Do you have a child attending prom this year who needs to rent a suit or tuxedo?
If you are a parent inexperienced in the process of renting a prom tuxedo or suit, we understand how confusing it can be to go through this process. If you’ve been through the process of renting a suit or tuxedo for prom, there are several pieces involved with formal wear choices and it’s always a good idea to review the process to be ready when you walk into the tuxedo store.
When it comes to formal events, a fitted tuxedo truly exudes sophistication and class. However, it’s not just the tuxedo itself that makes the outfit complete; the finishing touches of the accessories can truly bring it all together. From the bow tie to the pocket square, every detail counts when it comes to accessorizing a tuxedo.
We are often asked when the ring bearer should get measured for a wedding tuxedo or suit. When you think about it, the young members of the bridal party are most likely still growing. Getting them measured and fitted for their tuxedo too early will most likely cause their parents to make another trip to the formal wear store to have the young wedding attendee re-measured.
Many customers come to Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo and ask us whether they should buy or rent a tuxedo. The answer to that question is not always obvious. There are several things you should consider when deciding to buy a tuxedo. In today’s tuxedo blog, we are going to outline the questions you need to ask yourself when deciding whether to buy or rent a tuxedo.
Should I buy or rent?
How many events a year do I need a tuxedo?
The first question you need to answer for yourself is how often do you really need a tuxedo? If you wear a tuxedo once every 5 years, we certainly don’t believe it’s necessary or prudent to invest in a tuxedo purchase. Opinions vary as to how often you wear a tuxedo each year when it would be worth investing in such formal attire. About 10% of our customers purchase a tuxedo if they attend 2 or more formal events a year, but most of our customers feel that they need to attend at least 4 events a year to justify purchasing a tuxedo. Later in this blog, we will cover other reasons for purchasing or in this case, not purchasing a tuxedo that go beyond the number of times you need a tuxedo each year.
Fitting garments to get the right size
Does my weight and sizing fluctuate?
If your weight fluctuates enough throughout the year, or years, we usually do not recommend purchasing a tuxedo. The author of this blog is embarrassed to admit that on his last vacation, he gained 10 pounds and many of his suits no longer fit him! Typically, an increase or decrease in weight of 10 pounds would cause a change in jacket size by a full size. As an example, if you are a size 42R jacket and you lose 10 pounds, you would most likely now be a size 40R. If you lost or gained 5 pounds, that would typically require a change in jacket size by what I would call a half a size. As an example, if you were a size 38R and you gained 5 pounds, you would now be a size 39R.
If your weight does fluctuate, not so dramatically, we often recommend that you have the tuxedo jacket taken in or let out to accommodate your new size. Oftentimes, this is less expensive than buying a new tuxedo jacket or even renting your proper size. A tailor or seamstress will be able to tell you if the garments are able to be altered.
Fortunately, many tuxedo pants are adjustable by 3 inches on each side of the pants with straps and clips to fasten the straps. This convenient feature is very forgiving when you lose or gain weight and we often do not have issues with customers needing new pants if their size changes.
We frequently advise customers that it may be better to rent the tuxedo rather than buy it. You will be surprised how many times we will see the same customer come back in 18 to 24 months after purchasing their tuxedo needing to rent a tux because the one they purchased no longer fits.
The one very beneficial part of renting a tuxedo is that your fit will be perfect for you each time because you will be able to choose any size jacket, pants, shirt, vest and shoes each time you rent.
I Bought a Black Tux, Now I Have to Wear a Navy Tux!
Three years ago, we had a proud father of four daughters tell us how he bought a black tuxedo in anticipation of the eventual marriages of his daughters. He wore his purchased black tuxedo to his first daughter’s wedding and it looked great, as he told us!
A year after his first daughter’s wedding, he was in our store because his second daughter insisted that he wear a navy tuxedo! This rendered his black tuxedo useless for his second daughter’s wedding. Who knows what his third and fourth daughters will want him to wear? Once again, this father’s investment in his expensive black tuxedo purchase is not really panning out. The lesson here is that you may not be able to wear the tuxedo you purchased for every event and renting is sometimes a better and more affordable option.
In general, a black tuxedo is a good choice because it’s a classic, timeless look and is not trendy. However, if the color scheme for your events could potentially change as they did for this father, then it may just be better to rent your tuxedos. This will allow you to rent any color combination that you need or prefer for each different event.
Is the tuxedo color and style I am considering purchasing timeless?
Should you choose to purchase a tuxedo, we highly recommend purchasing a more timeless tuxedo. Black tuxedos are always a good bet or possibly a dark gray tuxedo. The dark gray shades are often so dark that they look black. A navy tuxedo is not a bad choice however keep in mind that navy may not be as popular as it is today.
As we wrote about in one of our blogs, black tie optional affairs do not necessarily require you to wear a black tuxedo. The point is to wear a tuxedo and not a suit. Unless specifically requested in your wedding or formal event invitation, wearing a tuxedo that is not black is acceptable.
What is the price difference to buy or rent?
As with most products, there are many styles, colors and designers when it comes to tuxedos. Prices vary dramatically and oftentimes; the designer and fabric quality often drive the price of a tuxedo rental and purchase. As an example, a Michael Kors tuxedo rental and purchase will cost you much more than a lesser-known brand.
Typically, high-end brands like Michael Kors and Ike Behar will cost about $1,000 for the jacket pants and vest. Then you will need a shirt, tuxedo shoes, long tie or bow tie, pocket square, studs and cufflinks. Lesser-known brands may run you less than half that price however, keep in mind that the quality and fit are not nearly as good as the high-end brands. In addition, the quality of the fabric often does not last as long as the high end brands. As they say, you get what you pay for.
Buy or Rent
When you purchase a tuxedo, you typically need to purchase the jacket, pants, vest, shirt and shoes. You’ll also need to have the pants hemmed to be the proper length and often the jacket sleeves as well. Some customers want additional alterations such as bringing the jacket in at the waist to give it a more fitted look.
Changing Styles
In the past 8 to 10 years, slim and skinny fit have been very popular. I personally prefer a fitted suit or tuxedo and do not like something that looks boxy on anyone. However, based on our meetings with European designers in the last year and a half, relaxed fit is becoming more popular again. We are seeing double-breasted suits and tuxedos coming back.
Double-breasted Navy Tux
As we write this, 2023 and 2024 are predicted to bring back more relaxed fits and looks. Personally, I am still going to wear slim fit tuxedos because I like the look better. However, if things start trending to a more relaxed fit by the majority of people, I would certainly consider a smart looking double-breasted tuxedo.
Quick Q&A of Buy or Rent Tuxedo Decision:
Q: How many times do I need a tuxedo every year? A: If you wear a tux less than two times every year, we suggest renting. If you wear a tuxedo 2 – 4+ times a year, buying is probably a good idea.
Q: Does my size and weight change often? A: If your sizing and weight changes frequently, then we suggest renting. If your sizing does not fluctuate dramatically, then you can still buy a tuxedo and have it altered when/if there is a size change.
Q:Is there a risk that designs I am considering will go out of style? A: If you are thinking of a trendy color for a tuxedo purchase, it’s probably better to rent. If you want a black tuxedo for use many times over, then it’s a safer bet to buy.
