Today’s edition of A Styled Day is an exciting one because we are off to a grand opening this evening! When we heard the Chicago based brand The Groomsman Suit was opening their second location and in Philadelphia and with another great brand, Hitched (more on them soon!) to boot, we were immediately on board with the concept. The Groomsman Suit was started by Diana and Jeanne after Jeanne and her husband could not find affordable tuxedo options for himself or groomsmen. Jeanne set out to find a solution, and ended up creating one in the process!
Today, The Groomsman Suit offers affordable tuxedos and suits that your groomsmen (and women!) can purchase. From choosing swatches and suit styles to placing an order, the entire process can be completed online. However, we’ll always be fans of trying on options in person and with your group, if possible, so we love that The Groomsman Suit offers appointments at their brick and mortar stores. Once you make your choices, each member will receive their customized suit in the mail, and they get to keep it – no rentals, ever!
To learn more about The Groomsman Suit, we turned to Natalie Kenney, the Philadelphia location’s expert stylist. Natalie has styled everyone from A-list celebrities to gents and their wedding parties, and she loves when a client’s confidence soars thanks to their suit paired with her styling. Keep reading below for more, and you’ll also catch a sneak peek of favorites from our next Styled Day spotlight, Hitched!
If you and your groom are searching for tuxedo or suit options in Philadelphia, look no further than Natalie and the team at The Groomsman Suit! Stay tuned, we’ll be talking about wedding bands next.
As soon as we wake up, The Groomsman Suit checks in on customer inquiries from the evening before. If you read anything about our company, you will read that our customer service is amazing. We are incredibly responsive and pride ourselves in getting back to customers quickly, which is why we start our day checking in with them.
Mid-morning is reserved for coffee meetings with local wedding professionals. We love getting to know Philly’s best planners, photographers, venues, bridal stores, etc… Oftentimes, we’re collaborating with a handful of them for a photoshoot or an industry event so we reserve 9am for planning meetings with them.
By 11am, we’re at The Groomsman Suit showroom in Old City getting ready to open and welcome scheduled appointments and walk-ins. Appointment types range from single suit fitting appointments, to engaged couple consultations and large group suit fittings for an entire wedding party. Throughout the day we’re working with customers to not only ensure they find the perfect suit fit, but we like to support them with their overall wedding style and help them coordinate the small details like shoes, ties, tie bars, pocket squares, etc… We love hosting big groups and oftentimes guys will come in over a bachelor party weekend to get fitted. They can enjoy a beer while checking off a major Wedding To-Do and then head out for a fun night on the town!
When we’re not meeting with customers, we’re working to fulfill customer orders, improve our product collections, coordinate marketing campaigns and make updates to our website. We’re always thinking about how we can improve our customers’ experience and make the wedding prep process more convenient and even enjoyable. We believe we play a role in helping engaged couples get excited about their big days so we want the suiting process to be a fun step along the way.
After we take our last appointment, we’re often out the door to a local wedding or city wide event. Natalie, The Groomsman Suit’s Philly Store manager, is very active in Philly’s fashion scene and frequently attending industry events. On Saturdays, you’ll find her at the showroom as it’s one of our busiest fitting days. When the showroom is closed on Sundays and Mondays, Natalie is spending time with her family or at her church, playing basketball or hanging out at home with Winnie and her cat, Mr. Meow!
Favorites with The Groomsman Suit:
1. Top tip for grooms who are suit shopping?
Know how your suit should fit. Find the best fit type for your body. We sell suits in a slim and modern fit and all items are sold as separates so that guys can mix and match the styles to get a close to custom fit. A few things to look out for when trying on a suit: ability to customize the pant hem to match the shoe you’ll be wearing on the big day, enough room in the seat of the pants to be able to sit comfortably and bust a move on the dance floor, minimal pulling from the top button of the jacket as well as across the back, and sleeve length that allows a ½ inch of dress shirt to show beyond the length of the jacket sleeve. Understanding and nailing your suit fit will translate to a confident and great-looking walk down the aisle.
2. Biggest benefit of purchasing a suit for your wedding rather than renting?
One of the first questions that comes up when deciding on men’s wedding wear is: should we rent or buy? Why is it better to purchase your wedding suit rather than renting it? Simple, you get to wear it again and again! Why would you want to waste time and money on renting a suit and returning it after the wedding when you can find a suit that fits your body well and get to rewear it and really get your money’s worth? When groomsmen get to keep their suits they also really care about how they feel and look in it and because of this wedding photos turn out better. And, you will be looking at those photos for the rest of your life. When a guy is set on renting his wedding suit or tuxedo we always recommend taking a close look into the hidden costs of a typical rental.
3. A detail every great suit should include (but is sometimes overlooked!)?
There are a few key style details that make a big difference when it comes to suiting. 1) Only button the top button of your jacket 2) Make sure you have a ½ inch of dress shirt showing beyond the length of your jacket sleeve 3) Hem your pants with little to no break to avoid pooling around your ankles 4) On wedding day, make sure your boutonniere is placed over the buttonhole on the left lapel.
4. Moment at a wedding?
Watching the groom see his bride walk down the aisle <3
Make sure to visit The Groomsman Suit online and in Philadelphia! Stay tuned for our next Styled Day feature with Hitched.
