Ok, so the irony of writing 'heatwave' and 'British wedding' in the same sentence is not lost on us as we look out of our window and witness a dour July sky doing its best November impression, but the summer is still young and blazing hot days must still be out there somewhere! It's the one variable that those getting married wish they could control. After months of meticulous canapé curation, floral deliberation, and guest list assassination, they'd swap it all for the guarantee of blue skies. It's probably why increasing numbers of couples are choosing to make their bond official in places such as Tuscany (although if you've ever seen a mid-August Tuscan downpour then you might think twice about that too). Either way, hot days require a certain degree of wardrobe recalculation for both ladies and gents in order to feel comfortable and chic. English we might be, mad dogs we most certainly are not!
For the Gent
When it comes to formal weddings in the heat, then there are only a few elements you can tweak in order to be more comfortable. First and foremost, one needs to ensure that the weight of wool cloth used for the morning coat is as light as possible. Wool is surprisingly effective when it comes to temperature regulation and moisture wicking, especially the finer yarns of merino and cashmere. Cheaper morning coats tend to be made from average fibres which are heavier and often more coarse, whereas at Favourbrook we use a range of superior wool yarns made up of very fine lightweight fibres. All of our coats are thus suitable for hot summer days, but you may prefer to opt for a light grey style since it will reflect more of the sun's rays versus a jet black morning coat.
Grey Norfolk Herringbone |
Grey Norfolk Herringbone High- |
Pistachio Randwick Double-Breasted |
Pale Blue Gabardine Wool Double- |
Pink Randwick Double-Breasted |
Indigo Chifu Single-Breasted 6-Button Waistcoat |
One's choice of shirt and waistcoat are the other factors to consider. A linen waistcoat with a silk back is an excellent option, being both lightweight and very breathable. One has fewer options when it comes to dress shirts since Marcella cotton is the standard, and opting for a linen shirt would not be formal enough. Cotton poplin is excellent, being lightweight, but you may wish to avoid pleated-front styles to remove any excess fabric and thus weight from the shirt.
Pink Sidmouth Ebury Jacket |
Oatmeal Dawlish Ebury Jacket |
Stone Chester Ebury Jacket |
For less formal weddings, then one's wardrobe should revolve around the linen suit. Linen is the perfect summer fabric, being extremely breathable and with the ability to wick away moisture. On top of that, it is very lightweight, and the inherently bright summer colours do a very good job of reflecting the sunlight. Plus, you are at the liberty of pairing the suit with a linen shirt, too.
Don't forget that the pocket square, often merely thought of as a superficial affectation, does in fact come in handy as a functional brow wipe when you are perspiring under the glow of the sun, so if you intend to use it as such, opt for a linen style rather than a silk one.
For the Lady
Ladies have the advantage of being more versatile when it comes to hot weather weddings but they still need to maintain a level of sophistication and decorum. Fabric choice is everything of course, with both linen and silk being excellent options for both dresses and coats when the mercury is rising. Both have the glorious advantage of being stunning visually, with linen bringing a lovely textural element to the look while silk boasts an inherent glamour thanks to its natural shine which is accentuated in the sun.
Florence Dress Ivory |
Serena Circle Long Dress Pale |
Serena Circle Dress Grey |
Silk georgette is another wonderful high-summer fabric that works wonders in the heat. Its 'barely-there' sheer quality creates a delicate femininity, as well as keeping you effortlessly cool. Silk satin, too, is another excellent iteration of silk that has a dreamy fluid quality and always feels cool on the skin.
Linen is a fabric we love working with as it has such a wonderful textural quality, on top of all its innate warm-weather characteristics. It's why we have created a number of summer coats in linen, too add a comfortable and tactile element to elegant summer wedding dressing.
Carnaby Coat Pink |
Soho Coat Reflection Grey |
Soho Coat Multi |
A hat is of course a very sensible addition to your look, but also one that creates a unique sense of style and sophistication. Our great friends Georgina and Martine over at Atelier Millinery created a beautiful collection of hats this season that perfectly complement our dresses and coats.
