[Mathematicus]

Hello all,

I'm in need of some advice on morning dress.

Basically, I am getting married in February and I will be wearing proper morning wear attire (that is morning tailcoat, odd trousers and waistcoat). On a first instance I was more keen about a sober lounge suit but my friends pointed out that I need something special as everyone sees me literally in suits or sports coats all the time.

So I did a lot of research to avoid ending up with the cheap plastic-looking, wrinkled shiny tailcoat bought from some "all-for-the-groom" shop.

I ended up picking very cheaply a gorgeus thick Oxford grey wool tailcoat which fits me quite well up to minor and doable alterations.

I struggled for about a month to find a pair of trousers which at least reached my navel and weren't 3 sizes bigger than mine (I have a 30 waist but 32 legs!) and had no pleats. I also wanted them to be not of the traditional striped variety, as to avoid any discussion with my mother (who nearly fainted when I told her that proper morning trousers are striped...) so a mid grey solid or herringbone pattern would have been ideal.

I found instead a pair of trousers with all the bells and whistles I wanted (also of the right size), in great condition but in a silver-ish light grey shade. They are not of the shiny variety, the material is good and thick. They are probably orphaned morning suit trousers, and the tailcoat is gone who known where. They drape perfectly on me, it's just the colour that bugs me.

I really don't know what waistcoat I could pair up with such combination. It seems to me that a light grey would be out of question, it would clash with the trousers.

Is an ivory/off white waistcoat a good idea? Will it blend well? And in that case, what about the tie? A classic fine houndstooth would still be okay?

Or what about a darker grey waistcoat? I have seen that in a few online pictures but I don't really know if there are any caveat to this... In this case a silver or pearl tie would be fine, I guess.

Here is a picture to have an idea of the shade; trousers are actually less bright than it appears here.

Any help is very very welcome!

 

[Shawl Lapel]

In that case I might try to find a waistcoat that matches the tailcoat. From the picture the trousers look pretty light, and as you said I'm not sure how matching would pair. I think the standard houndstooth tie would still work, or maybe you can find a suitable stripe. I had a hard time finding a houndstooth to work on my big day so I went stripe instead.

 

[culverwood]

I would go for a lavender or light blue coloured waistcoat with those trousers.

The one thing to be very sure about is that they are high enough to never show any shirt poking out the gap between waistcoat and trouser, if necessary wear braces.

I hope they are darker than they look in the picture which seems to look like a light grey moleskin which is almost certainly not the case.

I usually wear black and white hounds-tooth trousers (which look light in photos) with a buff double breasted waistcoat.

Do not be too restricted in the tie you choose just make sure it tones with whatever coloured waistcoat you choose.

 

[Adriel Rowley]

I would go for a lavender or light blue coloured waistcoat with those trousers.

I am not a formal wear by any stretch of the imagination, though as an artist this suggestion looks delightful. Cheery on such a happy day, plus could see it complementing something of the bride's accessories. Just a thought and hope helps.

 

[Matt S]

I would go for a lavender or light blue coloured waistcoat with those trousers.

I second this, particularly the light blue. Just about any pastel colour other than grey will work, but I would also avoid buff, beige or cream since that will compete with the trousers. A dark waistcoat will throw off the visual balance between the jacket and trousers because it will not match the colour of the jacket. Waistcoats that match the morning coat are a thing, but that's typically done for funerals. You wouldn't be able to match the coat anyway unless you can get the bolt of fabric the coat was made from (which is typically impossible).