Earlier this month, we advised one of our male readers (Phil) about what to wear to his casual wedding.  In the comments, Ria chimed in about her own casual wedding, held this past summer.  Said Ria, "We had a casual wedding, no ties! Well, no ties for the guests. My husband wore a tie but no jacket, same with the groomsmen. Just putting it out there as an alternative. It was hot so no jackets or vests worked for us, but the ties added to the wedding party style."

A:  You should be as formal as your bride.  You said that her dress is a full bridal gown, but it isn’t a “crazy formal or elaborate” gown.  Does this mean the dress isn’t down to the floor?  The length of the dress instantly adds (or subtracts, in the case of a short dress) to the formality of the gown. 

If her dress is knee-length, try a blazer over a button-down shirt with wool trousers with dressier leather loafers.  Warning: I wouldn’t suggest pleated khakis and a navy blazer, unless you’re going for the country club look.  Instead, try a medium or dark gray blazer with a white shirt.  You’ll find that a crisp white shirt will really pop beneath that color blazer. 

If her dress is down to the floor, I would say go with a suit but no tie. The key to this look is the shirt collar.  Get a flimsy collar and it will fall down under your jacket lapel and look sloppy.  Keep the look sharp with a firm collar.  GQ explains how to pull off the look here.

In either case, you’ll be wearing a jacket over a button-down, so tuck in your shirt.

You said you want a “relaxed” suit, but I don’t think you mean that.  Relaxed is a term that describes a loose but not baggy fit.  It’s usually associated with jeans.  If that is what you mean, then I apologize.  In that case, try looking at American made suits.  The so called “sack suits” are usually boxier, looser cuts.  The jacket would follow your silhouette, the trouser will feature a wider leg, and so on. 

It’s up to you, but I personally favor a more slim-fitting suit, especially for a no-tie look.  Try some European designers.  I have a Paul Smith London suit and can personally vouch for its fit.
 
A big factor of formality with suits is color.  The darker the color, the more formal the suit.  I would agree with you and stick with a darker suit here.  Moreover, you’re not wearing a tie, which also makes your look less formal, but if you did, I would tell you to wear a skinny (but not TOO skinny) tie.  I would also tell you not to wear a belt.  A lot of people don’t wear belts nowadays, especially with the “shrunken” suit in fashion.  Going beltless is a sleeker look and tends to add an air of informality. The beltless look has become a fashionable look; GQ’s Style Guy (Glenn O’Brien) has written that he never wears belts with his suits. 

Whatever you do, just remember that sophisticated is clean, simple and tailored.  If your clothes are all of those things, you will shine whatever you wear.  Also, before you buy anything, know how things should fit. Certainly, the tailor will help you when if you get a suit, but you should also know yourself how things should fit.  I liken it to buying a car.  Sure, you can go to the dealer and trust everything they say (and if you go to a respectable dealership they probably are honest), but you still want to have prior knowledge.  I strongly recommend reading Details’ Men’s Style Manual.  It will give you a very good sense on what proper fit means and how to really look chic. 

A:  How ironic, as I read your question, I was having tea with a good friend from Knysna, South Africa.  She had never heard of color restrictions on safari–unless you are on a walking safari (in which case your game lodge should inform you of restrictions). 

To be practical, you may want to wear khaki clothes so as not to show dirt and dust and (should the weather be warmer than expected) to deflect some heat.  If you get cold, as you suggest, you may want to look for darker colors, which will hold in the heat.  

In the cities, my friend said to expect colors similar to those worn in Miami - bright and tropical.  Dress in layers, as the temperatures will vary dramatically throughout the day and evening.  It cools down a lot in the evenings, and FYI a lot of buildings aren’t heated.

As for where to find clothes, Orvis online has great travel clothes.  One last tip?  Remember to bring practical shoes and a hat. 

A: 
The ideal shirt length for a guy, whether it’s a button down, a polo, or a t-shirt, is halfway down the zipper (assuming your pants actually fit you). 

If you wear something over the shirt -  a sweater, a vest, a jacket, a blazer – tuck your shirt in, unless it’s a properly fitted t-shirt.

While we’re on the subject of fit, make sure the rest of the shirt fits.  As with jackets, you should fit your shirt based on how it fits on your shoulders.  This is because you can shorten a shirt’s sleeves or length, and you can take it in at the waist, but you can’t change the shoulder (it’s also a comfort thing).  The shoulder seam (the line of the shirt that connects the body of the shirt to the sleeve) should rest in the little gap between that little bump at the end of your collarbone and your arm. 

Style tip: This may all sound a lot, but trust me, if you find a shirt that fits properly in the shoulders, as described above, chances are, the rest will fit accordingly.  The bottom line: focus on the shoulder fit, and you’ll probably be all right.

A:  In general, pale skinned guys should stick to white, charcoal (I include gray and black in this category), navy and maybe some red; tell him to stay away from khaki and other similar earth tones.

