Wedding Suit Styles

Wedding suits for Every Style of Celebration

It is our goal to create custom tailored garments that make you feel comfortable and confident, and this is of the greatest importance on your wedding day. We make everything in house from scratch, which means we can make almost any tailored garment you can think up. There are no set menus that you have to choose from. Our team will walk you through the process to design a garment around you, your personal style, body and theme of your wedding. We hope this post inspires you. It highlights the variety of styles we can collaborate on. At Philip Sparks Tailored Goods in Toronto, we create bespoke wedding suits in a range of styles, from classic two-piece suits and three-piece suits to black-tie tuxedos, modern destination wedding suits and statement commissions.

Groom wearing a bespoke classic wedding suit made at Philip Sparks Toronto tailoring studio

Classic Wedding Suits Styles

Classic wedding suits usually align with current trends in classic everyday suiting. These are two button, notched lapel jackets, cut in a length to just cover your seat, nipped in slightly at the waist and buttoning at the narrowest part of your waist, with a double back vent. Lapels are neither too wide nor too narrow. Fabrics tend to be solid dark navy, black or charcoal grey in lightweight wool. Classic wedding suit trousers are cut higher in the waist (ask us about wearing braces or suspenders) and straight in the leg.

Bespoke Black-Tie Wedding Tuxedo made in the Philip Sparks Toronto Tailoring Studio

Black-Tie Wedding Tuxedos

Black tie is a formal dress code, but exactly what it means can vary by country, venue and occasion, our team can help you navigate this. In our shop, when we talk black tie tuxedo for your wedding we are usually discussing a jacket cut slightly longer and slightly cut away in the foreparts (angled away from the waist along the lower front edge). This type of jacket is usually defined by having a silk collar with the body of the jacket cut in a matte, slightly textured wool cloth called barathea in midnight navy or black (ask our team also about mohair sharkskin for summer tuxedos). This type of jacket can have a wide peaked lapel or a shawl collar, it can be single or double breasted. The jacket is usually cut with no vents, so as to fit tightly around the hips and cut generously (or with drape) around the chest to create the iconic Y shape. Buttons and bow tie are usually made in silk to match the lapel of the jacket. Trousers are cut high in the waist worn with braces (suspenders) and no cuff, a slight taper to the hem and with an optional silk stripe down the side.

Ask our team about tuxedo shirts, which can be bibbed with a pique or pleated on the front. If you want to go all the way with this look, we can also make you a cummerbund in silk to match the lapel as well.

Groom wearing a bespoke three-piece wedding suit made at Philip Sparks tailor shop in Toronto

Three-Piece Wedding Suits

A vest in addition to a jacket and a trouser makes a three piece suit. The addition of a vest to a suit can really formalize an otherwise classic wedding suit and gives you more options to break the suit up and create other looks. There are endless options in this scenario that our tailors will walk you through. A vest can be V-neck (with no collar) or it can have a full range of collar types. Waistcoats or vests can be single or double breasted and can have a pointed swallow tail front or a straight front hem. Things to consider when commissioning a three piece suit are: How the whole outfit looks together? How much shirt do you want to show? And how much vest do you want to show? A high cut vest will not show much dress shirt at all. We also need to consider showing the vest while the jacket is done up, which can sometimes mean the jacket needs to be cut so the lapel break (at the first button) is a bit lower, leaving more space to show the vest. 

While it can be done, it can be tricky to cut a double breasted jacket to be worn with a vest. Because of the extra overlap, the “V” created by the roll back of the lapel sits much higher and is much smaller. If you want to wear a vest with this style of jacket, the waistcoat will likely have to be cut high to the neck, leaving little room for a tie. All of these details are worked out with our tailors and confirmed through various fitting. Ask the shop about our "Three Piece Special" that includes a two piece suit, a vest and a custom accessory.

