Fall Wedding...at a barn

[Doug Chalkey]

Gentlemen,


I'm trying to get out ahead of a wedding I'm attending this fall. It's not super formal, no suits, but we're still expected to look nice. It's taking place in a barn in Wisconsin in September. It should still be warm at that point, so I have some tan linen/cotton blend suit pants from BR, I have some fitted dress shirts to wear, but what else? I'm thinking bow tie, even though I haven't worn one, and wingtip boots. Suspenders? Cuff links? I want to look put together, but not over the top obviously. Suggestions?

[alan]

A barn wedding? That sounds crazy-fun!


You know the weather better than I do so I'm going to take your word for it on the linen pants. For an atmosphere like that, I see a couple options:


1.) Tieless suit (Particularly if the suit is cotton or linen and not too dark. Add a pocket square for fun.)

2.) Chinos/button up/blazer (Khaki pants with a navy jacket is classic. Tie is optional.)


A bow tie could be cool. As for suspenders, nothing wrong with that, but I would wear a jacket over them. Otherwise, you're "that suspenders guy". As for the wingtip boots, I've seen more than a couple types of wingtip boots - some would work and some probably wouldn't. It just depends on your particular pair. Unless you're wearing a nice blazer or suit, I would avoid the cufflinks (but it's more about the shirt than the cufflinks). Generally speaking, I think a french-cuffed shirt looks a little awkward when it's not underneath a nice jacket.

[tomservo]

Sounds like it will be a rowdy good time.


I'd say either go with a lighter color tie-less suit, with a pocket square and a more casual shoe like the AE McTavish, Big Sur, or Neumok.


OR


if you're into this sort of thing: chinos, waistcoat, bow tie and a dressy boot.


I'd stay away from cufflinks.

[nicholascrawford]

I wouldn't wear a tieless suit to a bar. You're just asking for a dry cleaning bill.


Some darker pants, practically any dress shoe that you don't mind scratching a nail on, a dress shirt with the collar open, layered with a v-neck sweater or waistcoat. A blazer would be fine to layer with too.


I've been in many Wisconsin barns, and some have nicely finished floors with drywall walls, others look like they're about to fall over. Widely variable, but you'll have gravel, mud, straw, etc. to deal with. It's not worth wrecking a favorite item in your wardrobe and more about having fun. =)

[alan]

@nicholascrawford: If it's clean enough for a wedding dress, it's clean enough for a tieless suit. :-)

[LesserBlackDog]

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that this is a pretty nice barn, if they're planning on having a wedding there. At least not something crumbling to the ground and/or filled with animal filth.


I had some friends who had an outdoor wedding in rural Wisconsin last year. Seemed like most guys wore slacks, shirts, and ties. A casual summer suit, with or without tie, wouldn't be too out of place. Maybe consider some slightly casual shoes (bucks, boots, etc). Shirt and suspenders could also be fine, as long as it's a look you can own and won't look too kitschy. I'd also advise against cuff links.

[Ben]

I'm also assuming the barn will be nice enough for a wedding, obviously the bride won't want her dress dragging through horse shit. I've been in a lot of barns - and some of them were nice enough that I would live in them, so we can assume: A) that I have low standards, or B) that this barn will be wedding suitable.


Now September is still pretty nice, but I wouldn't go full on summer. Barns are inherently rustic (which means fall textures) and weddings tend to drift in to the evening (which means darker colors)


I'd probably go with a pair of mid-grey pants, brown wingtips/wing boots with a chunky sole, and whatever dress shirt floats your boat. Probably a jacket if you have one, either suit jacket or odd jacket. If you wear a jacket I'd probably skip the tie so you don't look too dressed up. You can also do the tie/sweater combo if it's cooler out.


The best and worst part about dressing for weddings is that frankly, no one cares what you look like - as long as you're not dressed like complete shit. People are paying attention to the bride and groom, and as long as you don't have jean shorts and a t-shirt on, you still have a chance with the bridesmaids.

[Doug Chalkey]

these are all fantastic suggestions. i wasn't expecting such a robust response. i forgot to mention that i picked up a grey suit from BR on clearance recently. i don't have it in front of me so i don't recall the fabric/texture, but that might be a solid option with some brown wing tips. brown and grey is always tricky for me to pick out.

[runner-guy]

If the wedding is in September, you can't wrong with a gray suit and brown shoes. The barn could be really nice on the inside. I went to a barn wedding reception a couple years ago in Ann Arbor, MI and the barn was renovated with AC so it really was more like a hall.

[nicholascrawford]

Do you have a link for the venue? Could prove me wrong quickly, which would satisfy a lot of people. ;-)

[Doug Chalkey]

not 100% sure, but this should be the place. http://www.obrienbarn.com/About.html

[Jeremy B.]

What do you guys think of the navy blazer/khaki dress pants/tie to just a regular spring wedding?

[alan]

@Jeremy B: Outdoor afternoon wedding? Sure! Indoor evening wedding? Stick to the suit unless you're told otherwise.