Khaki weddings in summer

May 4, 3:05 PMMen's Style ExaminerStile E. Coyote

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WELL, IT FINALLY HAPPENED. A once "Future Mrs. Ex-Coyote" is about to become the permanent Mrs. Coyote late this summer, and now Stile's scrambling to have the "right" summer wedding look. I mean, not many times in your life (one hopes) will you ask the question "What should the groom wear to his own wedding?" But Stile thinks he has it nailed.  

I have two rules: I'm not wearing a tie, and I'm wearing Adidas Stan Smiths.

Weddings can be a pain, especially if you have to be super formal on this special day, but it is also your day, so dress how you please. If you're like me, you want a nice, informal wedding in the summer with the bride-to-be looking stunning in a white dress, though not too formal of a dress. I mean no veil, no train: just her beauty and radiance. The Coyote's are not the type of people that are having 300 formal guests sit down for foie gras at a $400 per plate dinner and make everyone wear top hat and tails, but you could. Here is a quick primer on the different types of formal weddings, from Brides.com: 

Daytime Informal Summer:
Light-colored suit or navy-blue blazer with khaki, white, or cream linen trousers
Plain shirt with standard necktie
Plain coordinating shoes

Daytime Semiformal:
Black or dark-gray sack coat
White pleated shirt or soft white shirt with standard necktie
Plain black shoes

Evening Informal Summer:
Navy or light-colored business suit or tuxedo, depending on bride's level of formality

Evening Semiformal Summer:
Tuxedo or white dinner jacket with formal black trousers
White pleated shirt with turndown collar
Black vest or cummerbund and matching bow tie or cravat (a short, wide tie)
Black patent-leather dress shoes or plain black calfskin shoes

For more rules — including Winter and more formal suggestions— check out this article.

In addition to picking the level of formality, there needs to have some more rules attached:

1. I'm not wearing a tie.
2. I'll be wearing these shoes.

And since summer is the time for khaki, I landed on this: the khaki suit, crisp Oxford shirt (no tie), Paul Smith socks and a pair of Adidas Superstars, Stan Smiths or white canvas Converse All-Stars.

What I was looking for in a khaki suit I found on J.Crew's wedding pages. It's the Italian chino Aldridge two-button suit jacket ($248) in stone color and matching pants ($118), but I think I'm leaning toward the stone two-button chino suit fromBanana Republic ($380), instead. I like the quality of BR's gear, and for the price (The LA Style Examiner seems to agree) it still beats trying to rent a tux for all my groomsmen. (Option: Go high-end with the Ralph Lauren Classic Cotton suit, $1,495).

I hope she likes it.

Rules for wearing a khaki suit:

• Make sure it's fitted.
• Keep it dry-cleaned and soft-pressed. 
• If you're wearing a linen suit, keep the wrinkles to a minimum by hanging your jacket whenever possible.
• if you're not the classic-kick wearing type, wear brown shoes.
• No pleats. Go plain-front. this isn't 1993.
• Don't fearing splitting your suit up: wear the jacket separately on occasion. 
• Keep your socks lighter than your pants.
• Always keep at least one jacket button undone.