Ok, I know Tuesdays have been somewhat taken over in the last few months with the Bridal Boutique but today we thought we’d return to our old favourite: Grooming the Groom! The reason for this sudden resurgence is because that’s exactly what I’ve been getting up to this last week!
We’ve looked a lot at different Groom styles from the traditional top hats and tails to the casual and quirky and I admit I’ve been undecided all the way as to what my own Groom should wear. Ahem… I mean WE’VE been undecided what he should wear (sorry, he does actually proof read these posts so I’d best pretend he gets a choice! Oh, wait, Matt don’t read this bit!!!)
Anyway, after months of pondering which way to go and every one of the groomsmen asking us what they were supposed to be wearing to tie in with Matt’s as yet inexistent outfit it was time for decisive action and on Thursday we finally hit the shops! Now part of the decision of which way to go had been made for us when we decided to get married on a tropical island. Whilst I’m reliably informed by my ever complimentary future husband that I am always “so cold that I can’t possibly have any blood flowing around my body” and therefore “possibly some form of very attractive reptile”… THANKS darling! Matt is at the best of times incredibly warm even in the coldest climates. Actually that’s not quite true, when we walked round Prague in temperatures of -10degrees he totally wussed out and ran hiding from the snow but that’s another story. Anyway, the point is that anything too heavy probably wasn’t going to work and a tropical Island wedding with a rainbow theme felt like it needed a little bit of colour injected into it and I felt that an altogether more casual theme was required.
The thing is though that tell Matt he can go casual and he’ll probably turn up in some sort of black tech crew T-shirt and jeans that were last suitable for wearing in public circa 1998. He definitely needs a little guidance and the way I see it going more casual doesn’t mean you can’t do it in style! So off to York Designer Outlet we headed.
If you’re looking for a similar smart casual or unusual style for your Groom’s attire I heartily recommend going somewhere like this! The outlets really are all designer but at hugely discounted prices so you know you can find quality without breaking the bank! Matt, it must be said though seemed less convinced though as he nervously walked down the first “street” past Ralph Lauren, Fred Perry and Hugo Boss shielding his terrified wallet from the view!
As it turns out, even if it’s a more traditional Groomsman look you’re after the Designer Outlet has plenty of options. Whilst the likes of Ralph Lauren and Lacoste certainly target a more dapper casual look they sit alongside everything from Savile Row tailors Gieves and Hawkes to the slightly less pricey Racing Green offering plenty of options in formalwear.
One of my personal favourites is Hackett of London who offer a huge variety of everything from very stylish formalwear to a really interesting 20’s retro British style including a couple of looks that seems somewhat fitting for a wedding abroad: The Resort collection and the Barbados collection. It may not exactly be dirt cheap but if you want your man to look uber stylish you can definitely get some great ideas browsing through their collections!
Now I’m afraid ladies that I’m not quite ready to show you what we found for my dapper groom but I will tell you it’s definitely not traditional but, in my opinion at least, pretty darn cool and a little bit designer chic! We haven’t quite completed the ensemble and frankly there are certain aspects we can probably take away more ideas than physical products but I’ve got to say that for Groomsman inspiration it was a hugely valuable experience. Well, for me it was, I’m sure Matt will fill you in on his own feelings about being dressed up like my own personal doll in one of his inimitable and usually DOWNRIGHT LIBELLOUS diary posts! But until then get yourself down to your local outlet and get some fresh ideas to inspire your groom!
York Designer Outlet is run by McCarthurGlen who run further outlets across the UK and Europe. The UK outlets are based in Livingston, Cheshire Oaks, East Midlands, Bridgend, Swindon and Ashford so hopefully reasonably accessible wherever you are and if you register online for their free “Love Rewards” scheme you can get a further 10% off what are already very reasonable prices for designer wear.
You can even buy your man a new wallet to replace the one he’s hidden from the scary designer names!
Matt… present for you!
