Formal morons unite! Um, help?

[splash79]

I am a female and familiar with what is required of me, dress wise, for a formal occasion. My fiance, future husband (3 weeks!) is a bit...let's say uneducated as to what exactly to wear. And I'm not sure if I can help him.

 

For both formal nights, I am wearing black cocktail length dresses. One is all black, the other is black and white striped and satin in material. Both I would be more than comfortable wearing to any formal fraternal event for my co-ed fraternity or any "cocktail attire" formal event for his work, if we were invited. We haven't yet been invited to any such occasion, which is probably because of the age he was when he was hired, which was VERY young.

 

In any case, he doesn't own a tux. Or a suit. He owns plenty of slacks of neutral colors, shirts of various colours, and ties that vary from conservative to 'wild' colors. But no jackets, because he doesn't need them for work.

 

So, as far as suits go, I am rather ignorant. Does he really need to purchase a 'suit'? Or can he just buy a black suit jacket/sport coat and wear it with his black dress pants? For this, I'm thrown and don't know what to tell him.

 

What exactly is a suit? What will he need?

[splash79]

Thank you for answering, Keith. Budget is of high importance at the moment, because we are getting married and our parents aren't paying for the full amount of our wedding. Without getting into anything, I will say the 'score' is parents 50, us 50 and leave it at that.

 

My fiance, because he has never had to wear a suit in his profession, has mentioned that he wants to just buy a jacket, in black, and wear it with his black slacks. I feel like he should just splurge and buy a full suit, since he doesn't have one. However, in our lives, he will rarely get to wear it. In his profession, they don't wear jackets at all. It's complicated, I guess, but he'd not wear a suit enough to justify the cost of buying one.

 

Basically, I'm asking if it's justified. He will rarely use the jacket, but I feel he needs something, regardless of the crusise. This is just my good excuse. However, I have no idea beyond that.

[Keith1010]

All of this comes down to a personal decision and of course the "budget".

 

On formal nights the men really should wear a dark suit or tuxedo. Now, a few don't but most do.

 

If he really has no need for a suit then another option to consider is for him to rent a tuxedo. Many cruise lines offer this option so check with your cruise line as to the cost.

 

I just would not try to find a sports jacket that is a similar color to pants. It really will not look right.

 

You might also want to see how much a suit would cost. Finding say a black suit is relatively easy and you might actually find one at a very reasonable cost. You could try places such as JC Penny, or something like Kohl's and just look for a sale. Not sure if you are having any type of dinner before the wedding but if you were then maybe a suit would come in handy there.

 

My biggest recommendation is to price out the various options as you might find an option that is less costly then you thought.

 

By the way, congratulations on your upcoming marriage and also on taking a cruise.

 

 

Keith

[linda_22003]

I think it's very useful for a man to have one dark-colored suit, even if it's not required for him every day. If there is a wedding or a funeral, is he going to attend wearing shorts and a "Let's Go Mets!" t-shirt? :) Especially if there is a funeral, it's difficult to buy correct clothing in time, considering the time needed for alterations.

 

I really would not recommend a "black jacket" to go with the "black pants" he already owns. I don't know about you, but I have NEVER been able to match black tops and pants perfectly; there are a lot of "shades" of black, especially when fabrics differ.

 

Men's suits don't change a lot from year to year. My husband no longer needs to wear his to work, but he has several he can still wear, from his previous job. As long as your guy doesn't gain a lot of weight, he should be able to get a lot out of the investment.

[luckycruzer]

a wide assortment is available in lovely thrift stores, for usually under $10..if there is a large Catholic Church nearby, that has a thrift store..many have mens wear, and right good looking ones too..a suit, or jacket for later occaisions..nice dress shirts/ties also. I got a Tux..all pcs..for $35..it fits hubby and me..but rather a dk suit is more useable for him..Also a $4 blue blazer from another 2ndary source..lots still have drycleaner tags on them. A muted colour jacket to go w/ his blk pants, and maybe another color..change shirts and tie for a diff look. I find lots of girly things that fit my large womanly size, from previous seasons..I rarely pay over $10 for any article, mostly under $5...shoes too. A little swab of alchohol inside shoes, or a dash thru the light detergent..and "voi la"..new, fresh lovely wardrobe. Ck seams, underarms, collar area for worn area. I buy garments with great fabric yardage, and have it remade to something else..use the buttons/zip./trim.and for the cost of my Little Maria(dressmaker) I have a new fab outfit for very little..and..an original. So rather than rent a never to wear again tux on board..look at the secondary market shopping in you area. (Goodwill, Salvation Army, Thrift Avenue type store. Good Luck.. and have a lovely wedding, and Bon voyage..lucky

[cruisersnorkler]

This may be an idea to consider. we live in a small town and had this available to us.On our last cruise,with all the other expenses involved, I didn't want to spend the money for a suit for my fast growing almost 6 foot teen. We made a trip down to our local Salvation Army Thrift store. in less than 15 minutes, we got him 2 beautiful suites for about 20 dollars. Both suites looked like they had never been worn--like they were brand new. My favorite was a beautiful dark gray pin stripe which he recently wore at a dressed up event. He looked perfect and felt wonderful on our last cruise. I was happy and thankful.

