Pampering the Groom: A Custom Shirt

In the first of our Pampering the Groom series, we took you to a custom suit fitting with Proper Suit. About a week and a half ago the suit and custom shirt arrived; we'll review the suit in a future vendor post. Today we're focused on men's dress shirts with two options as Proper Suit is not yet offering custom shirts without the purchase of a custom suit:

• Blank Label offers co-created shirts starting at $45. Shirts are made in Shanghai.
• Proper Cloth has made to measure shirts starting at $99. According to the company's LinkedIn profile, the shirts are made in the United States.

Before we get started let's look at the end products. First the shirts by Proper Cloth for our wedding.

Credit: Brian and Steve wearing shirts by Proper Cloth, ties from Express, photographed by Jessica Palopoli 

Credit: cubes wearing shirt by Proper Cloth and vest by Miss Velvet Cream; Eden wearing vintage 1950s cocktail dress with twist necklace by GemKitty, photographed by Jessica Palopoli

Next shirts by Blank Label.

Credit: Blank Label shirts photographed by Sara Gray, originally featured on Inspirations & Creations: Elizabeth Anne Designs

Credit: Blank Label shirts photographed by Sara Gray, originally featured on Inspirations & Creations: Elizabeth Anne Designs

It might seem daunting to dream a shirt into existence, but the guys at both Blank Label and Proper Cloth make it easy. Both companies guide you through how to take your groom's measurements.

• How to Do Sizing Guide from Blank Label
• How to Get Measured Guide and Video from Proper Cloth

Once you've got your measurements you're ready to create your shirt, choosing collar lining and type, cuffs, plackets, pockets, and shoulder finish.

One of the biggest decisions will be the fabric you choose. Danny Wong, Co-Founder and Lead Evangelist at Blank Label, offers this advice:
"When choosing a fabric, you have to consider the season and the occasion. For colder seasons, you'd like a thicker and heaver fabric because you most certainly don't want other people to know you're cold (with hard nipples, hahaha). For warmer seasons, you'd like a lightweight (but not too thin since you don't want people to see through and know your skin color!). For a wedding, a nice luxuriously textured fabric is perfect like a herringbone or a simply a elegant broadcloth."

Pampering the Groom: A Custom Suit

It's not about you. It's about the two of you.

The majority of wedding blogs cater to women. With all the focus on the bride, it can be easy to forget that there's a groom too. No one ever exclaims "Say Yes to the Suit!" And a lot of men rent their wedding attire for the day. But it doesn't have to be that way. Grooms too can "Say Yes!"

In the first of this series, "Pampering the Groom," let's tackle the custom suit. Before we start, let's get the standard disclaimer out of the way: Neither cubes nor I have any affiliation with Proper Suit or Gilt SF. cubes needed a new suit so we took this opportunity to give grooms an idea of what you can expect when getting a custom suit. Prices start at $450.

After you've relaxed a little - gotten a bite to eat and a libation (wine or beer), it's time to make three decisions: 1. Fabric for your suit. 2. Fabric for your shirt (and/or vest). 3. Cufflinks.

The only trick with choosing a fabric for your shirt or vest is deciding whether you're complementing or matching the color palette for your wedding. Remember to bring swatches. If you're tackling this task together with your fiance, she'll probably have the swatches. It never hurts to ask for the swatches before you leave the house. If colors are one of her things, she'll be thrilled that you're thinking ahead.

Experts point out differences in materials and guide decisions such as two vents (Italian styling) or one vent (American styling) in your suit jacket. And to ensure your suit will fit perfectly, they take your measurements. Note it's not sufficient to just give them your suit size. Turns out that men's clothing is also subject to vanity sizing. (Who'd have thought?)

Typically your suit will arrive in two to three weeks. If you order a custom suit from Proper Suit around Chinese New Year, it will take a little longer - four to six weeks. The company Proper Suit works with shuts down for two weeks to celebrate the holiday.