I’m going to be forthright with you, though, because I don’t want your husband looking like a fool.  Forget about the wardrobe color palette.  It really shouldn’t be a big factor in determining your husband’s work clothes.  Be the best-dressed man in the office, but do it by wearing suits that are clean, tailored and sophisticated.  Trust me: don’t get caught up in what color looks the best with your husband’s skin.  If he wears a well fitted dark suit (think charcoal, gray and navy), a crisp white shirt, and a complementary tie, he will look fantastic, no matter how pale skinned he is.

The best advice I can give to you is to go to a trusted department store and take the time to figure out what looks good on him.  Find an employee that you think has good style and have him help you mix and match suits/shirts/ties.  Also, go to a really upscale store - they won’t let you leave the store looking bad.  This isn’t some shameless and cliché sales pitch for your nearby Wilkes Bashford; I say this because those kinds of stores don’t want to be associated with poorly dressed guys.  I realize that going to an expensive store is, well, expensive, and not everyone may be able to/willing to pay those prices.  Just remember: you’re not obligated to buy anything, and you will have a great sense of what looks good on your husband after you leave.

On a side note, if your spouse wants to copy a celebrity’s style, make it Gianni Agnelli.  Mr. Agnelli is a sartorial legend and is considered one of the best dressed men in history, which is all the more impressive given the fact that he worked in the conservative world of business (meaning that loud, outlandish suits and such aren’t tolerated).  The picture above is proof.

Style Tip: You can always learn from Mr. Agnelli.  In this picture, check out the impeccable tailoring of his suit (it’s a bespoke, I’m sure), the Italian shoulder, and the crisp white shirt.  The tie is perfect.  It’s the perfect width for the collar width (an often overlooked detail of proportion), and it’s a perfect color – the gray base matches the suit, the white stripes pick up the shirt).  The pocket square is a perfect finishing touch and a perfectly complementary color.

A: 
When I think of what to wear with army green or olive green pants, I usually think of urban chic jackets, like this fantastic one by Balenciaga which you can find at Browns.  Unfortunately, at 840GBP, it’s hardly “affordable.” 

Army Green is still kind of an uncommon color in a man’s wardrobe –that doesn’t mean it’s not very stylish – but because of this, it can easily serve as the focal point of your outfit.  I also think this is why you don’t see many army green colored pants – it’s a bit unusual to have your pants be the focus of your outfit.
   
If you’re brave enough to be different, however, look good doing it.  The most important thing here is that you make sure the rest of your clothes don’t clash.  Your pants will attract the most attention; don’t fight it. Opt for earthy tones here; think cream or off-white, khaki and brown.  You can also try the most versatile color of them all: white.  If the pants have an olive component to them, you can dry dark navy shirt.  As for shoes, I’d recommend wearing some dark brown shoes, preferably in a lace-up style.
   
If your pants are more of a richer dark — as in I’d-think-they-were-black-if-it-wasn’t-sunny dark — you have a few more options.  You can try pairing the rich dark green pants with a medium gray tweed sport coat.  With this sport coat, you could try adding a dark red or maroon cardigan underneath.  Notice I say cardigan and not sweater here: a full red sweater may be overwhelming here, but a cardigan will add just a splash of red beneath your buttoned sport coat. 

Oh, and by the way, if you go to an American university, it seems as if all you need to get girls is talk: like my friend Timothy’s, your clever-sounding British accent will drive the girls here nuts.  Maybe I should have told you all the wrong things and level the playing field here for my fellow Americans.

Style Tip: If you ever are unsure of what color to wear with something, find a color wheel (google image search “color wheel”).  In general, colors that are close to the color in question—or those that are on the opposite side of the color wheel–will go well with it.  Of course, this doesn’t mean you should pair a very loud orange with equally loud yellow just because they sit next to each other.  In general, you want to pick colors (and shades of colors) that complement one another, not those that aggressively compete for attention. As you’ll find, darker colors are easier to complement; this is why most dark colors, such as navy, are so versatile and popular.

Pictured: Polo Ralph Lauren English Wale Corduroy Pants | $98 at Saks Fifth Avenue.

If it’s not available online in your size, you might want to contact Nordstrom (or other department stores) to see if they have it in stock.  Also ask for discounts–you might be able to snag a 10%+ discount from an in-store sale.

We asked: Is Plaid In or Out?

But as far as I know, the most historically accurate explanation is that the hole was used to tether a man’s top hat so that on windy days it wouldn’t blow off his head.

Nowadays, few men actually wear top hats, so the little hole has become almost functionless (although there are some designers that manufacture top hats that can be tethered).  However, some creative sartorialists have found a use for this otherwise pointless buttonhole.  My favorite has got to be the putting a pocket watch chain fob through it.  Scott Schumann, perhaps better known as “The Sartorialist,” ran a feature in GQ in which he put his iPod headphones through the hole.  I have great respect for Mr. Schumann and GQ, but I don’t think it looks all that great.

As for the color of the undershirt, off-white and grey does naturally pair well with black, as you suggested.  But to spice up the look, combine the neutral off-white and grey with a bright color.  My first choice would be orange, which looks lovely with grey jeans and whose warm hue will pair well with the off-white vest.  Don’t like orange?  A warm shade of bright green will also bring out the best in both neutrals.

Pictured: Puffer Vest | $59.50 at Gap.