Groom wearing a Bespoke Three-Piece Wedding suit made in the Philip Sparks Toronto Tailoring Studio

Modern Wedding Suits Styles

A modern wedding suit is similar to a classic wedding suit. These are two button notched lapel jackets, cut in a length to just cover your seat, nipped slightly at the waist and buttoning at the narrowest part of your waist, with a double back vent. Lapels are neither too wide nor too narrow. Modern wedding suits are usually cut in a wider range of cloths and colours, including linens and subtle patterns like check. This makes the jacket something more easy to wear separately or even casually with jeans or chinos, extending the wearability of the suit. Modern trousers are usually cut more along the hip bone to be worn with a belt. Ask our shop about custom belt options.

Groom wearing a Bespoke destination wedding suit made in the Philip Sparks Toronto Tailoring studio

Destination Wedding Suits

We make suits in all styles, fabrication and weights. The right destination wedding suit depends on the climate, location, season and formality of the wedding. Construction can differ greatly for different scenarios like lighter, less structured linen canvases for hot conditions. We have even had clients bring us in fabrics that are specific to or from the destination they are traveling to for their wedding. Book a consultation with one of our tailors to tell us about your destination wedding and what your needs are and we can walk you through this process. What you might need to wear for a wedding on the beach in the summer is going to differ greatly from what you might need to wear for an east coast wedding in the fall.

Grooms wearing Bespoke Statement Wedding Suits made in Philip Sparks Toronto Tailoring Shop

Statement Wedding Suits

While we offer many classic suit options, we are always excited by statement wedding suit commissions. This can mean a difference in the cut of the jacket or using a statement material. We can create highly individual wedding garments using distinctive cuts, unusual materials and custom-woven fabrics. We have access to French custom woven fabrics that stand out. Make sure you allow an additional 10 to 12 weeks for these commissions as the fabrics take time to be custom woven. Have a standout wedding outfit you want us to execute? Book a consultation. Want a stand out piece but need to narrow it down? Our tailors can work through it with you.

How to Choose the Right Wedding Suit Style

Choosing a wedding suit style starts with the kind of celebration you're planning, but it should also reflect your personal style, the season, location and level of formality. A classic two-piece suit can be understated and versatile, while a three-piece suit creates a more formal look. Black tie calls for a tuxedo, while destination weddings may call for lighter fabrics and construction. For a bespoke wedding suit, we can work through these choices with you and develop the design around your wedding and how you want to feel on the day.

Tuxedos: History, Style & Bespoke Tailoring

January and February are always when we are busy discussing formalwear for special occasions that come up in May, June and July. These conversations have me reflecting on some of the frequently asked questions customers have about special occasion orders. I've written out five tips to consider if you are thinking of placing an order (see the bottom of this blog post), but there's lots more to say on the topic of formal tailoring.

1880’s Diner Jackets

The History of a Tuxedo

Believe it or not, a tuxedo or dinner jacket evolved from a smoking jacket and it was originally considered an informal way of dressing. Men were once prohibited from wearing tuxedos in the presence of women. In the 1880s, when a dinner jacket became popular in America – and in particular around the village of Tuxedo Park in New York State – men started wearing them as a form of rebellion, a move away from more formal and less comfortable tail coats. This is where the name "tuxedo" comes from.

C. 1900 on the left is a body coat with a waist seem and on the right a sack coat with no waist seam

What is a Tuxedo?

A tuxedo is technically a type of sack coat. A modern day suit jacket and blazer are technically also sack coats. These are more casual garments than a body coat. A body coat is a formal coat with a skirt or tails and cinch into the waist more (they were originally cut tight and short across the back to force you into a very upright posture).

c.1900 A frock coat, a variation of body coat where the waist seam can be clearly seen. You will also note the characteristic series of pleats on found on the back of body coats.

Sack Coats and Body Coats

The simplest way to think of it is a body coat has a horizontal or waist seam and a sack coat does not. Variations of body coats are what were worn for business, dinner gatherings and formal events. Sack coats were for lounging, smoking and hunting.

C. 1890’s Sack coats

A modern tuxedo merges formal and informal elements from traditional sack coats and body coats. Details like silk lapels were taken from body coats and applied to sack coats. A vent (needed to ride horses) was removed to create a more formal silhouette. This produced a trimmer fit around the hips.