Is your groom going the custom route?

Next up in the Pampering the Groom series, we'll talk about custom shirts.

The Groom: What I'm Looking Forward To - Part 5

Ever After

What I'm most looking forward to is our life together. After we say "I Do" I'm looking forward to a brief return to normalcy. A life without the craziness of wedding planning or Burning Man projects, a life I get to share with my amazing new wife. Not a life that's entirely free from sadness or conflict, because that would be a fantasy, but one where we love and support each other and face our difficulties together. A life that, someday, we can look back on as full of joy and laughter, good food and adventures, and the occasional surprise.

The Groom: What I'm Looking Forward To - Part 4

The Celebration

After, at last, seeing Eden in her wedding finery, saying I do, exchanging rings, and spending a little quiet time with my new bride, I look forward to celebrating with all our friends. I'm particularly looking forward to hearing our friends Josh and Starr DJ.

The Groom: What I'm Looking Forward To - Part 3

Yichud

I should preface this post by pointing out that I'm not a particularly Jewy Jew. There will be no chair dance at our wedding, but, that said, there are some Jewish wedding traditions that I'm a fan of, in particular, yichud. Put simply, yichud is the opportunity for the newly married couple to spend some time in a room by themselves.

After all the craziness involved with planning, and experiencing the wedding, I'm looking forward to some quiet time with Eden where we can simply sit, bask in each other's glow, and enjoy the moment of being newly married.

The Groom: What I'm Looking Forward To - Part 2

Exchanging Rings

We've talked about our various rings on several occasions. At our playa wedding we exchanged our Burning Man rings. And, of course, there's Eden's engagement ring. I'm looking forward to the exchange of our proper wedding bands, which, incidentally, are not pictured here--you'll have to come see the bands for yourself.

There are various moments when I become increasingly aware that I will have the privilege of sharing my life with Eden, but, if I had to pick one moment where the dream becomes real, it will be when we exchange our proper wedding bands.

The Groom: What I'm Looking Forward To - Part 1

The First Look

From my vantage point, the secrecy surrounding Eden's wedding dress rivals that of the Manhattan Project. Sure, I hear whispers and rumors about the dress, but I know these are likely red herrings and misdirections. Although Eden has posted some sneak peeks of the dress for you, our faithful readers, I've been a good groom. I'm holding out for the surprise, but can hardly wait to see Eden in her wedding finery.

Dressing the Groom: The Suit Redux

After some rescheduling hijinks, we finally managed to sync up with Scatha for my final suit fitting on the Saturday before last.

As I expected, Miss Velvet Cream worked her magic, and the suit, much like our cake, is made of awesome.

The suit has an edgier look to it featuring D-ring closures, a Mandarin collar, and Scatha's signature patchwork effect, but fits like a classically tailored suit, which is to say, very well.

The suit is complemented by a vest, which features more aggressive patchwork texturing and, possibly my favorite touch, a ring pocket!

As a finishing touch Scatha sewed on the innards of a pocket watch, and two keys (not pictured).

I'm so looking forward to the chance to wear my suit down the aisle, probably the only thing that I'm anticipating more is finally getting to see Eden in her dress. A fine suit is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.

My Sharp Dressed Man

This past weekend I got to see cubes as a Groom. There's no superstition about a bride seeing her groom before the wedding, so I got to accompany cubes to his fitting with Miss Velvet Cream. In a rare (yes I know it's happening more frequently but roll with me here) moment of bridal forgetfulness, I left my iPhone at home. Ever the quick thinker I borrowed cubes' iPhone (you know what they say - the best camera is the one you have with you) and captured the moment. You'll have to wait for his post about Dressing the Groom as the photos are still locked up safely in his phone.

But in the meantime, let me tell you, cubes is my "Sharp Dressed Man." And if you weren't fortunate enough to grow up with ZZ Top, I've provided the video.

Think the guys should walk in to this? Or is it too cheesy?