Is it weird if my suit is custom while the groomsmen rent?

Not at all; it's traditional. The groom is supposed to stand apart; a made suit against rented ones looks intentional, not unfair. We coordinate colour and detail so the party looks deliberate in photographs, with you clearly at the centre of it.

Can my groomsmen just wear black suits they already own?

Yes, and it can look wonderful if we're deliberate: matching ties, same shirt, similar lapels where possible. Small differences in button count won't ruin a photo; different blacks and different fits will. Send me photos of what they own and I'll tell you what needs fixing.

How should a suit jacket fit?

The shoulder seam should sit on the edge of your shoulder with no divot or overhang; the chest should close without pulling; and about a quarter-inch of shirt cuff should show. Get the shoulders right and everything else follows.

I'm hard to fit (athletic, tall, shorter, or bigger). Can you help?

That's exactly who bespoke is for. A drop from athletic shoulders to a trim waist, a long or short rise, a fuller chest: a pattern drafted to you handles what off-the-rack can't. Hard-to-fit bodies are most of my week.

Can a suit make me look slimmer or taller?

It can. A clean shoulder line, the right button stance and the right trouser break lengthen and streamline you. It's tailoring, not a trick, and it only works when the suit is cut to your actual body.

Weddings · Weddings

The father of the bride & father of the groom suit

Updated July 2026 · Sam’s Menswear editorial team

Two folded lengths of suiting side by side on a worn oak workbench, one charcoal herringbone and one mid-grey worsted, each with its own set of dark horn buttons resting on top — Two cloths, chosen to sit together without matching. That is usually the brief.

The fathers are in more wedding photos than almost anyone but the couple: walking down the aisle, the first dance, the family portraits. The father of the bride and father of the groom should look dignified, coordinated, and comfortable all day. Here’s how to dress the dads.

Coordinate, don’t match

The fathers shouldn’t wear the identical suit as the groomsmen, and they shouldn’t clash with them either. The move is to coordinate on formality and colour family while letting the fathers wear something slightly more classic and grown-up. If the party is in navy, the fathers in a deep navy or charcoal read as part of the same picture without looking like they joined the groomsmen. How the whole party coordinates →

Match the formality of the day

Black tie / formal evening: the fathers wear tuxedos too. The custom tuxedo →
Daytime / semi-formal: a well-cut navy or charcoal suit, tie coordinated with the party.
Outdoor / relaxed: a softer suit, earthier tone, open to the party’s palette.

When in doubt, the fathers dress one notch classic. Never louder than the groom, never more casual than the guests.

Why dads should skip the rental

Fathers are the builds off-the-rack fails most: a fuller chest, a shorter or longer rise, shoulders that have earned their shape. A rental fits none of that; it’s cut to an average nobody actually is. A made-to-measure suit is built to his proportions, so he’s comfortable through a long day and looks his best in the portraits. And he keeps a proper suit for every event after. Why off-the-rack fails certain builds → · Custom vs rental →

Measure the whole family together

The easiest way to keep the groom, groomsmen and both fathers coordinated is to measure them together. Sam does exactly this, at the Vaughan studio, with both dads booked back to back so it costs them one trip between them. Does Sam come to you? →

Father of the bride or groom in the GTA? Book an appointment and walk down the aisle dignified, comfortable, and coordinated with the party.