We hope this helped you with the decision to buy or rent your suit or tuxedo. Chat with us if you want to talk through in more detail!
Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo is pleased to offer these 7 simple ways to improve your tuxedo or suit rental or purchase experience!
What follows is a summary of what our bridal and tuxedo store is experiencing with weddings this year, and a few procedures you can follow to help grooms and groomsmen look their best for your wedding.
2022 Weddings Are on the Rise
According to The Wedding Report, the United States will see 25% more weddings this year. That’s more weddings we’ve seen since 1984! This is certainly going to affect your wedding vendors and how they serve you.
We are experiencing a noticeable increase in the number of weddings this year, much more than the predicted 25% increase. Whether it’s increased demand from delays from COVID or just overall demand from demographics, we are certainly seeing many more brides, bridesmaids, grooms and groomsmen coming through our store.
You want your wedding party to look their best. So do we! Those wedding photos will last forever and we want to help you manage this process to capture those moments that will be seen for years to come. While there is a lot more involved with renting a tuxedo or suit than the items that follow, these are the 7 simple ways to improve your rental experience:
Start Shopping Early
Given the higher demand for tuxedo and suit rentals and purchases, we suggest that you start shopping for your mens’ attire six months before your wedding. There are a lot of choices out there and it may take you some time to decide on how you want to dress your groom, groomsmen and fathers. As an example, we have over 70 different styles of suits and tuxedos for rent and about 35 available for purchase. In addition, there are many different styles and colors of vests, long ties, bow ties and pocket squares.
Sorting all of this out with the proper professional advice is not that complex, however, we advise starting the process early so that you can make your choices with the time you need to decide.
In addition, the sooner you choose your attire and place those orders, the less likely you will find yourself unable to acquire the choices you made. Remember, there are 25% more weddings in the United States this year and that is translating into more pressure on inventories of certain tuxedo and suit shops who are not prepared for the extra volume.
2021 proved to be a challenging year as well because of all of the weddings postponed in 2020 from COVID and the already planned weddings for 2021. We remember having a bride and groom come to us who said their original tuxedo supplier could not accommodate all of their requests: all of the tuxedos were not available because the company was out of the styles and they could only provide half of the vests requested! Fortunately, we were able to provide them all of their tuxedos for their wedding day without a problem, however this may be a recurring issue in 2022 due to the increase in the number of weddings so starting your shopping and ordering of tuxedo and suit rentals early, could alleviate this problem.
Our fitting clothes ensure a perfect fit
Have Your Guys Get Measured in a Timely Fashion
Getting your guys to get measured for their tuxedo or suit in a timely manner is one of the biggest challenges. At Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo, we suggest having everyone measured and initial payments made at least 3 to 4 weeks before the wedding. This will make sure the inventory can be reserved for you and your wedding party and we have enough time to start working on the orders.
Do we really need 3 – 4 weeks? No we do not. We can prepare a tuxedo or suit rental in less time, but this will ensure there is adequate time for any changes in sizes or choices and will reduce the probability of inventory not being available.
We understand everyone is busy, but this is an important day for your wedding and we try to explain that to the groomsmen. Our procedures provide for us to call or text the guys to remind them to come in and get measured. If they are out-of-town guests where we’ve arranged for them to get measured out-of-state, it is equally important for them to submit their measurements to us on our online portal in a timely manner.
* This is where the bride and groom can help: we call and text groomsmen many times to remind them to get measured. Sometimes, they are not very responsive to our communications. When that is the case, we will reach out to the bride and groom to nudge the guys to come and get measured. Oftentimes, the bride and groom will send out a group text message and euphemistically state: ‘any of you who haven’t been to Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo to get measured for your tuxedo, need to do so ASAP!’. Of course even those who have been measured are included in the text message so not to shame the ones who have not completed this task!
Our suggestion to you is to follow up with the guys via text message and ask them if they’ve been able to order their tuxedo. We find that they tend to be more responsive to the bride and groom.
Getting measured only takes about 10 minutes.
Make Your Tuxedo Payment on Time
Paying for your rental may sound like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many times we have to make multiple requests to groomsmen to either make their initial payment or pay for the entire rental if we are shipping it to them.
We have had to explain more than once that amazon.com will not process your order without payment… and neither can we. If you are picking up in our store, we require an initial payment at measuring and the balance of the rental fee can be paid on pick up. If we are shipping you the tuxedo, we do require full payment before the rental ships out.
Check with your tuxedo and suit retailer as to what their payment requirements are. Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo tries to make the payment process very simple. We accept all credit cards, offer ApplePay and GooglePay and even can send electronic invoices by text message or email. Not making a payment for your suit or tuxedo rental halts the processing of the order.
Respond to the Tuxedo Shops Questions
Groomsmen ready to go!
At Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo, we do a lot of quality control with our tuxedo and suit rental orders.
There are a lot of moving parts to renting a suit or tuxedo. There is the actual tuxedo style, color and designer, the type of shirt, color of vest, bow tie or long tie choices, cufflink and stud choices, shoe choice, and of course pocket square choice. Add on top of that, measurements and sizing for most of the items just mentioned. We review files every week for accuracy and completeness.
This year, we anticipate renting about 7,000 tuxedos and suits! That’s a lot of quality control and a lot of telephone calls and text messages to our customers. Our suggestion, no matter where you are renting or purchasing your suit or tuxedo, is to return the call or text message of the retailer in a timely manner so that you can answer their questions. This expedites the ordering of your attire and ensures everything is accurate. Given that we see 7,000 measurements a year, we often can spot inconsistencies and fix them with a quick phone call.
We make communicating with us really easy, including the ability to text our store’s telephone number.
A wedding party trying on their tuxes!
5.Pick Up and Try on Your Tuxedo
It’s always a good idea to ask your retailer about when the suit or tuxedo rental will be available for pick up. Every store has a different policy. Our policy is, in general, that the rental will be ready for pick up 4 to 10 days before your event. The good news is we do not charge extra by allowing you to pick up the tuxedo a week before the wedding. This allows you to try it on and make sure everything fits properly. We call every single renter to let him know his rental is ready for pick up. If you do not have voicemail, we are actually able to text you from our store’s telephone number.
Our suggestion is to pick up the suit or tuxedo rental as soon as you are notified or as soon as you can. You want to allow adequate time to make changes if necessary. As an example, we had a groomsman who was measured in March. When he came to pick up his tuxedo in August, he had lost 15 pounds because he is a landscaper, worked outside and lost weight due to the extreme heat. This was not a problem, because he came to pick up his tuxedo a week before the wedding. The next day, we had the correct size for him.
On another note, if you lost or gained weight, it’s a good idea to return to the store to get re-measured. Every tuxedo store has different procedures, but we put everyone in a pair of pants, a jacket, shirt, vest and shoes. The fitting items that you try on with us are true to size and are quite accurate, unless, of course, you lose 15 pounds!
If you were measured out-of-state and are having your tuxedo or suit rental shipped to you, we highly recommend trying it on immediately. Remember you were not measured by us and where you went to get measured may not have the same tried and true measuring procedures that we have. Inform your tuxedo retailer immediately if something does not fit properly. With adequate notification, you should be able to have that situation remedied quickly. The bride and groom will appreciate you for this!
