Beyond the Bow Tie

By Bev Bennett
Bridal Guide

To feel comfortable in a tuxedo it helps to be as debonair as Cary Grant and as graceful as Fred Astaire.

No wonder mere mortals are rethinking the traditional tux for their wedding garb.  These days, men planning a trip down the aisle are likely to make fashion choices that reflect their personalities, conventional natures and desire for comfort.

The result, say the experts, is a lot more color and style coming down the isle.

"Today we're seeing everything from a Brooks Brothers suit to Armani tuxedos,"  says Steve Kemble, who stars on the Style Network's "Whose Wedding is it Anyway?"

The new Hollywood – George Clooney and Brad Pitt included – inspired the change in formal wear, according to Kemble, who owns Steve Kemble Event Design.

Check out such star-studded rituals such as the Academy Awards, and it's obvious that men don't have to resemble penguins to be dressed up.
"Three years ago when male stars started wearing long ties instead of bow ties with their formal wear, so went the trend in wedding wear and men's formal wear in general," Kemble says.

Although the tuxedo isn't an endangered suit, celebrities are transforming it into a fashion statement. For example, a tuxedo lapel may sport a dazzling boutonniere instead of the staid white carnation; the jacket is draped over a shoulder. And the cummerbund, which is about as welcome as a girdle in August? It's not to be found around the waist of any suave actor or groom.

But the revolution in grooms' attire goes far beyond revising the tuxedo.
Men, being practical creatures, are looking for clothing they can wear for any festive occasion, not just for their weddings and those of their offspring 30 years down the road.

Grooms view their impending weddings as a suit-buying opportunity. They're looking for something that, unlike a tux, is both dressy and versatile.

"Men aren't going to as many formal occasions [as they once did], so buying a tuxedo isn't as essential as it once was," says Shaunya Hartley, a New York fashion stylist.

A suit can convey just as sensational a statement as a tux, so it's a popular alternative, says Hartley. "Men can look great in suits. When men take on a suit they look powerful and handsome."

Unfortunately, some grooms may feel pressured into donning a tuxedo. That shouldn't be the case, says Kemble. The goal shouldn't be to look dressy, but to wear something that's appropriate and respectful for the style of wedding the couple has decided upon.

"A kilt in Scotland, a linen suit on the beach or a crisp suit for a morning wedding are all appropriate," Kemble says. (If wardrobe battles are looming, Kemble says "To play it safe and stay on your mother-in-law's good side, keep the tuxedo black and express yourself through the pattern, color and style of tie you select.")

Men, also creatures of comfort, are shunning clothing that binds or confines. That's why men are saying, "I do" to less formal fashion.

Fashion guru and celebrity event planner Colin Cowie says it's about time. "America is starting to realize we live in a casual world," says Cowie, author of "For the Groom: A Blueprint for a Gentleman's Lifestyle."

He urges men to dress according to who they are and what they're doing. 

"The bottom line is, let's dress appropriately. It has nothing to do with formality,"  Cowie says. §

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