How To Choose the Right Groom Accessories for Your Suit

Some styles are bold enough to stand on their own, like a gold velvet coat or a pink suit, but many suits are just begging for exciting groom accessories to give the look some life… oomph… spice… whatever you fancy. Now when we say accessories, you might be thinking of ties and shoes. But the buck doesn’t stop there, my friend! In reality, there are many other items that you can add to your groom suit to level up. I’m talking pocket squares, lapel pins, fun socks, belts, suspenders, tie clips, shoes and cufflinks… the list goes on and on.  So let’s talk through some of our favorites and how to choose the right ones for your look, shall we?

Neckwear

Let’s get real. It’s totally acceptable to pair long ties and bow ties with both suits and tuxedos.  Long ties tend to be an itty bitty bit more casual than bow ties, but both come in a wide range of colors and patterns to spice up any look.  Choose a style that fits your wedding party vibe and coordinates with your particular suit color.  

Pro Tip: Ties that are lighter than your coat tend to look best (except for a black tie which typically matches everything).  Your tie color and pattern will be the base of your look, so choose wisely! 

Cufflinks

Cufflinks come in a variety of materials and styles, so it’s important that you match the formality of your cufflinks to your suit or tuxedo.  Cufflinks are a perfect opportunity to show off your one-of-a-kind personality and taste. 

When in doubt, go for a neutral look like silver, gold, black or white in a circle, square or rectangle.  And if your look is more playful, then bring in something unique while ensuring the color still coordinates with your tie.  

Pocket Squares

Your pocket square can either match your tie or be a different pattern that complements it.  You can also opt for just a pocket square with no tie if you want a more casual look.  Remember it’s called a pocket square, not a pocket volcano 😉 So try to keep the fold to a reasonable shape. Your future self will thank you.

Socks

They may be on the simple side, but there’s nothing boring about this grooms wear accessory! Your socks can match either your pants or your shoes (though more often than not, matching to your shoes is foolproof).  What do we mean? Try to keep the darkness of the socks similar to the shoes so that the high contrast doesn’t catch anyone’s attention in a not-so-aesthetically-pleasing way.  

Fun, patterned socks are also a big trend for grooms and groomsmen.  If you want to go this direction, try to have all the socks in a similar background color. And again, keep the color of your shoes and pants in mind, remember dark and light combinations and be sure you aren’t wearing white socks with a dark suit or tuxedo!

Lapel Pins

Ahhh, the lesser acknowledged groom accessory: the lapel pin. A fun and cost-efficient alternative to wearing a boutonniere, we particularly love them because they stay in place about 3000% better than wilting flowers.  You can wear a tie, lapel pin and a pocket square all together, but be sure to keep the lapel pin to a smaller size if doing so.  

Lapel pins come in fabric, wood, metal and other fun materials, and while they do range in size, we tend to prefer the small to medium ones best. Now if we say color, and you’re feeling like The Grinch, thinking “WHAT WILL I WEAR?!”, be sure to choose a lapel pin with a similar hue as your tie since they are in such close proximity.  

And always, always, always make sure the lapel pin covers the buttonhole on your lapel!

Shoes

There are basically two main shoe colors: black and various shades of brown.  Black shoes work with black or grey pants, as well as dark colors like navy, green, and burgundy.  For most other suit colors, various shades of brown shoes are going to look best.  This includes: lighter grey suits, all shades of blue, tan, caramel and brown suits- and for the confident guy, pink suits.  Again, your shoes should work with your tie choice and also your belt – pretty please with a cherry on top don’t mix a brown belt and black shoes! For those with bolder taste, you can mix in blue, white or grey shoes, but be sure to check with a Stylist when pairing up your look.

Feeling jazzed about these options? Yep. Us too. And if you’re looking for a place to start the Next Top Model Groom journey, Stitch & Tie is chock full of groom and groomsmen suits, tuxedos and alllll the accessories we talked about today. I’m talking coveted designer labels in stock and waiting for their moment in the spotlight.

Stitch & Tie is a 100% online suit and tuxedo rental biz that boasts dozens of Stylists who work with guys every day, polishing full groom looks to perfection. And did we mention the sheer vastness of their inventory + colors will win you over in .2 seconds? Modern styles abound in a kaleidoscope of colors, and they just launched a new line of Michael Kors Performance Suits (breathable and stretch fabric – but that’s another conversation!). Needless to say, party people, there’s something for everyone.  And now that you’ve got the know-how and the map, go forth and live out your wildest fashion dreams.

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