6. Sizing and Tightness
We often hear from groomsmen that their suit or tuxedo ‘feels a little tight’. This doesn’t happen often but when it does, our experience is that many guys are not used to wearing suits or tuxedos. Let’s face it, most workplaces allow casual attire or people work from home. If a suit or tuxedo is perfectly comfortable (read: feels like you are wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants), then we can guarantee it looks terrible!
Some guys put their arms out in front of them and say, “It’s so tight!” or “Look how short the arms are!” Are you going to walk around like a zombie at the wedding? No, because that is not a normal stance. When your arms are straight down at your side it should look and feel fitted.
A suit or tuxedo should be relatively fitted and look almost like it was made for you. It should not be baggy. If you are not used to wearing formal attire, after wearing it for 10-15 minutes, you will get used to the tighter feel. It is best to try your tuxedo on in the retailer’s location. This way a professional, who is used to seeing thousands of people in tuxedos, can help you determine if the fit is correct. If you had your tuxedo shipped to you, we’ve even done FaceTime or video calls with guys so we could see what it looks like on them! This helps us determine if anything needs to be changed.
So the bottom line is if you are not used to wearing formal attire, then that slight tight feeling from the tuxedo or suit may still be the proper size for you. A formal wear professional will help you determine that and even allow you to try on the next size up to see how it looks and feels.
7. Return On Time!
This is a big one that can cause real problems. Because there is a strain on inventory, suit and tuxedo retailers are depending on returns to be prompt. If you do not return your tuxedo there of course or late fees associated, but you are also causing problems for someone else. Yours could be delayed because someone else didn’t return on time. Please return your tuxedo as per the terms of your retailer. You can read more about the importance of prompt returns here!
We Hope This Helps
Although not all wedding parties are experiencing all of these issues, we are finding that these are the 7 simple ways to improve the tuxedo and suit rental or purchase process! Simply being aware of these potential issues will help streamline dressing your wedding party.
Have you ever done an online chat with a company? How about texting a company’s telephone number to communicate with it? Super helpful to get immediate service, right?
Six years ago, Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo added the ability to do an online chat with us. In addition, we set up our actual store telephone number to be able to receive text messages from customers! A few years ago, our service provider added the ability for us to initiate a text chat with customers directly.
We always knew about online chat systems but when we realized that our store’s landline could send and receive text messages, we were convinced this would be the best service on earth. And we were correct! We send and receive thousands of text messages to and from our customers every month. The system is on about 16 – 17 hours a day and we the owners and founders actually answer all chats and text messages, even when the store is not open! Yes, this is a commitment timewise, however we see how convenient and important this service is. Our brides and grooms tell us how much they love the ease of communicating with us and we love being able to provide immediate answers to you.
So with thousands of text messages and chats each month, we’ve learned a thing or two about how to make this service more efficient for you. In addition, we’ve received some interesting text messages and chats over the years, to say the least!
The following blog will help you communicate more efficiently with your bridal and tuxedo store. Our advice and tips are purely from what we learned over the years with customers attempting to text or chat with us.
Click the chat button on our website and be connected to the owners directly!
Our Chat and Text System is NOT a Google Search!
Every month, we receive text messages from customers as if the person is trying to do a Google search. Here’s an actual example of a text message sent to us: “mother of the bride dresses near me”. When texting or chatting with us, you are actually communicating directly with the owners and our daughter, in real time! We don’t use computers or bots to answer, you are actually speaking to a person when you text or initiate an online chat with us.
If you type in your text message or the chat box words that you would normally type in a search engine, we will most likely ask you to clarify what you are asking or what you are looking for. We read every text message and chat and will be able to have a conversation with you as if you are talking to a friend or family member, it’s that simple!
So our advice is to be very clear about what you are looking for.
Text Chat Advice
If you initiate a text chat with us, be specific and tell us how we can help you. Tell us your name, what you are looking for and how we can help you.
If you send a picture, please tell us what the photo is and how we can help you with it. Random photos that are delivered to our text chat system don’t help us help you without adequate explanation. Are you looking for the dress you sent us? Are you looking for a similar tuxedo to the one you sent in the photo? Giving us your name allows us to be more personal with you. If you are looking for our hours, it’s very efficient to text or chat us by writing: “Hi, my name is Lisa. Can you tell me your hours”? You’ll receive an immediate response with the exact information you are looking for, thus saving yourself time.
When you start a text chat with us, all we can see is a phone number and nothing else. Your name and what you are looking for would help you receive a quicker and more complete response. Oftentimes, a customer will text us “did my dress arrive?”. If all we can see is your phone number, we unfortunately don’t know who you are and what kind of dress you purchased. If you give us your name and / or tell us that you purchased a wedding dress, we will be able to more quickly look up the information for you.
Try to Finish the Conversation
Whether you’re doing an online chat or a text chat, try to stay with the conversation. We often have someone text us or write to us through the chat system and then they stop communicating in the middle of the conversation. Eventually the system times out and the conversation automatically ends. Texting us is not like texting your friend who looks at his or her phone throughout the day and can pick up with the conversation later in the day.
For your privacy, our system will end the chat when there is inactivity for a certain period of time. We understand that you may get side tracked or you may be at work, so a starting new conversation later is no problem. However, the systems are designed to end the text or online chat after there is no activity after several minutes.
We Aren’t keeping Your Information
As we mentioned before, we receive and send thousands of messages every month. We don’t have the time to look back at your phone number or chat information, other than to answer your questions, set an appointment or say hello. If we could post a day’s worth of chat in the blog, it would go on for a hundred pages! Your information is safe with us. As a family owned business, the most precious thing we have, other than our employees, is our time. We just don’t have time to go back to your phone number or chat information. Your information is also automatically purged from the system to help with privacy.
Online Chats
Online chats work a little differently. When initiating an online chat, you are requested to fill out your name and email address so that we can communicate with you in a more personal manner. Again, you are talking to a live person when you chat Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo. Our goal is to answer your questions as quickly and thoroughly as possible. The more information you give us, the better we will be able to answer your question. If we don’t have an immediate answer, we will tell you that we will text or email you later. This often happens when the staff is busy with other customers or if we are texting or chatting with you outside of business hours. We may need to answer your questions when we are in the store again.
We Are Available About 16 Hours a Day!
We leave the chat and text system on for about 16 hours a day. We will answer you virtually immediately. If our system is turned off for the night, you will receive an immediate message that we are offline. However, when we turn on our phones or our computers, we will see your message and be able to answer you. No messages are lost and we will get right back to you.
Be Patient
When we receive an online chat request or text message, we are often responding from our iPhones. We typically respond very quickly but sometimes we need a minute to grab our phones or open the system on a computer. We promise, we will answer you pretty quickly but sometimes we are at the gym (yes, we have the chat system with us no matter where we are!) or finishing up with a customer.
Changes are Coming
It is not often that you see a small family business, like ours, offer live chat or text chat. While online or live chat has been around for a long time, being able to text a company’s telephone number is relatively new. Text chats are not as common and we don’t think everyone is perfectly comfortable with it yet, but with the substantial increase in volume of text messages we send and receive every month, we feel that text chatting will become more common in the next two years. Obviously, this hasn’t stopped our millennial brides and grooms from texting us! They love using the service and we love providing it.
