September 03, 2021

7 Things You Should Not Wear to a Wedding

You have a lot of options when it comes to what to wear to a wedding. So many, in fact, it may be more helpful to know what not to wear.

If you like to get creative with your outfit and want to know the boundaries of what you can do, this comprehensive list will explain what you shouldn't wear to a wedding.

1. White

Unless the bride and groom is asking you to wear white to the wedding as part of a dress code, you shouldn't wear a white suit or a white outfit.

White is generally reserved exclusively for the bride at a wedding. You also shouldn't wear a lot of light colours that resemble white, like beige or cream.

2. Black

Unlike with white, we aren't going to outright condemn wearing black here. Black is an incredibly versatile colour and having it as a part of your wedding outfit is probably unavoidable.

But your outfit should have another, lighter colour. Black is often regarded as a very serious colour, and weddings are a celebration of love. You should wear a lighter colour to match that mood.

3. Bright Colours

You may want to get creative with what you wear to a wedding, but remember: attendees shouldn't upstage the groom.

Wearing bright colours can get you to stand out in a bad way, taking away attention that should belong to the groom. It is probably best to dress conservatively for a wedding.

4. Too Many Accessories

What a Man Should Wear to a Wedding | Fashion Designer Nathon Kong

Photo by Ruthson Zimmerman on Unsplash

Men should accessorize for a wedding, but only with a few select accessories like a necktie or a watch. Wearing a lot of accessories breaches on what we talked about above: taking attention away from the groom on their special day.

5. Jeans

Even if you have a fashionable pair of bespoke jeans, you shouldn't wear jeans to a wedding. Clean, well fitting jeans can be great for a variety of formal occasions, but are just a little too casual for a wedding.

Jeans are great for many occasions, but not for weddings

6. Shorts

Generally, you will want to wear some sort of suit to a wedding. Shorts really don't go well with suits.

Even at a wedding taking place during the summer, you shouldn't even wear any outfit that goes well with shorts.

7. Hats

What is the Best Thing to Wear to a Wedding | Fashion Designer Nathon Kong

Photo by Craig Whitehead on Unsplash

In general, you don't want to wear hats to a wedding. Some outdoor wedding receptions might allow certain formal hats like fedoras if it is hot, but even then hats are best avoided.

If you are looking for inspiration for what to wear to a wedding, discover some of our articles on the subject below.

Discover what you should wear to a wedding

A few things you should wear to a wedding includes a tailored suit and some sort of accessory. If you're looking for a way to dress conservatively and uniquely, you can wear an artwork in the lining of your suit and on your accessories.

Nathon Kong sews art work by people with mental health troubles into suits and limited edition accessories to tell the story of a person's journey to mental health recovery. The art is by participants of Les Impatients, a nonprofit organization that supports people with mental health troubles through therapeutic art programs.

Each silk scarf tells a story

Nathon Kong donates 10% of all proceeds to Les Impatients and other nonprofit organizations that support mental health and local artists. Each fashion accessory comes in a unique gift box with a certificate of authenticity detailing the article's edition number and the story of the artist that created the art piece.

Discover the collection limited edition silk fashion accessories.

10% of your purchases are donated to local nonprofit organizations supporting mental health and local artists