A Truly Unique Wedding Suit For The Modern Groom
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Brian Sacawa is the Founder of He Spoke Style and one of the original men’s style influencers.
More This site contains affiliate links from which we may earn a commission.Whether for grooms or groomsmen, a terracotta suit is a bold and unique choice for modern wedding attire.
Although trends are not something I spend much time paying attention to — I prefer my style to be classic with a modern sensibility — the terracotta suit as a wedding suit trend is one that I can easily get behind 100-percent.
A wedding is a celebration. It’s a unique celebration for two special people. It should be fun. It should be memorable. It should stand the test of time.
That’s also how I view wedding attire and why I think a terracotta suit is such a great option.
Benefits of Choosing a Terracotta Suit for a Wedding
We’re going to start off by taking a look at a few specific benefits of choosing a terracotta suit for a wedding, but first I’d like to briefly touch on just how important color choices are when it comes to weddings, in general, and wedding fashion.
Importance Of Color In Wedding Fashion
The colors you choose for your wedding — both the decor and clothing — are extremely important. While those colors will set the tone, atmosphere, and vibe for the day, they can also reflect a couple’s personality. If you want your wedding to be formal with a sophisticated feel, go with black and white. For a garden wedding, you may opt for pinks and greens as the color story as they will be extremely complementary.
When you’re considering a wedding color palette, think of it as being both a backdrop as well as an opportunity to say something about you as a couple and you as . . . yourself! That’s what style is all about, isn’t it? And a terracotta suit is the perfect choice for modern grooms (and groomsmen) who want to do something bold and unique but still be timeless and classic.
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Unique
One of the most obvious benefits to a terracotta suit in the context of wedding attire is that it is incredibly unique. You and your partner are meant to be the stars of the show and there is absolutely no doubt that will be the case if you were clad in a suit whose color is truly stunning.
When you’re going bold with color, there is a fine line — or balance point, if you will — between unique and overly flamboyant or clownish. One thing I love about this particular suit is that the terracotta color, while most certainly striking, doesn’t come close to crossing that line. It’s a daring choice, to be sure, but there is an earthiness to it that keeps it respectable.
Versatile
Despite being unique, bold, and somewhat daring, a terracotta suit is versatile and quite easy to style — more on the latter in just a bit. Because of the earthier tone of this particular suit, you can really think of it as a brown suit. Yet because of it’s standout color, I would recommend trying to stick to pairing it with items that have a higher degree of contrast.
I’d like to explore the concept of versatility in a bit of a different way in the context of this being a post about wedding suits. I love the idea of doing something special for wedding attire but what can make it even more special is when you are able to wear your wedding suit after your wedding for various other events. So, far from being a one-trick pony, a terracotta suit is a suit that can be worn in other settings — from dressy to casual to very casual and even as a sport coat — with the added bonus of it always having a special meaning to you.
Seasonal
I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that if you’re considering a terracotta suit as a wedding suit, that you’re likely getting married in the spring or summer. If so, that’s a point to me but also a point to you because you understand how important it is for the colors you choose to complement the season.
In addition to color, it’s important that you’re choosing a wedding suit in an appropriate fabric as well. As much as you may love flannel and tweed, don’t try to wear those fabrics when it’s warmer — you’ll be dripping in sweat in no time. Instead, choose a fabric that’s light and breathable.
This particular terracotta suit is a made with a wool fabric in a hopsack weave. Hopsack is an open weave, which makes it not only light and airy, but incredibly breathable as well. Perfect for a warmer summer wedding. And if there’s a breeze, you’ll cool down even more as it will easily pass through the fabric.
How to Style a Terracotta Suit for a Wedding
Any way you slice it, a terracotta suit is a statement suit. And, as a result, all the rules about how to style a statement suit are in full effect. Actually, there’s only one rule about how to style a statement suit and that is: keep the rest of the outfit simple to let the statement piece shine by itself.
Simple shirt. Simple shoes. Simple tie — though you’ve no doubt not noticed that my tie is anything but simple. In this particular case, because it’s a wedding and special occasion, I did opt for some pattern, which works and doesn’t take away from the suit at all.
The Perfect Shirt
For a more casual styling, I don’t think there’s any better shirt option than a black cotton pique button-up. However, for a wedding, a simple and classic white poplin dress shirt is an absolute no-brainer. It’s a blank canvas and has the perfect amount of contrast with the terracotta color of the suit. Don’t overthink it.
The Perfect Tie
If you’re averse to pattern you’re probably not considering a terracotta suit for your wedding in the first place. Personally, I think a classic Glen plaid pattern in a small scale is the perfect complement to this standout suit.
The Perfect Pocket Square
Here is one area where you really don’t want to overdo it, especially if you’re going to go with my tie suggestion. Keep it simple with a white poplin pocket square for the perfect little bit of contrast in the breast pocket that ties the shirt in and makes the entire look cohesive.
The Perfect Shoes
Because of the earthiness of the terracotta color, your best bet is to go with a pair of dark brown Oxfords. If you want to lose the tie and be a little more casual, dark brown loafers all day.
The He Spoke Style Terracotta Suit in Hopsack
Our terracotta suit in hopsack is cut from a fabric that is 91-percent wool, 6-percent linen, 2-percent silk, and 1-percent spandex. That’s a lot of stuff mixed together but the only thing you need to know if that it provides an unrivaled level of lightness, breathability, comfort, and style.
To that last point, you can also clearly see that instead of being one-dimensional, this fabric has an amazing texture as well as flecks of white running through it, giving it an incredible texture and depth.
As shown in this post, the jacket is styled with two buttons, a notch lapel, double vent, is half-lined, and has patch pockets along with the signature He Spoke Style sartorial upgrade, which includes a hand-sewn Milanese buttonhole on the lapel.
One thing I’d like to note about the jacket styling is that is that for a wedding suit, I would consider changing the pocket style from patch pockets to flap pockets. Flap pockets will be a bit more formal, though if your intent is more casual, stick with patch pockets, by all means!
The trousers are styled simply with side adjusters instead of belt loops and a plain bottom. For a wedding, I would not style the trousers any other way.
But luckily, all of these details can be customized to suit your own personal style preferences.
The Bottom Line
A terracotta suit is a unique and stylish wedding suit option. Yes, it’s on trend in terms of wedding attire, but it’s also classic and will stand the test of time. In addition to being a standout suit, it’s versatile and can be worn and repurposed beyond your wedding day, making it a sound investment, and our version is also perfect for a spring or summer wedding due to the hopsack weave fabric.
If you’re set on wearing a suit for your wedding, be sure to check out other posts in our wedding suit series by swiping through below. And don’t miss our entire Groom Guide, which has over 25 articles and videos designed to help you look and feel your best on your wedding day.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
This Article is part of the Suit Guide Series.
Brian Sacawa
Brian Sacawa is the Founder of He Spoke Style and one of the original men’s style influencers. Since 2013, his goal has remained the same: to provide men the advice and inspiration they need to dress well, develop their personal style, and gain more confidence. Brian’s interest and passion for men’s style and luxury watches has led to his writing for The Robb Report, The Rake, and Sotheby’s and he has been quoted on menswear in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Today.com, Brides Magazine, and the Huffington Post. He lives in the woods north of Baltimore with his wife, Robin, kitties Nick and Nora, and German Shepherd/Collie mix Charlie.
Photography by Rob McIver