Go Ahead and Try Texting or Chatting with Us!
Now that you can initiate an online chat or text the owners of Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo, why don’t you give it a try! Our phone number is 215-491-8500. Or click on our chat button and Wendy, Franco and Daria will be at your service!
Every year, Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo adds new styles of tuxedos and suits for rent and purchase. We meet many brides and grooms one-on-one throughout the year and discuss their tuxedo and suit preferences and learn a lot. Our conversations help us develop what new styles to offer our customers. Those styles include completely new tuxedos, suits, bow ties, long ties, pocket squares, shirts and shoes.
This year we added 10 new styles, one new pair of brown shoes and countless long ties, bow ties and pocket squares. These are truly must see tuxedos, suits, and jackets!
We just finished up what were the top 5 tuxedo and suit rentals for 2021. Now we are excited to introduce our 10 new must see tuxedos and suits we’ve added to our inventory for rent and purchase.
Denim Blue Tuxedo by Allure Men
Green Velvet Tuxedo Jacket by Allure Men
Brown Suit by Ike Behar
Heather Gray Suit by Ike Behar
Black Double-Breasted Tuxedo Jacket by Ike Behar
Navy Double-Breasted Tuxedo Jacket by Ike Behar
Black Peak Lapel Tuxedo Jacket by Ike Behar
Tan Suit by Ike Behar
Seaglass (green) Tuxedo by Allure Men
Steel Gray Suit by Ike Behar
1) Denim Blue Tuxedoby Allure Men
Denim Blue Tuxedo
Despite the name, this tuxedo is not made of denim! It is actually a true tuxedo made of an ultra luxurious wool blend with a denim color. The fabric will assure comfort for all day wearing. The jacket has a notch lapel, a stitched border where you would otherwise see satin, however there is no satin on this jacket.
The matching trim fit pants and vest, create a different yet handsome blue addition to our many blue suits and tuxedos available for rent and purchase. Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo offers this tuxedo for rent and purchase, providing your wedding party the flexibility of owning or renting this beautiful tuxedo. This has become one of our staff favorites from the moment they saw it and is one of our definite must see tuxedos.
2) Green Velvet Tuxedo Jacketby Allure Men
Velvet Green Tuxedo Jacket
As with our other Allure Men velvet tuxedo jackets that we offer, this fabric is truly luxurious. The green color is best described as emerald and the shawl lapel jacket and fabric are soft as can be. This is a wonderful formal jacket to wear for a winter, late fall or holiday event. We think it looks great with our slim fit black tuxedo pants.
Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo offers this tuxedo jacket as a purchase only.
3) Brown Suitby Ike Behar
Brown Suit
Our customers and staff really love Ike Behar suits and tuxedos. Why? Because his designs are so precise that no matter what your body shape, this designer’s suits and tuxedos always seem to fit like a custom suit. Don’t ask us how he does it?!
This ultra-luxurious textured brown wool blend is something that needs to be seen in person. When we first saw photographs of the suit, we didn’t think it was anything special. About a month ago, we received our first shipments of the suit from Ike Behar and we were immediately in love! The photos just don’t do the fine fabric and detailed texture justice. The suit is a two-button notch lapel and has matching trim fit pants and vest. We offer this wonderful suit for rent and purchase.
4)Heather Gray Suit by Ike Behar
Heather Gray Suit with Scoop Vest
Last year we added a light gray Ike Behar suit to our collection. This year, we added a few more gray suits from Ike and this one is slightly darker than our light gray Ike Behar suit but slightly lighter than our new steel gray suit from Ike.
The trim fit one button jacket has a classy peak lapel. The matching trim fit pants can be paired with a matching scoop vest or a V-shape vest. We believe this will be popular with those in search of a darker gray suit that does not look black. We are proud to offer this fine suit for rent and purchase.
5) Black Double-Breasted Tuxedo Jacketby Ike Behar
Double Breasted Black Jacket
After a trip to Europe to meet some fashion designers in September 2021, we had the good fortune of getting an inside look of some trends that may be coming out of Europe in the next two to three years. One designer showed us some design plans of suits and tuxedos that were more relaxed fit and not as form-fitting.
We believe the new double-breasted suits and tuxedos added this year may be part of what is more to come from Europe. The double-breasted look is more forgiving around the midsection and torso and is capable of hiding a few extra pounds! This is a peak lapel with very fine fabric and can be worn with slim fit tuxedo pants or our new Ike Behar black skinny-fit tuxedo pants. Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo offers this tuxedo for rent or purchase.
6) Double-Breasted Navy Tuxedo Jacketby Ike Behar
Double Breasted Navy Jacket
Ike Behar has designed a double-breasted navy tuxedo jacket that is pretty much the same tuxedo as his black double-breasted tuxedo just made with his signature navy fabric. We already offer two tuxedos by Ike Behar that are navy. We are excited to offer this third option from Ike Behar.
Ike has created a complete look by offering a matching satin navy bow tie or long tie, a matching navy V-shape vest and either navy slim fit or navy skinny fit pants. Again, this handsome tuxedo is offered for rent or sale.
7) Peak Lapel Black Tuxedo Jacket by Ike Behar
Black Peak Lapel Tuxedo Jacket
Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo has always offered Ike Behar black tuxedos with notch and shawl lapels. This year, we are proud to add this smart looking tuxedo jacket in a full peak lapel. This is truly a slimming jacket with full satin on the lapel. We think the jacket will pair perfectly with either the new Ike Behar skinny fit tuxedo pants or the more traditional slim fit pants.
Last year, most grooms chose the more modern V-shape matching black vest. However, we are seeing more and more customers choosing the more traditional scoop vest for our black tuxedos. This tuxedo is available for rent or purchase.
8) Tan Suit by Ike Behar
Tan Suit by Ike Behar
When we saw that Ike Behar was now offering a tan suit, we knew we had to add it to our collection! We already have a tan suit from Michael Kors and a tan tuxedo from Allure Men, but we think this tan suit will be popular for destination and summer weddings. The suit is already a favorite of our tuxedo manager Joe!
The super light 100’s wool and luxurious fabric will ensure you are comfortable all day for your warm weather event. This is a notch lapel trim fit jacket with matching vest and trim fit pants. This suit is available for rent or purchase.
9) Seaglass Green Tuxedo by Allure Men
Seaglass Tuxedo
Another of our definite must see tuxedos! Our bridal consultant, Shannon, asks us every week when this tuxedo is coming in from the designer! She is in love with this tuxedo and wants to buy this for her husband Jack. This is a very unusual, yet beautiful light green fabric.
The tuxedo is made with an elegant super 130’s fabric and has a notch lapel. The border stitching on the lapel emulates satin piping without having any satin! The fabric buttons on a few of our Allure tuxedos are always a nice touch. This tuxedo is available for purchase only.
10) Steel Gray Suitby Ike Behar
Steel Gray Suit
This is yet another gray suit added to our collection from Ike Behar. This is the darkest of the Ike suits available and has a peak lapel. The suit is available with matching slim fit pants or wear it with black skinny fit pants.
