A Rookie’s Guide To The Summer Wedding Fit

Bobby Barker

Summer’s here and with life steadily returning to normal with the loosening of gathering restrictions for the moment, there’s scarcely a person in the country who hasn’t gotten a backlogged summer wedding invitation swiftly approaching. When we think about wedding fashion, we tend to think all of the attention will be on the happy couple. It really doesn’t matter what we, the humble ‘friend of a friend’/’bottom of the invite list’/might get put on the kid’s table due to a mistake in planning’ guest wears, does it?

Well, sorry, you’re wrong. At a wedding, every guest is a piece to the overall puzzle and when the cameras come out, you don’t want to get caught looking like you’ve just rolled out of the pub on a Friday arvo when everyone else is looking like a million bucks. Additionally, the summer wedding can be tricky. There’s a decent chance it’s going to be hot, maybe even very hot, so you’ve got to put some thought into what you’re layering up with; no one wants to deal with you if you faint during the reading of the vows from overheating. If you’re completely clueless about what to be rocking up in, here’s a few tips to nailing your summer wedding fit.

COLOURS

Summer weddings typically mean gorgeous sunny outdoor settings, and gorgeous sunny outdoors settings are where colours thrive. You don’t want anything too aggressive; when I said that some attention will be on you as part of the crowd, I didn’t mean that you want to be the centre of it, so leave the fluorescents at home. Light blues are your friend here and play very well against the green outdoor settings, as do beiges and light browns. Obviously, avoid anything too dark, as every moment in the sun will be hell.

STYLES

The dress code will massively dictate what you are and aren’t able to wear, but generally speaking, summer wedding dress codes skew a little more on the casual side, as again, no one wants their guests drowning in sweat and about to pass out on their big day (unless they’re not a fan of the in-laws). More formal weddings will require a jacket, so make sure you pick out a material that is going to let your body breathe (i.e. not wool). A tie is probably not essential, but something simple can’t hurt if you’re unsure. A good pair of black or brown loafers fits the summery vibe quite nicely and is typically a bit more comfortable than your standard clunky pair of formal dress shoes.

TO SHORTS, OR NOT TO SHORTS?

The number one question that every under-seasoned wedding goer is undoubtedly going to ask themselves before heading out in 27° heat; can I get away with wearing shorts? The answer; sadly, probably not. Unless you are 100% that you’re dealing with an incredible informal dress code or a beach wedding, it’s best to cover up those knees with a pair of, again, breathable pants (linen works pretty well). And no jeans, good god man, do NOT show up in a pair of jeans unless you never want to get invited to anything remotely formal ever again.