So my wife has told me I will need ‘somthing smart’ for a wedding on the 26th. The last time I worse anything vaguely ‘smart’ was about 7-8 years ago, and none of it fits me anymore/has been thrown out. I don’t do ‘smart’, as I fortunately don’t need to in worketc. But apparently, shorts and sandals won’t cut it, so I’ve been ordered to go shopping. Trouble is, I haven’t a clue where to start! I won’t be required to wear a morning suit or look like a penguin, and as we’re travelling, a ful on suit, shirt tie etc won’t be expected of me, plus I’m doing some photos so can get away with being a bit more comfortable. But I do need to look presentable, so need to work out what to get and where to get it. London based so good for shops. I’m thinking grey trousers with a bright coloued shirt, more ‘causual’ jacket (stuff that might get worn again not put in the wardrobe for another 8 years). Simple but useable black shoes.

So, any ideas? Budget is ‘modest’, before you start telling me to go to Savill Row etc!

M&S.

Lotsa high St places, you’ll find plenty choice.

Grey/bright shirt sounds odd to me. I’d go blue (safe), you might also get away with smart chinos which might have a better chance of being worn again?

^What he said. There are plenty of options for buying a suit for not that much money (a cheap suit that fits well is way better than an expensive one that doesn’t) and as you are not part of the wedding party no-one is going to judge you provided you don’t dress like a scruff.

M&S.

smart chinos

🙁 Ugh. You’re already putting me off.

no-one is going to judge you provided you don’t dress like a scruff

Forgot to add; the guests will moslty be northerners, with a fair few coming in from Newcastle, and many from ‘farming communities’, so I’d have to try very hard to look worse than some of them will probably look!

Don’t be shy

Forgot to add; the guests will moslty be northerners, with a fair few coming in from Newcastle

Then embrace your northern brethren by assuming their cultural mores. The question isn’t what suit, but what tattoo ….

White slacks
cornflower blue shirt (iron it)
Tan deck-shoes / keds (if you can get away with it. Or brown shoes – seem to work better with jeans for future use than black shoes)
oatmeal waistcoat

?

All potentially wearable again in different combos.

NEXT is a reasonable place to start. Personally I’d just go with a decent 2 piece suit and tie and save worrying about it. Assuming you go for dark blue as a nice safe colour, and decent well polished black shoes will look OK so you can save a bit there by getting an EBay search running now.

Forgot to add; the guests will moslty be northerners, with a fair few coming in from Newcastle, and many from ‘farming communities’, so I’d have to try very hard to look worse than some of them will probably look!

😯

Full Pearly King?

this look seems quite popular
http://jeansandsheux.tumblr.com

Slaters menswear if you can find a branch. Very helpful, will judge what’s best if you tell them, I got an interview suit from them, just right, even got it paid for by the DSS 🙂

I would suggest you have 2 options here:

1. A, not too expensive, suit. You can get something wearable for £200 from Debenhams. Slaters or M&S. It won’t be the height of sartorial excellence but it will do a job. Go for navy blue and team it with a pair of good shoes (black or brown, not square toed), a matching belt and a lightly patterned shirt (light blue or pink will do the job, nothing too loud) with no tie.

2. The dangerous world of “smart casual”. blue or “khaki” Chino’s or smart grey trousers, team it with a light blue or pink Oxford shirt, a navy or tweed jacket and a pair of brown shoes (ideally brogues).

PErsonally, I’d go with a suit as you can wear it again for weddings/funerals/christenings/etc. Plus, you’ll struggle to get a suit wrong, smart casual is a whole minefield of sartorial sins in waiting.

Chaity shop – a selection of worn, ill fitting and musty tweed garments should help you fit in nicely.

you could do a lot worse than look at some of these examples, slightly dressed down but will look a lot smarter than some plain navy funeral/interview/court case thing from moss gross.

http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/style/articles/2014-05/22/best-mens-summer-suits-for-every-budget

i have the universal works suit (no5) for smart not not that smart everyday wear and client meetings, it’s too unstructured for a wedding though.

