THE TAILORED BRIDE

 No matter how simple or pared down a gown can get, some women just can’t get into wearing a dress even on their wedding day. For this reason, the classic suit is becoming a stylish alternative. Like the sheath, it’s long and columnar only in two pieces with a jacket and straight skirt. There are, of course, exceptions. Skirt shapes can be flared like A-lines or take on full-bell contours, even under man-tailored jackets. Pantsuits are more the rule than exception lately with pant legs varying from slim cigarette widths to wide culottes. Something about a well-tailored suit on the right bride suggests a certain élan—she projects sophistication and independence. The good news is, for the most important day of your life, you can wear a suit instead of ‘The Dress’ without being mistaken for a Bride’s Mom. You may have to hunt a different direction than the traditional bride to find those clean lines and fabrics you like so much.

Getting married in a suit isn’t exactly an original concept. World War II brides popularized them out of necessity, wearing the best they could find in their closets for ‘on the fly’ nuptials. Mia Farrow wore one when she married Frank Sinatra, and Camilla Parker-Bowles wore coat/dress ensembles for both her civil and church ceremonies. So what differentiates the wedding suit from the everyday business suit? Typically, the fabric in a wedding suit or coat will be special. Considering the season, winter for example, peau de soie and brocade are luxe, heavier materials that sculpt to the body well and hold their shape. A high-quality wool suit fabric can go in any season. Imagine a wool crepe suit in white or ivory, lined in a lightweight pure silk; it will have a totally different appearance than what you wear in the office or boardroom. Linens and medium-weight silk shantung or dupioni have just enough weight to tailor well and look chic for spring-summer weddings.


The basic cut of the jacket is going to be the same one you are used to—either single or double-breasted. More radical styles would include Neru, Mandarin or Cossack. Shorter jackets like the Eisenhower and Bolero look best with skirts having higher waistbands, giving you a more column-like look.

The skirt is one element that really makes the wedding suit special. Formal and semi-formal weddings typically call for a floor-length skirt. The cut of your skirt could be straight or A-line. Even a full skirt, complete with a formal train, works well as a suit component, provided it has the proper linings and understructure (read: slip or crinoline) to balance out the jacket worn with it. If you don’t feel comfortable in a skirt, by all means wear pants. And don’t hesitate to wear a veil with a pantsuit if that's what you want. Be gutsy and make your own trend!

 Want more choices? Coat dresses and coat-and-dress ensembles (like Camilla Parker Bowles wore) are options many women overlook simply because they're not often shown these days. A coatdress is just that: a lighter-weight coat (street or floor length), and can be single or double- breasted. Then there’s the coat and dress ensemble. Simply put, this is a coat with a dress out of matching fabric underneath it. In the 60s, these were trendy, mostly for formal occasions. If you like the idea of a fitted coat, you could wear one for your ceremony—long or short—over a corresponding sheath. After the ceremony, the coat could be removed so you could move freely throughout the reception

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Accessorizing a suit with bridal touches is one way to customize it for a wedding. Every day buttons on a jacket for instance, can be replaced with fabric-covered or jeweled ones. Your jacket can also have couture techniques such as hand-bound buttonholes. If your suit has a formal floor-length skirt, topping it off with a longer veil really gives it that wedding feel without going ‘all out’ as a sweetheart bride. Shorter veils, like flyaways (shoulder-length and above) or poufs of netting, go great with suits. If you’re not the veil type, consider a hat or headpiece that complements. Hats and suits go together, especially when a hat has a veil over the eyes. It takes the place of a blusher and offers a certain sophistication to being veiled rather than that symbolic ‘being given away’ business. Gloves really tie your whole look together and add a touch of formality when you want it. Kid gloves are the most elegant; net and crocheted gloves give your ensemble a more vintage or feminine feel.

WHERE TO SHOP

The trick here is to shop in the opposite direction the traditional bride would. The exception is the bridal salon that features designer lines that offer suits.  Initially, your search for ideas will probably begin online. Once you get a thought of how you want the skirt (or pants) and jacket to look, save the combinations.  Next, you might go to a fabric shop. Yes, to look at fabrics but also to comb through the pattern books. Pattern books are great for finding looks you can take with you. Or go online to www.vogue patterns.com. 

If you take the department-store route to buy a suit, you might find a particular designer’s suit is available in every color except white. The designer or store carrying it may be able to special-order it in white. If you’re satisfied with the idea of a ready-made suit, department stores might be a better option than anywhere, especially if they have an established relationship with the manufacturer. Salespeople within departments know their lines and designers well and can steer you in the right direction. You might be able to find your jacket by one designer, your skirt by another. Be warned though. Just make sure the shades of white aren’t too far off that they can’t be worn together.

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There is, on the other hand, a downside to department stores: If you want that particular fashion edge, their merchandise probably isn’t as forward-looking as the one-of-a-kind boutique or specialty store. And believe me, a bridal suit should be classic, yes, but it has to be different in some way. The kind of different only a tailor or designer can translate. Check out boutiques and specialty stores. They may not have the exact suit you want, but they may be able to create one or point you to a first-rate tailor or custom designers who can. If you can’t find what you want in a salon, department store or boutique and are serious about that real ‘tailored look’, find a good tailor, preferably a men’s tailor (they’re so skilled). Use some of the same guidelines for finding a tailor that you would for a designer or dressmaker. In this case, follow the most important rule: ask around and go by word of mouth. Once you find your good tailor, he (most likely a he) will either have an array of fabrics in-house or help you scout for the materials you want. Chances are you’ll want an exclusive fabric you can only find in a specialty store. A tailor knows how to take all the proper measurements to create the look you want--the look that undoubtedly says, You and sets you apart.