As with many Ike Behar suits and tuxedos, we do offer a matching scoop vest or V-shape vest with this steel gray suit. We believe this suit will be popular all year round. The suit is available for rent or purchase.
A Word About Double-Breasted Tuxedo Come-Back
The owners of Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo like to keep up on coming trends in wedding and formal wear fashion. That’s why we like to personally visit designers in the United States and Europe and see what they are creating. We actually see their design studios and look at the drafts of their drawings to see what may be coming.
In all honesty, when we were told by a few designers in Europe that they were working on more relaxed fit suits and tuxedos, we were a bit surprised. We remember the boxy look of some suits and tuxedos about 8 or 9 years ago which obviously since have gone by the wayside. Now that some of these designers have released a few double-breasted suits and tuxedos, we see that we may be seeing more relaxed fit items in the next couple of years.
Our opinion is that this may not be very popular in the Philadelphia region. Why? Because we meet brides and grooms every day for tuxedo and suit appointments and after approximately 575 appointments in the first 6 weeks of 2022, not many have indicated their desire to rent or purchase double-breasted suits or tuxedos. The exception has been larger grooms and groomsmen who find the jackets more streamlined for their body types.
After adding another 10 different suits and tuxedos for sale and rent, we have close to 70 different styles available to you. Most of what we offer is slim fit and skinny fit. However, we do have several relaxed fit items as well. We want to make sure we are accommodating everyone’s formal wear needs and will always invest in a mix of different styles and fits for you.
As always, only time will tell as to what will be the most popular tuxedos and suits. As we did at the end of 2021, we will certainly write about the most popular tuxedo and suit rentals and purchases for 2022. We hope you are as excited as we are about our new must see tuxedos, suits, and jackets!
Our family business is proud to serve you and enjoy the time we spend with you one-on-one to help you put together your perfect wedding, prom and gala look!
Every year, many parents tell us that this is the first time they are renting a prom suit or tuxedo for their school-age student. They further explain that they have no idea what they are doing when it comes to renting a suit or tuxedo.
Well, you are in luck!
The owners of Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo have children as well so we understand what you are going through. We rent thousands of tuxedos and suits for prom every year and we are happy to give you some guidance with this tuxedo and suit rental guide!
As a local, family-owned business, we want to make this process simple, fun and stress-free. This blog should give you some guidelines to understand what you should expect when renting a tuxedo or suit and how to make the process easier on you and your prom-goer.
The Basics
When renting a tuxedo or suit for prom, there are several potential pieces to the rental that you should be aware of. Although you may not want or need all of the rental pieces, this is generally what you can expect to receive when renting:
Jacket
Pants
Vest
Shirt
Long tie or Bow Tie
Pocket Square
Shoes
Cufflinks
Studs
Don’t be overwhelmed by the number of things to choose. Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo has a simple process of summarizing your choices and will guide you through everything.
When deciding on renting a suit or tuxedo, you will need to choose styles and colors for each of the items above. In general, once you choose a designer or tuxedo/suit style, you have potentially already chosen the jacket, pants and vest. This is the bulk of what you are wearing. The remaining items are just accessories, shoes and a shirt. Most tuxedo and suit designers make matching pants, jackets and vests for each style that they design and manufacture. As an example, if you choose the below navy tuxedo by Ike Behar, this designer makes matching navy pants and navy vest to go with the jacket.
Ike Behar navy Sebastian tuxedo
Some prom-goers want a vest that matches the color and style of their long tie or bow tie and pocket square. More about that decision and subject later.
Difference Between Dressing for a Senior Prom and a Junior Prom
Over the years, we have seen that most junior prom attendees wear a suit for prom, rather than a tuxedo. However that is not always the case. Some junior prom attendees wear a tuxedo. It’s entirely a personal choice whether the junior prom-goer wears a suit or tuxedo. Either one would work and there is no right or wrong answer. Our past experience shows that about 54% of junior prom attendees wear a suit and the rest wear a tuxedo. Many junior high school students and parents ask other parents and students to gauge what other students are doing. This usually forms the basis of how parents or students choose between a suit or tuxedo for junior prom.
Ike Behar Light Gray Suit With Peak LapelMichael Kors Light Gray TuxedoLeft is a light gray Ike Behar suit, Right is a Michael Kors gray tuxedo
As for senior prom, it is very rare that students wear a suit. Most wear a tuxedo for their senior prom. Our tuxedo ordering system shows that over the last 10 years, 98.7% of senior prom attendees wore a tuxedo.
Is a Tuxedo Rental More Expensive than a Suit Rental?
The common myth that a tuxedo rental is more expensive than a suit rental is false. The price of a tuxedo or suit rental is driven by the designer chosen and the fabric used to make the suit or tuxedo. A Michael Kors tuxedo is one of the more expensive tuxedos to rent. However a Michael Kors suit rental could be and is often as expensive as a tuxedo rental. You are paying for the designer’s name, high level design of the suit or tuxedo and the high quality fabric used in making the suit or tuxedo. Generally, the higher quality fabric used in making the suit or tuxedo, the more comfortable it will be to wear. You can, however, find tuxedos that are less expensive than some suit rentals because the designer is not as well known and the quality of the design and fabrics are not as high.
Our suggestion is to first figure out if you prefer a suit or tuxedo for prom and then choose a rental that fits your budget and style.
Should I Rent a Suit or Tuxedo for Prom
In our experience and opinion, suits are a great choice for a junior prom. Why? Because junior prom is not as formal and by the time you become a senior, it’s great to leave your high school days behind you by going out with a big bang in style! Wearing a suit for junior prom will allow you to match a majority of the attendees to your junior prom and will ensure that you don’t look too different. Senior prom is more formal, more celebratory, and should allow you to stand out and shine with a tuxedo.
How Much Should I Spend on a Tuxedo or Suit Rental
That’s a great question! Many parents and students call our store around prom time and ask how much it costs to rent a suit or tuxedo. Here’s where we like to give a word of caution to students and parents. We found that a lot of tuxedo and suit rental shops charge for each item that you want to rent. Pricing often given is “bare bones” pricing and doesn’t really include much, but there is more about that in the next section.
At Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo, we have always done package pricing. We include everything in the rental and our pricing: Jacket, pants, vest, shirt, bow tie or long tie, pocket square, shoes, cufflinks, studs, and damage waiver – no surprises! Yes, we even include shoes! We don’t think you should be going to prom barefoot! We have seven different price points ranging from $170 plus tax all the way up to $273 plus tax. There are several price points in between those two high and low prices so you will have plenty of choice.
The way we do pricing at Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo is that once you choose the tuxedo or suit style, the price stays firm no matter what accessories or shoes you choose. We like pricing this way so there are no surprises after choosing all of your accessories.
Beware of the $99 Rental Advertisement
Every year, we see tuxedo and suit rentals advertised for $99. This is a teaser rate offering very low end pants and a jacket and nothing else, however they don’t tell you that in the advertisement. When I say low-end, I mean a jacket and pants that feel like a burlap sack and usually do not fit very well! No exaggeration here. Once you arrive at the store offering “$99” tuxedo rentals, you are then asked to choose a shirt, vest, tie, pocket square, shoes, cufflinks and studs. Some even then add a damage waiver fee and a cleaning fee. Oftentimes the price will well over $300 after all said and done.
