Weddings are all about love, joy, and the celebration of two people sharing and cementing their love story together. Planning a wedding is exciting, whether it is the moment you both are walking around your ideal venue, and they confirm that your date is available. Taking the first bite of cake at your tasting and looking at your partner realizing you found your wedding cake. There is also the moment a bride finds their perfect dress which is a moment they will never forget.
But then there can be the other side of the wedding planning process. The parts that evoke phrases like “whatever works” or “we will just rent the same thing your sibling/friend did.” One part of the planning that those phrases can pop up in is when it comes to the suits or tuxedos that the Groomsmen will be wearing. But when it boils down to it, you want to find something that works for everyone, that looks good and that doesn’t break the bank. And on the most special day of your life, you don’t want your groomsmen to pay to rent, you want them to own the look.
As a disclaimer while reading this, I went with a custom tuxedo for my wedding day in a totally different price range. It's a bespoke tuxedo and waistcoat.
In summary:
Should my groomsmen rent or buy their tuxedos or suits? Buy!
Are SuitShop tux’s worth it for your groomsmen? Yes.
Are SuitShop suit’s worth it for your groomsmen? Yes.
If you’re the groom, is SuitShop’s tux worth it? Yes, under the condition your groomsmen go with the suits.
Is SuitShop suit or tux worth it for a non-wedding occasion? Yes.
If you are reading this, then you know how much I love and care about fashion. So when figuring out who I was going to use for my groomsmen tuxedos, I took several factors into consideration. Style, ability to customize, affordability were just of the things I was thinking about when looking for the perfect groomsmen suits or tuxedos.
Rent or buy
The first decision was very easy for me. Should my groomsmen rent or buy their tuxedos? This decision was only easy for me because I knew about SuitShop and I knew that they all could own their tuxedos for the typical price that they would pay to rent a tuxedo: $199. The cost may be approximately $15-$20 more than renting if you factor in the pant hemming, but it’s well worth it. There is no reason to have everyone rent a tuxedo for the cost of renting a tuxedo that they would have to return.
Our wedding was a black tie optional event, so I really wanted my groomsmen to wear tuxedos. This worked well for us, but that doesn’t mean it will work for you! The same concept holds true when it comes to having your groomsmen all getting matching suits though. Make it a suit that they will be able to wear again for events or even work!
This is where SuitShop comes in. I wanted something that allowed everyone to look their best. I have been part of weddings where I had to pay over $200 to rent a tuxedo or $200+ to buy a suit I never wore again. Whether it’s a suit for your groomsmen or a tuxedo for the groomsmen, for $199, SuitShop has you covered.
Since I live in Chicago I was fortunate because I could visit SuitShop with most of my wedding party for a fitting session on a Sunday afternoon. It was a bonus to be able to go to the showroom to try on sizes, but it turns out that their fit finder online makes it just as easy! Five out of the seven groomsmen were able to find their perfect size in person at the showroom and the other two groomsmen were able to achieve this online easily through their fit finder. We asked about the online fit finder and it uses a database of thousands of previous customer experiences.
Quality
My quality expectations for a $199 suit or tuxedo were not that high going into the experience. I was honestly just thinking that it would be sufficient, but nothing over the top. We were all pleasantly surprised at the high quality of the products. The pick stitching was a huge plus as well since it helped the suit and tux achieve a far superior look. As important as the quality was the fit! SuitShop really got the fit right also. The standard fit is the right balance to still have a modern look and the slim fit works really well for a trimmer look!
Fit
For the fit, since they have odd pant sizes which is rare and allows for a more dialed in fit, most sized up once waist size and went with a slim profile. The jacket fit true to form for off the rack fits, but their trims are a much more modern trim than a traditional department store fit. I went with a 40R jacket and the fit was spot on. I had no need to alter anything.
All pants must be hemmed, so this is important for everyone to keep in mind. This is the easiest type of alteration to a suit though and any dry cleaner will do a good job at a price of about $15-$20.
Another key part of the decision making process is that they offer free shipping, exchanges, and returns so you don’t have to worry about a potential change in a waistline before the wedding weekend or any anxiety about not getting the fit right! And even better than that is that the next morning, your groomsmen don’t have to worry about returning their tux that might have a couple glasses of champagne on it. No one wants to worry about a 3 PM deadline the next day after turning in that rental, let alone someone who has to fly out of town.
