Mens' Guide to What to Wear to a Beach Wedding
What Men Should Wear to a Beach Wedding
Properly deciphering the dress code for a wedding can be one of life's greatest wardrobe challenges. Even for more informal affairs, vague phrasing like "dressy casual" or "beach chic" can be open to interpretation and make it difficult to have confidence in what you choose to wear. What are the exact rules of these bite-sized suggestions? What if I look too formal? Too casual? It's easy to start overthinking, especially when you have to shop for something new for the occasion.
Men's beach wedding attire might be the most challenging of them all. Not only do you have to dress based on how formal or informal the beach wedding dress code is, but you also have to endure hot weather and sandy conditions. When suits are the go-to wedding attire for men, it can be difficult to bear through the hot temperatures of summer, especially in particularly warm climates.
Whether you're seeking dressy or casual beach wedding attire for men, here are our recommendations so you can stay cool AND look cool this spring and summer.
1. The Light-Colored Linen Suit
This is the obvious, tried-and-true approach to tackling the beach wedding attire for male guests. It might even be what you see the groomsmen and groom wearing! A suit is almost always a safe bet for a wedding, so you won't be underdressed — and the linen material adds a breezy, casual touch. This Apollo King 100% Linen 2-piece suit is a great example. Once you see the guy in his staple wool suit sweating bullets, you'll be glad you're wearing linen.
Linen suits are fun to style for beach weddings, too. Thanks to the spring and summer seasons in which they typically take place (and the quiet versatility of linen) you can play with bright colors, tropical patterns, and more for your shirt and tie. Our favorite? A nice palm-patterned shirt with the top button unbuttoned and no tie! Or, if you're always looking for an occasion to wear a bow tie, a linen suit is the ultimate opportunity.
2. The Seersucker Suit
Similar to linen, seersucker is another light, breathable fabric well-suited for weddings by the water. You might know it as a "railroad stripe" material; a thin, puckered cotton used to make clothing for hot weather. Seersucker is a classic style with a subtle nautical flair, and simple enough that you can pair it with various shirt-and-tie combinations for multiple looks upon re-wearing. Try sticking with light colors to go with the flow of the suit.
Seersucker suits can also be paired nicely with boat shoes or loafers so you can walk comfortably on the beach and avoid scuffing up your dress shoes. Plus, they're easier on your feet once you hit the dance floor! CCO Menswear has an awesome 3-piece seersucker suit in brown, camel, and charcoal.
3. The Sport Coat, Dress Slacks, and Dress Shirt Combo
If you're looking for something a bit more versatile to wear as a beach wedding guest, you might want to invest in something that works for occasions beyond the beach (and seasons beyond spring and summer.) Putting together a sport coat, dress slacks, and dress shirt fits the "dressy casual" wedding dress code for beach weddings and more.
The best part? You can wear those pieces separately or in different combinations for other social events and business outings moving forward. There are tons of deals on sport coats, dress slacks, and dress shirts from CCO Menswear, so you can mix and match a look that suits your style.
4. The Dress Shirt and Dress Shorts Combo
The riskiest of all wedding outfit choices: shorts. We recommend getting a good pulse on the event dress code before making the leap to shorts, as they can appear instantly more casual than slacks. If you decide to go for it, it's important that you wear true dress shorts — not just your nicest pair of khaki shorts. That's the difference between looking intentional with your fashion choice and looking careless and lazy.
When you're putting together this look, think "golf attire" but a bit more dressy. Nice, crisp, ironed shorts, but with a high-quality dress shirt in place of the sporty polo. Finishing with a clean, coordinated belt and shoes pairing (don't forget nice, matching socks!) can help you pull off shorts for a more formal occasion.
5. The Walking Suit
For more laid-back beach weddings with perhaps a "beach casual" dress code, a walking suit is the most simple and comfortable option. The shirt and pants are paired together (so you don't have to sweat finding something that matches) and the lightweight material keeps you comfortable during those hot summer evenings waiting for the couple to say "I do."
Our favorite look for a beach wedding is this 2-piece short-sleeve walking suit with matching shoes and hat. The coordination will make you look like you put a lot more thought, effort, and money into your outfit than you actually did!
As with any outfit, the key to dressing properly for a beach wedding is having a polished look. Whether it's low-key or black-tie, you want to look put-together with nice shoes, a matching belt, and maybe even an eye-catching pocket square. Most of CCO Menswear's dress shirts do the work for you with the tie, hanky, and cuff links included.
We hope this helped you have a better idea of what to wear to a beach wedding so you can enjoy the celebration. Don't forget to use promo code SALE15 at checkout to get an extra 15% off your men's beach wedding attire!