Our advice to you is choose a local place that has an honest, good reputation that has fair pricing. Look at online reviews to see what others think and ask around for recommendations in your neighborhood.
Renting Items Piece-Meal
Some parents call us every year to tell us that their son owns a tuxedo jacket, pants and shirt and just needs to rent the bow tie, pocket square, colored vest and shoes. This is a great idea if you are comfortable with the tuxedo you already own. However keep in mind, sometimes the savings is not as great as you may expect. Why? Because package pricing when renting a full tuxedo with all accessories can sometimes be not much more than renting a few accessories. If you are okay with saving $30 – $80 by renting only the accessories, then by all means, we encourage you to do that. We, however, don’t want you to be fooled that you will save $150 – $200 by just renting the accessories.
Book Your Suit or Tuxedo Rental Early
Prom season can be very busy for formal wear and tuxedo shops. In addition to a lot of rentals for prom, stores are also very busy with spring weddings. There is often a lot of pressure on the tuxedo and suit inventory and popular styles and colors can become scarce during the prom rental season.
The best way to combat this is to get into the store and choose and secure your preferred suit or tuxedo as early as possible. You may not even have a date for prom yet or know the color of your prom date’s dress. This is not a problem, later you can choose your accessories once you know the colors that you want. Coming early allows you to order and secure the styles and sizes that you need.
Aside from popular colors and styles running out the fastest, the less expensive tuxedo and suit rentals, especially in the smaller sizes tend to run out more quickly. We have a very large warehouse with a lot of suits, tuxedos and accessories however no business is exempt from running low on supply during high season. Your best strategy is to visit your tuxedo shop as soon as you can, get measured and choose your style. You can later update the order with your chosen accessories.
Can a Female Wear a Suit or Tuxedo?
Of course she can! Every year, we have females who prefer wearing a suit or tuxedo for prom. We have experts who measure and size females to help them look their best. The 70+ suits and tuxedos we have for rent and sale are suitable for females as well.
One of our 2019 prom goers rocked this look!
Prom Accessory Tradition
One of the longest running traditions in prom attire is that the bow or long tie, vest and pocket square often match the prom date’s dress color. As an example, if the girl has a blush prom gown, the guy often chooses a blush long or bow tie, blush vest and blush pocket square. This helps tie the couple into each other and shows that they are together. It makes for great pictures too!
In about 10% of the prom couples, we see that the tuxedo or suit vest chosen is the same color and fabric of the tuxedo or suit itself and only the bow or long tie and pocket square match the prom dress color. As an example, if the guy rents a gray tuxedo, his vest will be the same gray color and fabric as the tuxedo.
How Do I Match the Accessories With the Prom Dress Color?
The best thing to do is to get a small swatch or piece of the dress to compare to our long tie, bow tie, vest and pocket square swatches. The easiest way to do this is when the prom dress is altered, ask your prom date to have the seamstress give her a piece of the fabric. Most prom dresses need to be shorted (hemmed) and the remaining fabric is disposed of by the seamstress anyway. Bring a piece of this fabric to our tuxedo store and we will be able to match it perfectly. If you do not have a swatch of it, we often ask the prom date to come into the store with the dress so that we can match it. A final and last strategy is to have a photo of the dress. Unfortunately, photos of the dress don’t always reflect the true color of the dress but it’s better than nothing!
In Store Tuxedo and Suit Rental Process
When you visit Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo, the first thing that you will do is choose your tuxedo or suit style, bow tie or long tie, shirt, pocket square, shoes, cufflinks and studs. Once everything is chosen, we will have you fill out a form with your name, address and phone number. We will take your basic measurements and then have you try on a jacket, pair of pants, shirt, vest and shoes. This process will ensure the perfect fit.
ShoesPocket SquareBow tieLog tieStuds and cuff linksLong tie or bow tie, white, ivory, black shirt, pocket squares, studs and cuff links!
Picking Up Your Tuxedo or Suit Rental
Every formal wear shop arranges for your rental pick up differently. Some have you pick up 1 – 3 days before the event. Find out what the pick up policy is wherever you are renting. We highly recommend that you pick up your rental as soon as it’s available. It’s a very good idea to try everything on at the store to make sure everything fits properly. This is especially important for young renters who are still growing. The formal wear store needs time to make any changes to your rental.
We highly recommend that you provide a phone number that allows a voicemail to be left by your tuxedo shop. Some customers choose not to have their voicemail setup or their voicemail box is sometimes full. Keep an eye out for a missed call from your tuxedo shop because it can be challenging if the shop cannot leave you a message. We write about this because this is one of our most challenging aspects of notifying customers that their rental is ready for pick up! And it goes without saying, if you received a voicemail, please listen to it!
Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo calls each person once his tuxedo or suit rental is ready. We always leave a message if the option is available. We are also capable of texting customers from our store telephone number and customers, in turn, can text us as well! If you ever have a question, text us at 215-491-8500.
In the case that we cannot leave a voicemail, we will text!
Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo calls or texts you 4 – 12 days before your prom notifying you that your rental is ready for pick up. Come as soon as you can. There is no additional charge for having the tuxedo or suit that far in advance.
Returning Your Tuxedo or Suit Rental
As with any rental, there is a defined return date. Your tuxedo shop will provide you with a rental agreement that you signed. That agreement spells out in writing when the tuxedo is due back. If you are unsure of the return policy, ask the staff at the tuxedo shop. They are most likely very well versed in the precise return policy.
Returning your tuxedo or suit rental late often results in late fees. It’s usually a per day charge and can add up quickly. We highly recommend that you return your tuxedo or suit rental in a timely manner to avoid any additional charges. The “I didn’t know the rental was due back yesterday” often does not help in reducing the late fee. Many garment bags containing your rental also have the return policy clearly printed on the front of the bag.
Lost or Non-Returned Items
In addition to needing to have your rental returned on time, all items need to be returned as well. Items that are not returned, are charged at the full retail rate of that item. The pricing and rules are usually spelled out in your rental agreement. The most common things not returned from a rental are the tie, shirt and shoes. We highly recommend that you check your car, room, and the place where you got dressed for prom to ensure that you haven’t left anything behind.
If you accidentally pick up someone else’s tuxedo jacket at prom and someone else has yours, if the original jacket isn’t returned to the original shop where you rented, you will be charged for the jacket. It doesn’t matter that you returned a jacket. There’s a high likelihood that the other jacket is not part of your tuxedo shop’s inventory and is of no use to them.
Most garments have a barcode on them so that the tuxedo store can scan them when the items go out for rental and are returned. These inventory systems are very sophisticated and can track what has left the store and what has been returned.
So, the lesson here is to make sure you return everything on time!
Other Considerations
Tuxedo Store Hours
Many formal wear stores are closed 1 – 2 days a week. Students and parents are all busy so you will need to find a store that can accommodate your schedule. Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo is open 7 days a week to help accommodate your busy schedule.
Parking
Not all stores have ample or free parking. Check your chosen formal wear store’s website to see if they offer free and convenient parking. Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo has a private, large, free parking lot steps from our front door.
