Is this suit acceptable for a fall wedding?
I found this corduroy suit that I thought looked cool. Was wondering if it was acceptable at a fall wedding reception that is cocktail attire? If it matters, the reception would start before sunset. And, if appropriate, any suggestions on styling i.e. shirt / tie / shoes advice?
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Brown corduroy suit (handshake emoji) autumn social event
Now with that said, cocktail attire means different things to different people. There may be a commonly accepted definition (or multiple) online but in reality people use it to mean a whole swath of things. It really depends on: the couple (and their social circles), the venue, the time of year, and the time of day to some extent (which sort of combine to mean, the weather). If you're going to a wedding at a fancy country club, hosted by members of said club, they're probably looking for your best navy suit, though fall is often more casual than summer in this respect. If you're going to a wedding on the beach, they're ... probably not. But they might be.
i took it by the venue and my knowledge of the couple that cocktail, if anything, was leaning towards semiformal, i just havent worn anything other than a gray/navy suit to a wedding so i was nervous lol
A brown cord suit is on the significantly more casual side of suits, similar to seersucker suits, lighter-colored linen suits and bolder-colored/patterned wool and wool-adjacent suits. But of course, cocktail attire for many people doesn't even include a full suit anymore, so it's not that casual in 2023 in america. Just, fairly casual.
What does semi-formal mean in your words? :)
i always thought semi formal meant a jacket and trousers, whether thats a blazer or a suit is up to you
tie optional
Yeah, it's a bit difficult because there are really only two specific terms for formality that are still broadly followed (in the US), pretty much everything else is used by people however-which way. What you describe has been called many, many things. If you think they lean towards sport coats and suits as both fine, tie optional, then a brown cord suit will fit right in.
Personally I'd wear it with brown, burgundy, or shell oxfords, derbies, or loafers. It would probably be 'not quite correct' but I think you could get away with black brogued oxfords or derbies just fine, if you wanted to avoid too much brown; tan is a strong maybe (the formality level is reasonably correct but I don't think I like the color combo.) Shirts - I'd probably think white, ice blue, or pale pink, however, I'd consider not just your standard dress shirts but things with more texture to them, like OCBDs, a few other adjacent weaves, or even a flannel (cut like a dress shirt, not like a lumberjack shirt.)
Then for the rest, I'd probably bring a white linen square and a tie, but which one is a big question. I could see a fairly conservative tie (including wedding tie) playing nicely, but a fairly loud tie might be the ticket too - multi-paisley, gold/brass, burned orange, eggshell, etc; including possibly linens or cottons. Tons of options. I'd bring them both but be prepared to wear neither.
Especially if going for an OCBD or flannel (which I might well choose based on weather forecast a couple days out), just keeping the top couple buttons unbuttoned and looking more relaxed may well be the ticket. Especially with loafers.
awesome thanks! i was def thinking about an OCBD though white or light blue ill have to choose, its still a couple months away thankfully but now i have the suit covered at least
man i would love an excuse to finally buy loafers, i may just do that