Before I was a salesman. I sold suits at De Fursac and shoes at Septième Largeur .
And please believe that in addition to sales techniques, I had another amazing skill: reading minds.
Yes Yes.
Hold on tight, I'm telling you a story.
One random day between February and June, a man in his thirties walked through the door of my shop:
I raise my head and say:
“Tatatatatatatata don’t tell me anything…”
It freezes like 1, 2, 3 sun.
“Congratulations on your upcoming wedding…”
“How do you know that…”
“Tatatatatatatatata…you’re getting married this summer and you want to wear a royal blue suit.”
“Wow! So honestly, I…”
“TATATATATATATATA!”
1,2,3 SUN! I resume:
“That royal blue suit… you’re thinking of pairing it with a pair of cognac colored shoes…”
This time he doesn't say anything. His eyes pop out of their sockets. He believes he is in the presence of a telepath, a satori, a legilimens! He's looking for the crystal ball, the tarot cards, it's not possible he has a teleprompter!
“TATATATATATATATATATA!”
"I said nothing."
"IT'S NOT FINISHED! To complete this outfit, you say to yourself that there is nothing like a liberty bow tie and that the witnesses could even have the same one!"
Standing ovation. Mad crowd. Poooooopolopopooooopoooo.
The future groom says to himself: “But that’s impossible… How did he know? How could he have guessed my most intimate clothing designs to this extent? Maybe I should marry him who can read me like an open book?”
WOW. Calm down young groom-to-be, no need to go to such extremes. I'll explain this subterfuge to you.
From February to June, it was my royal blue period. Every thirty-year-old who passed my door wanted this color to get married.
It's the truth.
It was unstoppable.
At De Fursac: “I’m getting married this summer and I’m looking for a royal blue suit.”
At Septième Largeur: “I’m getting married this summer and I will wear a royal blue suit. I was thinking that cognac shoes would be good with it, do you have any?”
It's time to tell you what's been on my heart since this period. Yes, I have to tell you the truth: you shouldn't get married in royal blue, cognac shoes and a liberty bow tie.
The reasons that push me to be so radical
1. It’s wanting to stand out in the wrong way
A colorful pair of socks is also a bad way to stand out.
I totally understand why the royal blue suit is tempting.
We say that navy blue is common, it even reminds you of work perhaps. And then the guests will surely be in navy themselves. And so, opting for a slightly different blue, a little more festive, is appropriate for the context.
And this slightly different blue, a little more festive but wearable, is royal blue. Logic.
Only, you're not the only one to have reasoned like that. The result ? You are falling into the trap you wanted to avoid: not being like everyone else.
You can believe me: countless men have gotten married in recent years in royal blue suits, cognac shoes and Liberty bow ties.
That's reason enough not to do it in my opinion.
Well, it depends on each person's sensitivity but, personally, I don't like dressing for my wedding in the same way as most newlyweds.
What we must clearly see is that, unlike the tradition of the morning suit which obeys rules and is often part of a family tradition and a style, the royal blue suit and accessories is a fashion.
It's a trend you're following. A trend that strips you of the effects of your judgment, of your aesthetic independence.
2. This is looking at the bow tie the wrong way
You can be very elegant with a floral patterned bow tie. The problem with the liberty bow tie integrated into this particular outfit is that it is often seen as a slightly offbeat accessory so that the groom can be recognized and it is often also distributed to the witnesses.
Often, it is chosen artificial, that is to say tied untied and it is decorated with its matching pocket.
It's a bit like the armband to designate the team. “You 10 are going to wear bibs and the others won’t have any.”
Or worse, I have an image that shocks even me. This bow tie, worn like this, in this untied version, has for me the same effect as the propeller cap on Ralph's head in the Simpsons.
In fact, we see it as a constituent element of a panoply.
And that's a problem because it takes you away from true elegance.
When we were children and we played little chemist for example. We had the little blouse, the little glasses, the little gloves, the little hammer. “Ohhh how cute he is with his little chemist outfit look darling haaaaaan! OH FUCK CALL THE FIRE FIGHTERS HE JUST SET THE CURTAIN ON FIRE.”
Polyester curtains, you surprise me!
Okay, what was I saying?
Oh yes. The panoply effect undermines any attempt to be elegant.
Being elegant means knowing your body, the cuts that suit us particularly because of our particular body shape, the colors that highlight us; To be elegant is to take these elements and inflect them according to our character, to model them to create outfits consistent with our way of seeing things and to be comfortable.
If you choose the outfit of the perfect groom, it sends the message that you do not trust yourself enough
What I'm just saying is: it's a shame.
Your wedding should be about you, the love you want to celebrate with your loved ones and your dozen sometimes distant cousins. “Ah, finally dad invited his office colleague. Owl."
Apart from traditional costumes like the morning suit , your outfit should be made only for you: it should pay homage to your eyes, your shoulders, and emphasize your stature. In short, highlight yourself and give you dignity.
3. It’s putting others at risk
Honestly, you don't have to be epileptic. Royal blue, in direct sunlight, is a blow to burn retinas from ten meters away.
Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage
4. It might be the wrong cognac
I have nothing against Cognac. Quite the contrary. I have a regular but reasonable consumption, but regular nonetheless.
However, cognac color for shoes tends to make the foot very visible. And if we add to that, a slim suit with very tight bottom legs, it gives you big feet.
And it's not very elegant. If I stay in The Simpsons, it's the Tahiti Bob effect. Stable in high winds but you only see your feet. We can't focus on anything else, not even your conversation.
Here it is not cognac but the effect can be the same with a poorly chosen cognac. Do we really want our feet to stand out?
If you want to go for cognac shoes, make sure the shade is a little more on the medium-dark brown side than bright red. Let it be a brown a little orange. And then take care of those lower legs so that no one has the impression that “OH MY GOD ARE THESE BARGES OR SLIDE TROMBONE?” “Calm down Henry, let’s see it’s his feet.”
5. It’s confusing “being elegant” and “looking classy”
In fact, we can also say that royal blue (on a top/bottom set, a suit - which makes quite a bit of fabric) + the colored liberty knot + the cognac of the shoes, it makes what we could call an aesthetic escalation.
That's not exactly what we call sobriety. And you know what, it is possible to stand out with accuracy and sobriety. For this, I have written a guide on wedding attire which you can consult here .
The final word
I end with a question: when we look at your wedding photos years from now, would you prefer that we say: "what a look! Without lying, you were the arbiter of elegance at that time" or "Alala the years 2020 was a style all its own!”?
Hey, here is our wedding selection with blue, but also gray, white...
