In May 2014, UK magazine Cosmopolitan featured a piece on the ‘The groom boom’. The article talked about the increase in self-awareness among grooms. It reads in part ‘grooms have turned into brides; we smell great, we cry, we fan our faces, we demand something special from the hairdresser’ haha. While we do not agree with all the remarks, there is no denying the fact that grooms are now more than ever- super involved in the wedding planning process -how they look, how their friends and guests feel.. etc. They’re increasingly taking their share of the responsibility rather than leaving it all to the brides. After 7 months of running @GroomInspiration, a planning and inspiration resource for the modern groom, we compiled below, a few common trends and ‘must haves’ for the ‘aisle perfect‘ groom.
The White Suit
Few months ago when we started our page, we asked our female followers what they thought of dressing their grooms in white suits. The answer was a resounding NO with many affirming that white was a color reserved solely for the bride and the groom should not ‘steal the moment’. Fast forward a few months and white suits are pretty much the first choice for grooms. This is also a popular trend for men on the redcarpet.
Most grooms opt for the shawl lapel tuxedo with the lapel in white or black, and a black bowtie to complete the look.
Groomsmen Gifts and Proposals
From alcohol flasks to Cuban cigars and customised socks, grooms are asking their grooms men to be on their train in style. We have noticed a lot of grooms opting for customised notes saying ‘Will you be my groomsman’ or ‘Will you wear these socks and help me tie the knot’ along with a present for the groomsman. These also serve as a thoughtful gift to the groomsmen.
Matching Colored Socks
This has been a trend that continued into 2014. While grooms generally wear the same suits tie and shirts, adding matching socks is always a great idea. The socks could be plain or patterned depending on preference and this could sometimes be in different colours for each groomsman. Some grooms also opt for comic socks to add a bit of humour to their day.
Superhero and Sports Related Shirts
It is almost safe to say that this has come to stay. While this will have been regarded as ‘cheesy’ a while back, we have seen an increased number of grooms doing this. The vests are usually worn under the wedding outfits and only exposed for a few photos, sometimes with the bridesmaids actually opening the shirts. Most recently, we have seen a photo of a groom and his men in LeBron James jerseys (shortly after he announced his return to Cleveland).
Classic Black Suit
As we always say, the classic black suit and tie will never go out of fashion. While we have seen more grooms opting for the shawl lapel tuxedos, a couple spot notch or peak lapels. This look is generally completed with a black bowtie.
Personalized Shirt Cuffs and Shoes
From the now very popular ‘she is mine’ shoe decal, to customized monogrammed initials on shirt cuffs and adding the wedding hashtag and date to the suits inner lining, grooms are going the extra mile to customize their outfits. These items could also serve as wedding gifts for the groom and groomsmen.
Move over APbride, the APgroom is taking over and in picture perfect style. We’ll back shortly with a few more trends we love. Don’t forget to check out (and follow) GroomInspiration here.
***
GroomInspiration is the #1 resource for Groom and Groomsman wedding inspiration. Follow their Instagram account here for all the style and swag inspiration you need.