Shipping
The tuxedo's shipping process was super seamless and the delivery of the suits in the days after the fitting was fast! The email communication included tracking information, as well as the opportunity to contact them with any questions or concerns. Obviously the people you are working with during this are important, but so too is the user interface and ease of understanding their website and online tools and dashboard.
Going through the process, we actually ended up adding shirts to all of their orders. Their small, medium and large sizing ended up working out really well and we loved the French cuff.
Is SuitShop suit or tux worth it for a non-wedding occasion?
As mentioned above, their suits or tuxedos are definitely worth it for non-wedding occasions as well. Actually, I ended up getting the navy blue suit from SuitShop since I wasn’t getting a tuxedo and it’s one of the best fitting, off the rack suits I have ever owned. All I had to do was get the pants hemmed and I had a perfect fitting suit. That’s a bargain!
I have found myself wearing the suit for client meetings, business travel and I have even worn the navy blue suit jacket with jeans! It’s important to own a range of suits in various price points and this is the best option I have come across at that price.
SuitShop recently added several new variations of suits in bold colors with stretch fabric starting at $224. I recently picked up the deep teal suit and it's instantly one of my favorites! It perfectly walks the line of being acceptable for the office, but also perfect for events in the fall/winter.
The fabric of the suit is an eco-stretch blend (38% Recycled Poly / 38% Poly / 19% Rayon / 5% Spandex) since it's composed of recycled polyester. Do NOT let this stretch fabric of eco-blend deter you from purchasing one of these suits. The quality and weight of the fabric is still substantial and they developed the suit the same way they have their non-stretch suits. Simply put, this is still a suit, looks like a suit, feels like a suit.
Below are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions for renting or buying a tuxedo for the groom and/or the groomsmen.
Should my groomsmen rent or buy their tuxedos or suits?
As a self-proclaimed expert in the men’s fashion space, including all things related to suits and tuxedos (aka Dapper and Professional) providing your groomsmen the option to own their tuxedo or suit for a wedding at the same price they could rent at is an easy answer. Buy. You and/or groomsmen should definitely buy the wedding day suit or tuxedo.
Are SuitShop tux’s worth it for your groomsmen?
Yes. Absolutely yes they are worth it. I have a very high standard when it comes to menswear and I wanted my groomsmen to all appear to have a custom look without having to pay custom prices. SuitShop tuxedo option at the same price as their suit is a major advantage as well.
I would highly recommend differentiating yourself from your groomsmen though. So, if they are going to go with the tuxedos from SuitShop you should consider an upgrade to the navy blue premium tuxedo and have the groomsmen wear the black tuxedos.
Or you can take the path that I did, which was to have your groomsmen go with SuitShop black tuxedos and, as the groom, go with a fully custom tuxedo from one of your favorite custom companies.
If you want to wear the black SuitShop tuxedo then I would recommend the below option which would be, as the groom, to wear the black tuxedo and then have your groomsmen go with a suit from SuitShop.
Are SuitShop suit’s worth it for your groomsmen?
I would highly recommend this option if you want to wear the black tuxedo from SuitShop and still stand out from your groomsmen. Overall, yes their suits are definitely worth it. Everything above about their tuxedos is true about their suits!
The suits are actually a great deal even if you need a suit or a tux for a non-wedding occasion.
If you’re the groom, is SuitShop’s tux worth it?
Just to emphasize this point, I feel strongly that if you’re the groom you should have a look one notch above the groomsmen.
Here are the below combinations I would recommend:
Option 1
Groom - Premium Shawl Lapel Navy Tuxedo for $294
Groomsmen - Classic Black Tuxedo for $199
Option 2
Groom - Classic Black Tuxedo for $194
Groomsmen - Suit option for $199
Option 3 (this works best in the summer months and a more casual wedding)
Groom - Dark color suit option for $194
Groomsmen - Lighter color suit option for $199
My Option
Groom - Custom tuxedo in a completely different price range ($3000+)
Groomsmen - Classic Black Tuxedo for $199
The wedding day
The actual wedding day was absolutely everything we have dreamed about! We couldn't be more thankful to our family and friends who all made it in for the big celebration!
Relationship with SuitShop
This is a sponsored, non-paid relationship with SuitShop. As with most of my collaborations, I sought out SuitShop as a brand that I was interested in working with for my wedding day. I really respect the brand and only leave reviews that are honest, authentic and my actual thoughts from wearing the products. Product was provided in exchange for the work.
Photography
Photographs with the watermarks are by Tammy Leathem. Social use of photography is not permitted without providing credit to Tammy. Photos are not allowed for commercial use. https://www.leathemphotography.com/