Bespoke Double Breasted Tuxedo with a notched collar. This is a great example of classic tuxedo fabrication, with a matte pebbled textured self material and a lustrous silk lapel. Made in the Philip Sparks Toronto Tailoring Studio

What Makes a Tuxedo Different From a Suit?

What makes a tuxedo different from a regular suit is the presence of silk on the lapels, this trimmer fit over the hips and the Y-shaped silhouette that it can produce. You might also find silk on the buttons, the lips of welt pockets, on the trousers as a stripe down the leg, and on the waist band.

Sample Bespoke Single Breasted Shawl Collar Tuxedo, in a classic fabrication. Made in the Philip Sparks Toronto Tailoring Studio

Tuxedo Styles: Lapels, Silhouettes and Construction

A tuxedo can be cut single breasted, with wide peaked lapels and a longer, cut away forepart, or it can be cut double breasted, with a shawl collar. In 2026, a tuxedo can include any combination of all of these elements and even veer away from a trim silhouette to something more relaxed.

Boys Bespoke Double Breasted, Shawl Collar Tuxedo in cream, paired with a contrasting trouser. Made in the Philip Sparks Toronto Tailoring Studio

Tuxedo Fabrics and Colours

Generally, the all over cloth of a tuxedo is in a solid black or midnight navy cloth called barathea and sometimes crepe. These cloths have a matte pebbled surface that contrasts well with lustrous silk used elsewhere on the piece. Tuxedos are also common in white, usually paired with contrasting black trousers. 

Variation on a Bespoke Tuxedo in a Brocade Cloth with Contrasting Vest and Trousers all made in the Philip Sparks shop. This jacket is single breasted with a peaked collar.

Just as silhouettes have loosened up, today's tuxedos can be made in any colour of the rainbow, plaids, stripes and textured cloth. It all depends on your comfort level and how you would like to express yourself. Here at the shop, we will help you find what suits you best.

5 Things to Consider When Ordering a Bespoke Tuxedo

Here are some tips if you’re thinking about placing an order:

1. Allow 10–12 Weeks for a Bespoke Tuxedo

Allow as much time as you can. A tuxedo is a 10 to 12 week process and involves you visiting us at the shop for a consultation and four fittings. While a rush can sometimes be accommodated, it may come with added costs and, as wedding season approaches (beginning in early February), the sooner you make your first visit, the better. Plan to give us time, so that we can use it to make your special pieces the best we can.

2. Choose the Tuxedo Details That Suit You

We make our pieces entirely from scratch, and this means your choices are endless. Don’t be overwhelmed. We can walk you through the details and help you make decisions, but also know that we make magic happen. We can bring to life ideas that you have without limiting you to a set menu of details or options. So whether it’s peaked or shawl lapels, single or double breasted, silk lapels or not, we will make it work for you. All of the proportions and fit are adjusted to you the body in our fitting process.

3. Choose the Right Tuxedo Fabric

Materials matter. Our Ruby Room Fabric Library makes it easier. There are lots of great stock options that we have available for you to choose from. This lets us look at drape and body of a fabric as well as see it in a larger piece. Not finding what you want in our stock? We have an extensive library of swatch books full of premium fabrics. For a classic, formal tuxedo, we like to look to a fabric called baratheas. Its slightly pebbled surface contrasts well with the lustre of a silk label. If you want to look like a rock star, try a shot mohair or sharkskin cloth made with goat hair. These cloths offer a slight iridescence along with the coolness of what you might expect from linen but without the wrinkles. If you want something really different, we offer cloths custom woven in Pairs. These come in every imaginable colour and pattern.

4. Tuxedos Are for Every Gender and Body Type

Tuxedos aren’t just for men. We make garments for any gender and any body type to suit your preferences, whether that’s a looser fit of something more body conscious.

5. Design Your Tuxedo to Be Worn Beyond One Occasion

Formal wear is not just for one occasion. There are many occasions for formalwear. When you come into to talk to us about the needs for your special occasion, we will also talk with you about ways to make the most of your pieces beyond a single wear. Mending and alterations are on us through the life of the piece and things like additional seam allowances are included in the pieces. They are designed to be adapted as your body changes over time.