[RI-Sailor]

Personally, I'd try to get a dark gray or black suit for him. Secondhand shops, Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. - all will have suits. Sounds like you have some time constraints, so this may not work, but I know my brother bought a tux on e-Bay when he needed one.

 

Just please make sure it fits or is altered. If the pant hems or sleeves need to be let down make sure there is enough fabric to do it!

[Happy ks]

There are always sales to be found. A suit doesn't have to be expensive, but it should fit. You may have some luck in a charity store, or you might spend more in alterations than a new suit would cost. Or, worse yet, you might end up with him wearing an ill fitting suit.

 

Your husband may be surprised at how many times he does end up wearing a suit. I think a lot of men "make do" with less than what is appropriate on special occasions because they don't own a suit.

 

So, while I don't call clothing an investment, every man should have at least one dark suit and a nice white shirt with an assortment of ties. It should just be a staple in his wardrobe. He should also have a sportscoat and dress slacks, but that could be something you do after the wedding and cruise.

[Lois R]

Hi,:) I think a dark suit would be a great investment. (or staple;) ),

whatever word you care to use.

I agree, you don't have to spend a lot of $$ but I bet

as the years go by you will be glad it is part of his

wardrobe (and I bet so will he:))

 

Also, congrats on your upcoming nuptuals:)

[eandj]

I would NOT have him rent a tuxedo. Waste of money in your case.

 

I too think every man should own a suit. Most styles last for years. Doesn't have to be expensive. I know my nephew just bought suit "separates" at Kohls for his graduation and he looked so good. I know he wouldn't have gone into "used" clothing. But if you shop Penneys, Sears or Kohls, you'll find mathching pieces. Now.. if he DOES had a nice pair of dress pants and you have the time and patience to look for a matching jacket, that would be an option.

Depending on the ship you go on, you will see every imaginable combination. Just keep it as "dressy" as he can.

[Calicruiser101]

My best advice does not differ too much from the other posters. So I too suggest a dark suit, white shirt, and a tie that matches your dress. For example you wrote that you are wearing a black dress, so his tie should have a black background and if he wants to add a splash of color it can have a pattern, but nothing too wild. I think you said your dress had some white in it, so in that case his tie could be black and white. We are lucky because my DH job requires him to wear a suit everyday and so he has everything. You might want to check out Macy's sometimes they have their suits %50 off or buy one get one free. Hope this helps and have a great time.

[RuthlessBoss]

I can vouch for Goodwill and Salvation Army stores. ALL gowns and dressy clothes are from there. DH has 3 suitcoats from there, looked like they were tailor made for him. If the item doesn't fit, it doesn't go home with me. Of course I have many gowns because my body can't decide what size it wants to be. The dresses I take on a cruise depends on what size I am at that time. These stores do have some junk, but most things are good to excellent! And, shopping does not take long as it does going store to store, it's either there or not, go back often.

[JanineM]

Another place to consider is Target. They had men's suits around the holidays, but I'm not sure if that was a seasonal thing. I think the suits were about a hundred bucks.

 

My DH went through a period when he had to wear suits to work. He bought several on eBay. Some were really good brands, and he paid maybe $40 for the most expensive. I did have a couple of them altered for maybe $25. If you choose this route, be sure to measure well and read all the fine print so you know if you're getting something that really looks new, or something that has been pressed so many times that it is shiny!

[JCDeck]

Here we go !!!

[Nebr.cruiser]

I, too, saw suits in Target today. They looked like separates, that is the jacket and slacks were priced separately. Sorry, I didn't check the price.

 

They also have suits and suit jackets in Wal-mart!

 

Or, as others have suggested, try a thrift store.

 

As a last resort, I don't think it would all that awful to just get a black jacket and wear it with black slacks, though, as others have posted, matching blacks is very difficult. But if he just won't buy a whole suit, this is better than just wearing a shirt and tie.

[happysinglemom]

If he isn't going to rent a tux, then definitely a suit!! A "matching" jacket will certainly not do. I also vote for the Salvation Army store - a new one just opened here, and my co-workers have been raving about the terific bargains (brand new brand-name items) that they have picked up for next to nothing. Good luck on your upcoming nuptials...and enjoy the cruise!!