The Dudes' Duds

Hive, I cannot believe it has taken me so long to write this post! After much back and forthing and internet searches and various discussions about how formal or informal we wanted every to look and how much was a reasonable amount to spend, we finally, finally decided what the guys in the wedding party would wear! That includes exactly what Mr. Aardvark will be wearing. We got word weeks ago that his suit had arrived and he should come in so they could see if any alterations need to be made.

Weeks ago we went in. Let me just say he.looked.good. No, good is the wrong word. Great? Smokin'? Those are closer. Now I get a bad blogger mark because I did not bring my camera, but in this world of modern marvels I did have my phone and got these shots:

I guess it's true what they say... Women go crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.

However, Mr. Aardvark was not the only man needing to be dressed. I knew tuxes we out for the groomsmen and suit rental didn't seem like much of an option either. We were left with only two choices, make them buy suits, or figure something else out. This is where the backing and forthing came into play. We didn't want these guys forking out an arm and a leg on suits, but we wanted them to look nice.

Then, one day I got an e-mail from J.Crew that made everything that much easier. It was an additional 30% off any purchase AND free shipping. So I got to browsing and found this (dreamy model not included):

Image from J.Crew

The color is called faded black and it is actual much more grey than it appears here. It was already on clearance and with an extra 30% off and free shipping we decided it was a no brainer. This is what the groomsmen would wear! Yep, totally jumping on the grey vest trend with both feet. I love the casual class of it and retro vibe.

Inspired by Mrs. Poodle  we (I) decided the guys could BYOP (Bring Your Own Pants) in any shade of black/grey. That way they would have some of the same elements of coordinated mismatch as the bridesmaids! This plan was met by a few raised eyebrows but soon everyone was on board.  In fact the Poodle wedding pictures were so beautiful I even managed to win over a few skeptical parents!

Now, to create a little bit of consistency and tie the whole party together, Mr. Aardvark will also be wearing this vest with his suit! (Because you can do a bit of mismatching in a three piece suit right? (Of course! If it's your wedding you can!!)) I think the whole thing will be the perfect balance of formal but not stuffy. AND I am really excited for black and white pictures with my girls in dark (navy) myself in light (white) Mr. Aardvark in dark (most of his suit) and the groomsmen in the light grey. The balance of it all makes me very happy.

Because he is a good sport Mr. Aardvark agreed to model the vest for you! We are still waiting on alterations so the suit is not available for photo yet, and Mr. A could not be convinced to remove his D.A.R.E. t-shirt but these vest are so cool it still looks great!

I adore the tortoise shell buttons! I think it will look smashing under a dark suit.

Haha... He's had this t-shirt since jr. High.... Ohhh guys and the clothes they hand onto!

Now we just need to find him some shoes!

Are your guys wearing tuxes? Or something different?