Conclusion
We hope you found this tuxedo and suit rental guide useful. Now you will know a lot more than most parents and students when you are ready to rent your prom suit or tuxedo. If we haven’t answered all of your questions, text us at 215-491-8500 or click on our chat button and the owners of Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo will personally answer your questions. We are also now on WhatsApp!
Every year, we like to see what were the most popular tuxedo and suit rentals for the entire year. Last year, we saw an abundance of formal event activity: proms came back, although not fully, galas started to creep back and of course weddings were incredibly popular.
We generally can see what is trending in the men’s fashion area because we rent so many tuxedos and suits. However, when we run reports from our rental system, we are sometimes surprised what makes it into the top 5 category!
With many 2020 weddings postponed due to COVID-19 and even some 2021 weddings delayed, we saw an immense number of weddings in 2021. So what were our top 5 tuxedo and suit rentals during 2021? Let’s not waste any more time and get to our list!
TUXEDOS
Ike Behar classic black tuxedo with notch lapel
Ike Behar full navy tuxedo with notch lapel
Michael Kors light gray tuxedo with notch lapel
Ike Behar navy tuxedo with black peak lapel
Allure Men cobalt blue tuxedo with notch lapel
# 5 Allure Men Cobalt Blue Tuxedo
At the beginning of the year, we did not expect this tuxedo to be so popular. However when you look at the vibrant and beautiful blue fabric of this tuxedo, we should have known better! The tuxedo has no satin on it, rather a border stitching on the notch lapel to emulate a satin border and fabric buttons. This was the perfect tuxedo for grooms who wanted a modern and striking blue color that went well with our brown shoes.
Allure Men Cobalt Blue Tuxedo
# 4 Ike Behar Navy Tuxedo With Black Peak Lapel
This tuxedo is the same exact fabric and style of our full navy Ike Behar tuxedo with notch lapel. The only difference is a black peak lapel and black buttons to match that lapel. Often, brides and grooms want to help distinguish the groom from the bridal party and fathers. One of the most common things we saw during 2021 was the groom wearing this tuxedo and the groomsmen wore the full navy tuxedo. This was a great choice to help dress the groom a little differently and help distinguish him further from the groomsmen.
Ike Behar Navy Tuxedo “Blake” With Black Peak Lapel
# 3 Michael Kors Light Gray Tuxedo with Notch Lapel
Even we were surprised by this ranking! This light gray tuxedo with the thinnest of satin running down the notch lapel was popular with our spring and summer weddings. Although when we set out to rank our most popular wedding tuxedo rentals, we had no idea this one was number three, or even made the top 5 list! Part of its popularity, we think, is because of the Michael Kors name, the light gray color goes very well with warmer weather weddings and events, and it goes beautifully with most every bridesmaid color! We can say though, that the fabric is quite comfortable and luxurious and that could have swayed our brides and grooms. Nonetheless, a great tuxedo choice for a wedding.
Michael Kors Light Gray Tuxedo
# 2 Ike Behar Full Navy Tuxedo with Notch Lapel
Before we ran the numbers in our tuxedo and suit rental ordering system, the staff at Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo was trying to guess the most popular tuxedos rented by our wedding parties. We all guessed this tuxedo to be the most popular one. We were close but this tuxedo came in second. We can say, though, that it’s by far our most pinned tuxedo on our Pinterest page. This is a very handsome navy color with very luxurious fabric that provides all day comfort for grooms, groomsmen and fathers.
Ike Behar “Sebastian” Full Navy Tuxedo with Notch Lapel
# 1 Ike Behar Classic Black Tuxedo With Notch Lapel
There is no surprise at the popularity of this fine tuxedo. However, when we were trying to guess the top tuxedo rentals, we had no idea that it was our most popular wedding rental in 2021. We knew it would make the top 5 list but had no idea it would be number 1! The classic, timeless look, luxurious fabric and perfect fit have always made this a favorite for just about anyone for any occasion. We found that brides and grooms who were interested in creating a timeless look tend to choose this tuxedo. We always advise that it’s a good idea to keep your wedding photos timeless so in 25 years you don’t question what you wore for your wedding! This tuxedo would certainly help you with that goal.
Ike Behar Classic Black Tuxedo with Black Bow Tie
TOP 5 WEDDING SUIT RENTALS
In some instances, brides and grooms prefer to dress the groom and groomsmen in suits rather than tuxedos. That approach is evident in the number of suits we rent every year for weddings.
Erik Lawrence steel gray suit
Ike Behar navy suit
Erik Lawrence black suit
Erik Lawrence french blue suit
Ike Behar light gray suit with peak lapel
Okay, first things first: we were REALLY surprised that the Ike Behar Yale blue suit did not make it into the top 5! It was number 6. It seemed that so many wedding parties wore this suit in 2021 but I guess when you are doing thousands of tuxedo and suit rentals, it can be challenging to keep track of which is precisely more popular. In addition, we all thought that the Ike Behar navy suit would have come out on top. In fact, it came in as the number 2 most popular suit rental for weddings.
# 5 Ike Behar Light Gray Suit
Brides and grooms who wanted a gray suit for a warmer weather wedding, tended to choose this suit. The fabric was soft, light and comfortable. And of course, as with all Ike Behar suits and tuxedos, it fits perfectly every time. The peak lapel on this suit adds a bit of style and flair to the look. Some wore it with the scoop vest, others did without the vest and may have added suspenders. We saw most rentals for this suit for Spring and Summer weddings.
Ike Behar Light Gray Suit With Peak Lapel
# 4 Eric Lawrence French Blue Suit
Coming in at number 4 is our French blue suit. Again, before compiling our totals, we thought this one would have been in the top 3. We were close! The striking bright yet dark blue color of this suit is what attracts most of our brides and grooms to it. Wedding photos come out vibrant and defined when the wedding party is dressed in this suit. We predict this will be a popular suit for many years to come.
French blue suit with notch lapel, matching French blue vest and pants, lavender floral long tie and matching pocket square and white shirt.
# 3 Ike Erik Lawrence Black Suit
Okay, this is somewhat of a surprise to us! Why? We didn’t think a black suit would have made it into the top 5 suits rented for weddings. Given the extreme popularity of the various shades of blues and grays that we rent and sell, we thought that those colors would have outpaced the black suit rentals. However, that’s why we run reports that summarize the thousands of rentals we do every year to see who are the clear winners! This is a very handsome, timeless suit. The trim fit jacket, slim fit pants and matching vest all create a very professional and modern look. In addition, the pants are both adjustable and have belt loops for grooms and groomsmen who like to wear a belt.
Erick Lawrence Black Suit
#2 Ike Behar Navy Blue Suit
Again, no surprise here, even though we thought this would have been the number 1 most rented suit in 2021. Instead, it came in at number 2. Many of our brides and grooms love our Ike Behar full navy tuxedo but do not want any satin. This suit solves the problem by replicating the navy tuxedo without satin. The slim fit and classic dark blue color make this a favorite for our wedding parties. I personally love this suit and have ordered one for myself. Many of our grooms purchased this suit while the remaining groomsmen rented it. The sheer number of groom purchases of this suit alone is a testimonial of how great it is!
This was definitely the suit for a bride and groom who wanted a different kind of blue. This blue shade is very pleasing and that’s before we get to the fact that it’s an Ike Behar. The fabric is super luxurious, very comfortable and fits like a custom suit.
