The question of what groomsmen wear is one of the most overthought decisions in wedding planning and one of the most underthought in execution. Many wedding parties end up in rented tuxedos that fit badly, or in matching navy suits bought off a rack in sizes that fit no one exactly. The result is a wedding party that looks like a group that got dressed together, rather than a group of well-dressed individuals with a shared aesthetic thread.
There is a better approach.
The Core Principle: Coordination, Not Matching
The wedding party reads most elegantly when each person looks well-dressed and appropriate, with a shared visual thread that unifies them — not when they look identical. Identical suits on different bodies, in sizes that can only approximate correct fit, produce the visual effect of a uniform. Coordinated suits, each fitting the person wearing it, produce the visual effect of people who belong together.
The distinction: matching is color and fabric identical. Coordinating is color family and character aligned.
The Groom's Position
The groom's suit or tuxedo should be the most precise, most distinctive piece in the wedding party. He is not interchangeable with the groomsmen — he is the center of the visual composition. The simplest way to achieve this distinction:
- The groom wears a tuxedo; the groomsmen wear dark suits in the same color family
- The groom wears a different shade (midnight navy while groomsmen are mid-navy, or charcoal while groomsmen are mid-grey)
- The groom wears a different lapel (peak lapel while groomsmen wear notch)
- The groom's suit is clearly of higher quality — which, at Vestium NY, simply means commissioning his piece and allowing it to be what a custom suit is
The distinction does not need to be dramatic. It needs to be visible.
Options for Groomsmen
Option 1: Rented tuxedos The most common approach for black tie weddings. The challenge: rental tuxedos fit approximately and look like rental tuxedos. The groom who commissions a Vestium NY tuxedo and puts his groomsmen in rentals will be the only person in the photographs who looks exactly right. This is not a bad outcome for the groom; it's worth being aware of for the overall visual.
Option 2: Purchased matching suits (off-the-rack) Better than rental for a suit (suits are worn again; tuxedo rentals rarely are). The challenge remains fit — four men in the same-sized navy suit from the same store look coordinated in the abstract and mismatched in the photographs. The suit that fits one chest correctly will gap on another and be too full on a third.
Option 3: A color guideline, each buying or commissioning their own The most elegant approach. The groom specifies the general aesthetic (navy suit, specific shade range, notch lapel, two-button) and each groomsman obtains a suit within that guideline — some from a quality retailer, some commissioned. The suits will not be identical; they will be coordinated. Each will fit the person wearing it. The photographs will show well-dressed individuals with a shared aesthetic.
Option 4: Vestium NY group commissions For wedding parties where budget accommodates it, Vestium NY handles group commissions. Each groomsman is measured and fitted individually; the suits are cut in the same or complementary fabrics. The result is a wedding party that genuinely looks unified — because every suit was made for the body wearing it.
The Fabric and Color Decision
The fabric and color for a wedding party suit should be:
- Season-appropriate: Summer weddings in lightweight tropical wool or wool-silk blends; winter weddings in flannel or standard worsted
- Versatile enough to be worn again: This is an investment for the groomsmen; suits in navy or charcoal see reuse after the wedding; highly specialized suit colors do not
- Consistent within the party without being costume-like: All in navy, all in charcoal, all in mid-grey — a clear color family without demanding identical shades
For formal (black tie) weddings: the groomsmen's options are rental tuxedos, owned tuxedos if they have them, or dark suits if the dress code is flexible. If the invitation says "black tie," dark suits are technically underdressed; the groom and the wedding couple set the expectation.
The Accessories Coordination
Where groomsmen are most effectively unified is in accessories, not suits. Matching or coordinating ties (same color, different widths or textures), matching pocket squares, and coordinating shoes create visual coherence that the suits establish loosely.
The groom's accessory distinction: a pocket square in a different fold, a distinct tie (different pattern while groomsmen are solid, or different color within the palette), or no accessories difference at all if the suit distinction is already sufficient.
Timeline for a Wedding Party
Individual custom suits for groomsmen: 5–6 weeks minimum before the wedding date. Start the process earlier than you think necessary — coordinating multiple commission schedules adds complexity.
If groomsmen are in different cities, Vestium NY handles remote commissions with established measurement protocols and video consultation. Group commissions with geographically distributed wedding parties are a regular part of our work.
Explore Vestium NY's commission suits for your groomsmen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should groomsmen wear the same shade of navy, or can they vary?
Within a range works — "navy or midnight navy" as the guideline reads more naturally in photographs than perfect identical shade. The exact shade match that looks uniform on a hanger reads as coordinated in reality and in photographs.
How do I communicate the suit guideline to groomsmen?
Specify fabric type (wool, suit weight), color family (navy, charcoal), button configuration (two-button), and lapel style (notch). Provide a reference image if possible. With these parameters, most quality retailers and tailors can produce a suit within the guideline.
Who pays for groomsmen's suits?
Typically the groomsman pays for their own suit, which is appropriate when the suit is a versatile piece they'll wear after the wedding. If the groom is commissioning a specific matching fabric, contributing to the cost is a reasonable gesture.
Can bridesmaids and groomsmen coordinate?
Yes — the color relationship between the bridal party and the groomsmen is a standard part of wedding styling. A bridesmaid palette in dusty rose and navy coordinates naturally with a groomsmen palette in mid-navy and burgundy accessories.
What if groomsmen have very different body types?
This is actually the argument for coordinating rather than matching — different body types in identical suits look least good together. Each person in a suit cut for their body, in a coordinated color family, reads well regardless of the body type variation.
Work with Vestium NY. Vestium NY handles group commissions for wedding parties.