: When going to weddings, do you and your boyfriend actively coordinate your looks? If so, what is your advice for couples wanting to coordinate at weddings?
Louis Levanti: We actually do! We don't coordinate perfectly because half the time we are traveling across the country for all of the weddings, but we try to wear colors that at least work well in pictures. For example in October I wore the Friar Tux Green Stretch Suit and Justin wore a light gray suit and in the pictures they looked great together although they didn't match exactly. Something we learned is that coordination takes time and planning, you won't have the perfect coordinating outfits just sitting in your closet the week before the wedding. Go shopping with your partner, try things together, and have a plan of how much or how little you want to coordinate that way you have a goal in mind and can envision it better especially when you have outfits on! Finding inspiration is also super helpful — the amount of times we would scroll through TikTok to find matching or coordinating outfits, styles or looks was unreal, and it usually helped guide our decisions. However, don't feel like you HAVE to coordinate. My partner and I learned that even if our outfits don't coordinate, we can still shine together in photos and at the wedding!
Friar Tux: You have styled up with Friar Tux for weddings before, what was your favorite look you wore and why?
Louis Levanti: Besides the tan look, I wore the Burgundy Camden Tuxedo by Friar Tux to a wedding last September, and it was the PERFECT suit. The color was so sleek and felt so different than anything I've worn. I was also able to wear it twice as I had back to back weddings, but was able to interchangeably wear a darker shirt or a lighter shirt so that it was a completely different look. It was also a very slim style suit which I absolutely love, and it was so comfy and breathable.
Check out the fun video of Louis getting wedding-ready here !
Friar Tux: You have your suit all picked out for a wedding, when it comes to the finishing touches what things do you look for to complete your outfit? (A fun tie, chic jewelry, a pocket square, sunglasses...)
Louis Levanti: Bow tie, bow tie bow tie! I love wearing a bow-tie with all of my suits because they feel so much more comfortable to me than a traditional tie, and I also feel like you can get away with adding some fun detailing, pops of color or designs to them (the light blue bow tie with the tan suit for example). Pocket squares and cuff-links are my usual additions as well - they really level up the look of any suit giving it a more “finished” look. Jewelry and sunglasses, in my opinion, aren't really necessary because the suits are so upscale and stylish as it is, but I've seen people wear some great necklaces and rings with their suits and I definitely want to try the ring look out Since it seems to be getting more and more popular. Other than that, I'm relatively simple when it comes to the accessorizing and sometimes it doesn't need to be completely decked out with bells and whistles!
Thank you for all the fun fashion insight, Louis!
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