The question isn’t what suit, but what tattoo ….

😆 I dn’t have the guts (literally) to pull that off!

NEXT is a reasonable place to start. Personally I’d just go with a decent 2 piece suit and tie and save worrying about it

Yeah, a suit wold be ‘safe’, but would then sit unused in the wardrobe (I’m not planning on any regular court appearences for the forseeable future). I might just pop into the west end To see what’s what. C+A, Littlewoods and BHS shold have somethng.

I just picked up some Loudmouth trousers for a wedding I’m going to in a couple of weeks.

Main aim: upstage the bride!

C+A, Littlewoods and BHS shold have somethng.

C&A left the U.K. market in 2001. probably about the same time being smart ceased being a priority 😉
if you are never going to wear any of this again you might as well spend the money in H&M and Uniqlo, you will at least look like you might have made the effort and will have spent very little 😕

C&A left the U.K. market in 2001

😯 I think my last suit was actually from C+A. Shows how out of touch with this bracnh of ‘fashion’ I am. Thanks for your suggestions above, although looking at such things depresses me. 🙁

if you are never going to wear any of this again you might as well spend the money in H&M and Uniqlo, you will at least look like you might have made the effort and will have spent very little

That is exactly what I’m aiming at. And Uniqlo actually do some really nice jeans, if you hunt a bit.

Binners; you’re a ****. 😆

Spend enough time on STW and this might be a useful addition to your wardrobe?

I’m not fat enough for a tellytubby outfit!

Here you go – John Lewis

http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/video/2013/sep/18/man-guide-what-wear-wedding-guest-video

you are probably slim enough for the style crime of tucking in a badly fitted shirt that balloons over the top of your trousers then. 😯

uniqlo (and others) do slim fitted shirts, its not the 80’s on wall st anymore.

Well, I managed to endure a few hours in the west end, although why anyone would enjoy that experience is beyond me. A truly degrading experience for all involved. And the place is packed with the spoilt brats of rich people, it seems. However; I found a reasonable pair of plain grey chinos in Uniqlo, and a nice fitting shirt in Ted Baker. I couldn’t bring myself to try any jackets on; they either looked too smart, or made me think of Alan Partridge. I really can’t beleive anyone genuinely thinks ‘smart casual’ is a good look. it’s not, you look like a ****. Partridge is a piss-take, not an homage. Shoes: pretty much all nastines everywhere I looked, from cheap to expensive hand made. The Natural Shoe Store had some comfy looking shoes, but I’ll have to go back with some socks (was wearing sandals).

Here you go – John Lewis

Thats a sppof, right? No way can that be for real. That bloke is the last person I’d take style is from. Look at him for christ sake! 😯

TK-Maxx did have a wild dark green silk jacket that I actually liked, but fortunately it was too expensive for a ‘fun’ item. So, jacket and shoes now. Get yer thinking caps on folks!

Charity shop.

Cost me £4.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/a2q4yt]dapper[/url] by Jon Wyatt, on Flickr

I tell you what, I’ve never realised how handsome I look there.

Bottom button done-up sartorial fail. 🙄

😯

It doesn’t matter. I still look great.

Erm, yeah, rifght, o-kay….

You were doing ok until I scrolled down to reveal the socks and shoes. 😯

That’s right. Gold shoes.

Not everyone can carry them off.

😆

I’ll have to go back with some socks

because absolutely nowhere sells socks?

You obviously don’t like shopping and you’re not very good at it, so having to go back will be good practice…

You obviously don’t like shopping and you’re not very good at it

I don’t and I’m not. And I don’t want to go back.

Should have bought some socks then – you’ll need some of them for the wedding.

Nope. In today’s awful, awful fashion craziness, even if you have no socks, you’ve been catered for.

Get stuff from online sales/clearance from e.g. Austin Reed,Hawes and Curtis.