Where should you buy a wedding suit in Paris?
Paris has three broad kinds of address, and they do not answer the same need. Knowing them spares you comparing offers that cannot be compared.
Department stores and ready-to-wear
Department stores and the labels' own boutiques offer a wide choice, available at once. It is a solution for a very short deadline or a tight budget. The cut remains standard: expect alterations, often to the sleeves, the waist and the hem, and less time spent with you.
Made to measure
Made to measure starts from an existing pattern, adjusted to your measurements. You choose the cloth, the lapel, the buttons, the lining. It strikes a good balance between fit and budget, provided the house takes enough measurements and allows for a fitting.
Bespoke tailoring houses
A bespoke tailoring house draws up a pattern in your name and follows the garment through several fittings. More time is spent with you, and the result is more personal. It is also where you will be advised on the whole outfit, from the shirt collar to the shoes.
How do you choose the right house for a groom's suit?
Take the time to push open two or three doors. The right person is quickly recognised by a few signs.
- Listening.You are asked about the venue, the hour, the season and the dress before you are shown a single cloth.
- A coherent offer.The house can make a two-piece, a three-piece and a tuxedo, and explains when to choose one over another.
- The choice of cloths.Swatch books from recognised cloth houses such as Holland & Sherry, Vitale Barberis Canonico or Dormeuil, and advice on the right weight for the season.
- Transparency.The quoted price includes the cloth, the fittings and the final alterations. A very low price often hides an extra charge later on.
- Continuity.Ideally, the same person looks after you from the first appointment to delivery.
What budget should you plan for a wedding suit?
The budget depends first on how the suit is made, then on the cloth. In Paris, a bespoke two-piece suit generally starts at a little over €1,000; more accomplished tailoring runs to several thousand euros. These are only orders of magnitude.
At L'Atelier Hoche, a first suit starts at €1,380, as does the tuxedo, cloth included. For a wedding party, the budget for each outfit is set with you, at the atelier, according to the cloth and the collection.
Remember to set aside part of the budget for the shirt, the shoes and the accessories, which count for as much as the suit in the photographs.
When should you order your wedding suit?
Ideally, begin three to six months before the date. It is not the making time that calls for it, but peace of mind: choosing the cloth without haste, coordinating the best men, leaving room for one last adjustment.
At L'Atelier Hoche, a suit takes three to six weeks to make, with two or three fittings. For a tuxedo, allow six to eight weeks before the event. If the date is close, an express schedule of three weeks remains possible for a wedding.
Plan the final fitting one or two weeks before the day itself, and bring the shoes you will be wearing.
Suit, three-piece or tuxedo: what should you wear for your wedding?
The choice depends on the hour and the tone of the ceremony.
- The two-pieceis right for a daytime wedding, in town or in the country. In summer, a lightweight wool or a wool and linen blend; in winter, flannel.
- The three-pieceadds the waistcoat, which structures the silhouette and keeps you looking polished once the jacket comes off. It also sets the groom apart from the wedding party.
- The tuxedois called for at an evening ceremony or a formal dinner. Satin or grosgrain lapels, a bow tie, a bib-front shirt: see the bespoke tuxedo.
As for colour, navy and mid grey can be worn at any hour; midnight blue is an alternative to black in the evening. To compare the cloths and their weights, browse the cloth ranges.
How should you dress the wedding party and the best men?
Harmony does not mean uniformity. The groom stands apart through one piece or one detail: the waistcoat, the cloth, a buttonhole. The best men and the fathers share a common palette, interpreted for each figure.
In the private salon, our online client space, the group configurator places several figures side by side: the groom, the best men, the fathers. You see the whole party together before the first piece is cut.
How does a wedding commission unfold at L'Atelier Hoche?
It all begins with a first meeting, fifteen to thirty minutes long and complimentary, at the boutique on avenue Hoche or by video call. We talk about the date, the venue, the spirit of the day. I can also come to your home or your office, should you wish.
Then comes the hour-long appointment for measuring and ordering: more than thirty measurements, and the choice of the cloth and the details — lapels, pockets, buttons, lining, initials embroidered inside the jacket. The fittings follow, and the final fitting takes place at the atelier, pin in hand. Every piece is fitted in Paris, at the atelier.
A well-chosen wedding suit is worn again afterwards: to a dinner, to another wedding, to the office. It is one of the reasons for choosing bespoke for that day.
For the details of what the house offers, see the bespoke wedding suit, then book a private consultation, at the atelier or by video call.