Ike Behar Navy Suit
# 1 Erik Lawrence Steel Gray Suit
This darker gray suit was very popular with many of our wedding parties. We found that brides and grooms were choosing this suit no matter what season it was. This is a very professional looking suit that has both style and comfort. The gray color is a true dark gray and is not mistaken for black. The matching trim fit jacket, slim fit pants and vest make great attire for your wedding party. We also found that many grooms purchased this suit rather than rented it. Grooms have told us that they like the suit so much that they would rather be able to keep this suit for future use. More frequently, the groomsmen rented the suit rather than purchased it.
Erick Lawrence Steel Gray Suit
So what was more popular for weddings, tuxedos or suits? We can say that last year, more tuxedos were rented than suits. 70% of our rentals were tuxedos and 30% were suits. It seemed that brides and grooms were going for a more formal look, thus choosing tuxedos more frequently for their wedding. That’s not to say that suits do not look formal. In fact, some of our suit rentals look more formal than certain tuxedos. However, our best advice to you is choose a style that you like and are comfortable with, regardless of whether it’s a suit or tuxedo.
Another thing to consider is to try to match the feel and look of the bridal gown. If the wedding dress is very formal, you may want to choose tuxedos for the wedding party. If the bridal gown is less formal, perhaps a suit is more appropriate.
So there you have it! Our Top 5 wedding tuxedo and suit rentals for 2021. With 9 new tuxedo and suit styles being added to our 60 or so already on offer, we are curious what will make the top 5 list for 2022. I guess we will have to wait and see!
Are you curious what father’s should wear to the wedding. Read our blog with advice on dressing father for your wedding.
About the author: Franco Salerno is co-founder and co-owner of Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo, now in their ninth year in business. In that time, he built the tuxedo department into a force rivaling big box stores by providing expertise, caring service, and beautiful, quality formal wear. Personally invested in every transaction, Mr. Salerno provides customers with the utmost trust and confidence, assuring their wedding or formal event attire will be perfect. A native of Philadelphia with extensive international business experience, he currently resides in Warrington, Bucks County with his wife and store co-founder/co-owner Wendy, and their two daughters for whom the store was named, Daria and Deanna.
Are you curious how you should be dressing the ring bearer for your wedding? You’re not alone! Many brides and grooms ask us this question. In this wedding planning blog, we will guide you with some ideas and common practices that we see on dressing ring bearers for weddings.
Bride Maggie with her little man!
Common Ring Bearer Attire
In general, there are three or four approaches to dressing your ring bearer. The first and most common method we see is that the ring bearer wears the same exact suit or tuxedo that the groom is wearing. He essentially becomes a mini-groom. This includes the ring bearer wearing a miniature version of the same exact tuxedo jacket, pants, vest, shirt, shoes, bow tie or long tie, pocket square, studs and cufflinks. This allows the ring bearer to look different than the groomsmen and simultaneously tie into the groom. We see this method of dressing the ring bearer in 75% of all our weddings.
I Just Want to Be One of the Guys!
Sometimes the bride and groom want the groom to look different than everyone else, including the ring bearer. In that particular case, the bride and groom will often choose to have the ring bearer wear the same exact tuxedo or suit and accessories as the groomsmen. He just becomes a miniature version of the groomsmen! In many cases, the groomsmen’s accessories, long tie, bow tie and pocket square, match the color of the bridesmaids dresses. This is also a great choice and will allow the ring bearer to feel like “one of the guys” if he is dressed like them. We see this method of dressing the ring bearer 20% of the time.
Look at this handsome little man!
Matching the Guys
What should you do if the same exact styles are not available in children’s sizes? Most of the 73 tuxedos and suits that we offer for rent are available from a 3 year old size up to a size 66 jacket. Not every designer makes all suits and tuxedos in children’s sizing.
Oftentimes you can dress the ring bearer in a very similar style and it will be hard to tell the difference. However, we highly recommend that you ask your retailer, before everything is ordered, if they offer the same suits, tuxedos and accessories in children’s sizes. This will prevent a lot of scrambling to find alternatives for the little guy.
What if the ring bearer is too small for a tuxedo?
Most tuxedo and suit rental sizes start at about a 3 year old’s size. This of course depends how large the child is relative to other 3 year olds. In some cases, we’ve seen large two year olds that looked perfectly fine in a 3B tuxedo jacket.
If the child is too small for a three year old attire, there are usually two choices: the first one is to see if he can wear just the pants, a shirt, a little bow tie, suspenders and little shoes. Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo has adjustable pants for children and we can often hem the pants to the proper length and make the little guy look cute as can be. Our only advice is to have the child try on fitting clothes at our store to make sure it will look proper.
The other choice is to purchase a toddler’s tuxedo with matching shoes! They typically come in age ranges: 6 – 12 months, 12 – 18 months, etc. Keep in mind this is a purchase and is not a rental. While purchasing a toddler’s tuxedo is a choice, we can honestly say that we have not seen many brides and grooms doing that for their weddings. We estimate about 1-2% of wedding parties purchase a tuxedo for the toddler ring bearer. The main reason is that it is challenging to manage a toddler to carry out his ring bearer duties! The other reason is the same reason many ring bearers rent their tuxedos or suits: because they grow so quickly that it will not fit them in two weeks!
His tie was a bit too tight, Franco makes the adjustment
When Should the Ring Bearer Get Measured?
And that brings us to another matter. Should you include a ring bearer in your wedding party and he is still at an age that he is growing, we highly recommend not to have him get measured more than 3 – 4 weeks before the wedding. Even being measured 3 – 4 weeks before the wedding, we’ve seen ring bearers grow an inch or two! That is no problem, because all we do is either re-hem the pants to a proper length or if he went through a complete growth spurt, we give the young man a new tuxedo in his new, proper size.
Another option for dressing a ring bearer that we’ve seen about 2 – 5% of the time is that the ring bearer wears something different than everyone. The bride and groom will choose a completely different tuxedo or suit being worn by both the groom and groomsmen. They want the ring bearer to stand out beyond just his size!
Can’t wait to show everyone!
Must I have a Ring Bearer in My Wedding?
Finally, we do have about 15% of our wedding parties with no ring bearer at all. This is either a personal choice by the bride and groom or there is no one in the families of ring bearer age. Again, this is completely a personal choice. It’s your wedding and you are not required to have a ring bearer.
Too cute!
Make Some Memories
No matter how you dress the ring bearer, we must tell you that he, and the flower girl, often steal the show! So either way, choosing to include children in your bridal party will allow you to savor those photos for the rest of your lives!
About the author:
Franco Salerno is co-founder and co-owner of Darianna Bridal &
Tuxedo, now in their eighth year in business. In that time, he built the
tuxedo department into a force rivaling big box stores by providing
expertise, caring service, and beautiful, quality formal wear.
Personally invested in every transaction, Mr. Salerno provides customers
with the utmost trust and confidence, assuring their wedding or formal
event attire will be perfect. A native of Philadelphia, he currently
resides in Warrington, Bucks County with his wife and store
co-founder/co-owner Wendy, and their two daughters for whom the store
was named, Daria and Deanna.
