The father of the bride walks her down the aisle and gives the first toast. He stands in more photographs than anyone but the couple. And more often than not he is dressed exactly like a groomsman, because nobody thought about him until the week before.
Match the formality, not the outfit
The rule that solves it: he matches the formality of the party, not the outfit. If the party is in black tuxedos, he wears a black tuxedo too, but his own: a different tie, a different lapel, so he reads as family and not as staff. If they’re in navy suits, he’s in charcoal.
He should own it
The second rule is that he owns it. A father of the bride is at the age where a good suit gets worn to every wedding, funeral and retirement dinner for the next decade. Our half-canvassed line, $300 to $500, is the one we point him toward: a floating canvas chest that softens to his shape over time instead of going stiff, in premium wool bought as closeouts so he is paying for the cloth and not the label.
The fit for his shape
The third rule is the fit, because his shape isn’t a twenty-five-year-old’s, and the rack knows it. We stock portly sizes and separates on the floor. Roman at Lincoln Tailor, inside the store, does the sleeve, the waist and the hem, often the same day for basic work.
Bring him in with the party or on his own. From Royal Oak it is I-696 to Greenfield.
Also for Royal Oak: A Royal Oak Music Theatre Wedding: Dressing the Party. More on wedding suits, or plan your visit to our Oak Park showroom.
