Choosing your wedding suit: the groom's guide

OGÉR JournalWedding10 min read

A wedding suit is worn for one day and looked at for decades. It does not hang in the wardrobe but in the picture frame, in the album, in the memory of everyone who was there. Choosing a wedding suit, then, is not choosing for an occasion but for an image. This guide follows the groom from the first idea to the last dimple in the tie: when to start, which fabric suits which season, why fit matters more than fashion, and how to tie a tie and fold a pocket square without it looking rehearsed.

I. The wedding suit at One Fine Wedding Day in Utrecht

This autumn, the wedding world gathers in Utrecht. On Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October 2026, OGÉR has its own stand at One Fine Wedding Day, in the Werkspoorkathedraal at Tractieweg 41. The organisers themselves call the event ‘the largest wedding fair in the Netherlands’, with, by their own account, more than a hundred wedding businesses across 6,000 square metres. The fair is open on both days from 10:00 to 17:00. You will find the programme and practical information on the One Fine Wedding Day website.

For OGÉR, the fair is a natural place to be. A wedding suit rarely begins in the fitting room; it begins with a conversation about the date, the venue, the season and the man who will wear it. At the stand you can have that conversation, and continue it afterwards in one of the four OGÉR stores in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Antwerp.

Two offers for visitors to the stand

OGÉR has two offers for visitors to the fair. Among visitors to the OGÉR stand, we are giving away a wedding suit worth € 1,500 in a prize draw. And anyone who registers at the stand and then visits one of the OGÉR stores will receive a second made-to-measure shirt free of charge with the purchase of a made-to-measure suit and a made-to-measure shirt.

II. A short history of the wedding suit

The wedding suit as we know it is younger than the wedding itself. For a long time, a man simply married in his best clothes. Over the course of the nineteenth century, dark clothing became the norm in the formal male wardrobe, and with it at weddings. For formal daytime weddings, the morning coat, with its cutaway fronts and tails, became the groom's attire. In some circles that tradition lives on to this day.

The lounge suit, originally a relaxed suit for the country, moved during the twentieth century from leisure wear to the standard of business life. As everyday life grew less formal, that suit also became the norm at weddings: a dark, well-cut suit with a tie. Today the wedding suit is above all personal. The groom chooses fabric, colour and cut according to season, venue and character, within the limits of the dress code. What each dress code means, from morning dress to lounge suit, is explained in our article on the wedding dress code for men.

“A wedding suit does not hang in the wardrobe, but in the picture frame.”

OGÉR Journal

III. When should you start on your wedding suit?

Time is the quiet luxury of every wedding suit. Made to measure at OGÉR is delivered within six weeks, but preparing a wedding involves dozens of other appointments. We therefore advise starting about three months before the wedding date. That leaves room to compare fabrics at leisure, plan a second conversation, choose the shirts and decide on the accessories only once the suit is there.

A practical timeline

• Three months before: the first conversation; choice of fabric, colour and cut.
• Two months before: match shirts, tie, pocket square and shoes to the suit.
• Six weeks before: the latest start for made to measure, so the suit is ready within the delivery period.
• The final week: put everything on once more, with shoes, tie and pocket square, and wear in the shoes.

IV. Made-to-measure or ready-to-wear wedding suit?

The question is less which is better than which suits you. A good ready-to-wear suit from a house with an Italian tradition can be an excellent choice, especially for anyone close to a standard size. A made-to-measure wedding suit does not start from a model, but from you: your shoulders, your posture, your proportions. The difference lies in the details you will see again in a hundred photographs.

At OGÉR you book a made-to-measure appointment via the made-to-measure page: you choose the location, date, time and Personal Advisor. If you would first like to see which cut suits you, take a look at the suits in the collection. More about our guidance around the big day can be found on weddings at OGÉR.

V. Wedding suit fabric and colour by season

The season decides the fabric, and the fabric decides the colour. There is a handful of basic colours that almost any man can wear; around them, the light of the day determines what works.

Autumn and winter: wool and cashmere

For an autumn or winter wedding, fine wool is the foundation. It drapes calmly, creases little and breathes, from the cold ceremony to the warm reception room. A blend with cashmere makes the suit softer to the touch and gives the colour more depth. Navy is the classic that looks even richer under artificial light; charcoal is more severe and more modern. If you are looking for more character, choose a warm shade, such as burgundy or chocolate brown, in a heavier wool.

Spring and summer: linen, cotton and wool-silk-linen

A summer wedding calls for air. Linen is cool and has a natural, lively crease that belongs to an outdoor ceremony. Cotton is firmer and holds its shape better. The blend of wool, silk and linen unites three qualities: the drape of wool, the soft sheen of silk and the coolness of linen. The colours may be lighter: sand, beige, light blue or a soft grey, with a darker tie as a counterweight.

