Menswear moves quickly. So quickly, in fact, that a wedding invite stamped with ‘morning dress’ once seemed traditional, conservative even. But thanks to a certain David Beckham in Dior, plus the fact that chances to really, properly smarten up are few and far between, black tie for the daytime has become one of wedding season's most popular dress codes.
The exciting part is having a rare chance to showboat in old school finery. Decoding what this most formal dress code actually means is trickier. Whether you're the groom, his best man or just part of the congregation, the key to nailing the morning suit is preparation – leave it too late and you'll be yet another sad guy in an ill-fitting rental. Here's everything you need to know.
What Is A Morning Suit?
Chances are, most men have seen a morning suit of some shape or form: in passing as you flashed through a million photos of a royal wedding; perhaps when your Facebook feed turns into a matrimonial stew halfway through the summer. It may have even been etched in your subconscious since early childhood by way of Thomas The Tank Engine’s bureaucratic overlord, the Fat Controller.
"A morning suit, also known as morning dress, is the traditional, time-honoured gentleman's attire for formal events such as weddings, memorial services and daytime affairs in the presence of the monarch," says Sean Dixon, co-founder and managing director of Savile Row's Richard James. Many refer to the suit as ‘tails’, thanks to the distinctive swallow-tail rear of the jacket, which extends just below the knees. But in the trade, they’re known as "body coats", says Dixon.
Naturally, a morning suit that's tailored to your body shape is superior to anything you'll find in the hire shop. The trouble is, unless you're at a wedding every week, morning suits don't rank high on the old cost-per-wear ratio.
Excluding a shirt, shoes (and if you’re really going all out, a top hat) the suit itself has three main components: a fitted coat, trousers, and a waistcoat. “Every element should fit like a glove and, ideally, be of bespoke design,” says bespoke tailor Dixon, perhaps unsurprisingly. If your pockets aren't that deep, worry not. Really, you just need to nail the details.
“The most important thing is that the tails should hang perfectly and not cross over, or splay apart," says Dixon. "As our head cutter, Ben Clarke, who makes beautiful morning suits, says: ‘You’ll have your back to the guests throughout the ceremony, so make sure those tails are perfect.’”
Key Elements
As Dixon says, fit is key in a proper morning coat. That means it should be snug, but never tight, and sit well on the natural contours of the body. Notch-lapel versions do exist. But, if you've already come this far, you might as well go all out with a peak lapel. A little texture in the weave isn't a bad idea either, and will add depth to the overall look (and allow you to quietly stand apart from other cookie-cutter morning suits).
Not too long, not too short; trousers for morning dress should sit firmly within Goldilocks territory. They need to be lengthy enough to cover the ankle, but not so much that they pool around the shoe. Colour wise, they should either match the coat, or offer some subtle contrast – a black coat with charcoal trousers, for example – and stripes are common but certainly aren’t compulsory.
Traditionally, a morning dress waistcoat would be double breasted, but single can look just as good and doesn’t have the nasty habit of bunching up while seated. It should be slim fitting and long enough to cover the waistband of the trousers. Beige, grey and cream are the go-to colours but feel free to mix it up – within reason. That means yes to subtle pastel shades, no to Arsenal's away colours.
Morning dress is a rigid dress code, and that extends to the shirt: a white dress shirt with a cutaway collar is the only option. If you can afford it, go bespoke. If not, buy the best your wallet can stretch to and then draft in your tailor. For added formality, always opt for a raised placket and French cuffs, but keep the cufflinks tasteful.
Three words: black leather Oxfords. It’s impossible to go wrong with something so classic, and they’re the only fitting accompaniment for a morning suit. Just make sure they’re polished to a shine (no need for patent leather) and made of quality materials. A goodyear-welt is always a welcome bonus, particularly if you intend to cross-pollinate across the rest of your wardrobe.
Should You Buy or Hire a Morning Suit?
Naturally, a morning suit that's tailored to your body shape is superior to anything you'll find in the hire shop. The trouble is, unless you're at a wedding every week, morning suits don't rank high on the old cost-per-wear ratio. Still, if it's your big day then buying really is the only option: hired morning suits look like hired morning suits. Which means a suit that’s built for every man, and which thus suits no man whatsoever.
If your bank account can take the strain, a bespoke or made-to-measure morning suit is a thing of beauty. Granted, it's a big investment from something that's going to spend most of the year in your wardrobe, but think of it like a wedding dress: it's your special day, so you deserve to wear something truly special. And unlike a wedding dress, you actually can break it out for other people's weddings (just make sure to switch up your accessories to avoid their wedding photos looking just like your wedding photos).
If your budget is more off-the-rack, then stick to brands that specialise in tailoring (see below for our favourites). There are affordable places to buy a morning suit, and even if they don't look great straight from the hanger, for £30 a tailor will be able to make all the necessary tweaks that make even a budget morning suit look like something made-to-measure.
If you absolutely must hire, then take your time. Keep hitting the fitting room until you find the closest thing to a perfect fit and then ensure the parts you are actually buying – shoes, shirt, tie and so on – are the best within budget. Think of those things as investments. You’ll be wearing them again, even if you're never invited to another country estate wedding in your life.
Where to Buy a Morning Suit
Moss Bros
Moss Bros is one of the few places that’s perfected the art of hire suits. And it shows. Its large collection encompasses plenty of slight size differences to suit every body type. Like we said: you just need time. Moss Bros will provide the rest.
Richard James
Richard James is a Savile Row mainstay, known for its colourful, contemporary suiting. It offers an in-house service dedicated to wedding attire, and with it, morning suits. What’s more, the sizeable collection grants you total carte blanche with pieces straight off the peg, bespoke, or somewhere in-between.
Favourbrook
Founded in 1993 years ago by Oliver Spencer (yes, that Oliver Spencer), Favourbrook is a morning suit specialist – it even dressed the cast of Four Weddings and a Funeral. As befits a wedding expert, its formalwear is keenly priced and encompasses an enormous range, from coats and waistcoats to shirts and trousers.
Turnbull & Asser
The brand of choice for Bond, Winston Churchill and Laurence Olivier has several royal warrants and arguably makes the best bespoke shirts on earth. However, plump for its full wedding service and its experts will craft you everything else too, from top hat to trousers.
Church's
A morning suit needs to be anchored by the perfect pair of shoes. Church's are more perfect than most. For 150 years,the brand has been one of the most respected (and one of the most enduring) names in British shoemaking, a reputation embodied in its signature black leather Oxfords.
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