Once again, the annual ballache that is the summer wedding season rolls around, leaving men all over the world utterly perplexed by the increasingly confusing dress codes printed on invites. "Mediterranean Formal", "Riviera informal", "Semi-formal beach black tie". So far so brow-wrinkled. Unless the wedding explicitly calls for guests to wear formal day dress, aka morning dress, black tie, or white tie, the rest is up to flagrant (and often brutal) interpretation. So, to raise the veil of confusion around such events, three of The Rake's staff take you on a walk down the sartorial aisle of summer wedding attire.
Benedict Brown, Associate Editor
"I’m all for traditionalism and abiding to the rules of certain dress codes. Thankfully, though, during summer the rules become a little bit more lenient. After all, you don’t want to be sweltering in morning dress if it's not called for - I've been there and it's not pleasant - so a summer suit should be your trusted port of call. For this, I would personally steer clear of navies and greys (too much like your office attire) and opt for neutral tones instead, like this double-breasted number from Daks which is cut from a linen and cotton blend. Anchor it with a sold white shirt and add some character with a medallion patterned silk tie with colour aplenty. Finish the look off with a sleek pair of loafers (you can never go wrong with Edward Green's Piccadilly model), dark lensed sunglasses and a smile.
