The ideal wedding outfit looks different for everyone. Here, three guys tell Nicole Conner about custom-made kilts, matching groomsmen and suits to fit the whole squad…
Jamie Keddie wore a Cairngorm Stewart Hunting tartan kilt outfit by McCalls
“Right from the outset I had a very specific outfit idea in mind – historically accurate but with a modern twist,” Jamie tells us. “McCalls were very open and enthusiastic about discussing, designing and supplying me with exactly what I needed.”
He praises all at the Dundee branch, especially manager Fiona Hain, who helped him find what he was looking for. It wasn’t something they’d done before but that wasn’t going to stop them. Fiona taught Jamie about the different tartans, and when she saw what he was looking at, she sought out similar colours and patterns to match his vision.
He settled on the Cairngorm Stewart Hunting Weathered tartan and had three kilts made – one for himself and two for his groomsmen – as well as a custom-made waistcoat.
Start shopping sooner than you think, speak to experts to explore all your options, and don’t be afraid to ask for help, is Jamie’s advice. “McCalls loved being involved. They did much more than just the kilt and helped me find items and accessories to match my day.”
Edward Johnson wore an Arran mist kilt from MacGregor and MacDuff
For his wedding to Ciara at Carlowrie Castle near Edinburgh, Edward had his heart set on wearing a kilt: as an Englishman marrying a Scot, he felt it was important for him to salute his new family’s culture. Putting together his early mood boards, he spotted the Arran Mist tartan on MacGregor and MacDuff’s Instagram – and loved it.
As luck would have it, the Glasgow retailer had a pop-up shop in London where the couple were living, and this ended up being the only store he visited in his quest for his outfit.
“My one piece of advice for other grooms is don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions,” Edwards tells us. “You’ll want to get it right and sorted well in advance of the big day so you’re not stressing, so give yourself as much time as possible. It should be an enjoyable experience you can share with your fiancée and your groomsmen.”
He also advises wearing a shirt when you go shopping so you can check your sleeve length and how it fits with the jacket.
Edward, his best man and groomsmen and the fathers of the bride and groom all wore the same tartan, but Edward bought his own sporran both as a keepsake and to help him stand out from the others.
Like anyone hiring four (or more) outfits from the store, they got their fifth hire free: “Apart from the father of the bride, all the gents are English and they were very excited to be wearing kilts – it took no convincing on my part,” laughs Edward. “And their partners loved seeing them in their outfits.”
Jonathan Burns wore a suit from Remus Uomo
“When I set out to get a nice summer suit for my July wedding, I hadn’t thought about a check,” Jonathan tells us. “Once I saw how subtle this Remus Uomo one was, though, I knew it would be perfect.”
He admits that finding an outfit was the one task his wife gave him to sort himself, and, determined to make his look a knockout, he browsed five or six stores before finding exactly what he was looking for Remus.
He is full of praise for Martin and Jen at the Glasgow Silverburn shop for making the experience “easy from start to finish” and for accommodating any requests. They were more than happy to swap the waistcoat to the contrasting one Jonathan had in mind, for instance.
“All the groomsmen went for exactly the same suit as me – I was amazed by how Remus managed to give every one of them an incredible fit, despite all their different sizes and shapes,” he laughs. “Any alterations that were needed were carried out by them flawlessly.”
His advice for other grooms going to a fitting is to bring the shoes you plan to wear with your suit, if you already have them. This makes it a lot easier to get the trousers to sit nicely.