VI. Fit: how a wedding suit is judged

In the photographs nobody sees the name of the fabric, but everyone sees the fit. Five points make the difference between a suit you wear and a suit that wears you.

• Shoulder: the seam ends where your shoulder ends, without a dent in the sleeve head.
• Collar: the jacket collar rests against the shirt collar and does not gape when you raise your arms.
• Closure: with the button fastened, there are no pulling creases around the button.
• Sleeve: about a centimetre of shirt cuff remains visible.
• Trousers: fall cleanly onto the shoe, with at most a slight break.

Judge the suit as you will wear it on the day: standing at the ceremony, seated at dinner and with your arms raised for the first dance.

VII. How to tie a tie: the Milanese knot step by step

A wedding suit needs a tie knot that looks polished, is symmetrical and stays in place all day. The Milanese knot, also known as the Pratt or Shelby knot, meets all three requirements. It is medium-sized, suits most collars and needs less length than a double Windsor. If you want to know how to tie a tie for the big day, start here.

1. Place the tie around your neck with the seam facing outwards. The wide end hangs on the left and is longer than the narrow end.
2. Cross the wide end underneath the narrow end.
3. Bring the wide end up through the neck loop and back down again.
4. Take the wide end from left to right across the front of the knot.
5. Bring the wide end up from underneath through the neck loop.
6. Pass the wide end down through the loop at the front.
7. Tighten the knot gently, slide it up against the collar and form the dimple.

The dimple, the small fold just below the knot, is the difference between a tie that has been tied and a tie that is worn. As you tighten, pinch the sides of the knot slightly with your thumb and index finger and press the fabric in the middle inwards with your middle finger. Ideally, the tip of the tie falls on the belt buckle. A selection of ties in silk and wool can be found among our ties.

VIII. How to fold a pocket square: three folds for the groom

The pocket square is the only accessory without a function, and that is why it says so much. The rule is simple: the pocket square harmonises with the tie, but never matches it exactly. Choose the same colour family in a different shade, or pick up a colour from the pattern of the tie as an accent. A white pocket square in cotton or linen is always correct.

The straight fold (presidential fold)

1. Lay the pocket square flat and fold it in half into a rectangle.
2. Fold it in half again into a square.
3. Fold the sides inwards to the width of your breast pocket.
4. Place it in the pocket so that a crisp edge of about a centimetre shows.

The puff

1. Hold the pocket square in the middle and lift it, so the corners hang down.
2. Close your other hand loosely around it and slide it downwards.
3. Fold the corners back underneath the puff.
4. Place the pocket square in the pocket with the rounded side up and arrange it loosely.

The one point

1. Lay the pocket square in front of you as a diamond, with one point at the top.
2. Fold the bottom point up to the top point to form a triangle.
3. Fold the left and right points inwards to the width of your breast pocket.
4. Place the pocket square in the pocket with the point straight up.

The straight fold is the most formal and suits every wedding suit; the puff is softer and belongs to silk; the one point sits in between. Browse the selection of pocket squares, from white cotton to patterned silk.

IX. Your name in your wedding suit: personalisation

A wedding suit deserves a signature. With the purchase of a wedding suit, OGÉR can personalise the suit with your name or initials. It is a detail nobody sees and you will never forget: a quiet reminder of the day, every time you wear the suit again, at an anniversary or at someone else's wedding. Ask your Personal Advisor about it when you choose your wedding suit.

X. Common wedding suit mistakes

• Starting too late. Haste shows, in the choices and in the fit.
• Fashion over fit. A pronounced trend dates a wedding photograph faster than a good cut.
• Tie and pocket square in the same fabric. A set looks like a ready-made package; harmony looks like taste.
• Ignoring the season. Heavy wool on a summer afternoon or linen in December: both can be felt.
• New shoes on the day itself. Wear them in beforehand; you will stand and dance for hours.
• Forgetting the invitation. The dress code on the invitation applies to the groom as well.

XI. The edit: wedding suits at OGÉR

From the collection we selected six suits that show how broad the men's wedding suit is today: from the navy two-piece suit by Corneliani to the burgundy double-breasted suit by Brunello Cucinelli for a winter wedding, and the OGÉR suit in wool, silk and linen for the warmer months.

The edit · The wedding suit

View all suits

CornelianiTwo-piece virgin wool suit OGÉRTwo-piece wool suit Brunello CucinelliDouble-breasted suit in virgin wool and cashmere CornelianiGlencheck suit in virgin wool OGÉRTwo-piece wool suit OGÉRSuit in wool silk linen

The edit · Tie and pocket square

View pocket squares

OGÉRSilk tie with geometric design OGÉRCotton pocket square Brunello CucinelliReversible silk pocket square with medallion pattern

Would you rather see and try everything at once? The Personal Advisors welcome you in the four OGÉR stores in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Antwerp. Addresses and opening hours are listed in our store overview.

Written by the OGÉR Editor in Chief