fbpx

Skip to Content

Category Archives: <span>Tux trends</span>

If it looks too good to be true….

If it looks too good to be true, it probably is!

We love a pocket square as much as the next guy, but if you’re shopping for wedding formalwear, the most important “square” in your pocket might well be…a calculator.

Case in point: One of our own suit suppliers routinely tags their suits with an MSRP of $359.99. We sell that suit all year long at $199. Sure, if we wanted, we could bait you into our store with a $160 OFF coupon, but instead, we prefer to give you our honest and affordable low prices all year. We believe it builds trust, which leads to the lasting customer relationships that have been the foundation of our steady growth over 36 years.

Let’s face it: These days, we’re all looking to get the best value we can for our dollars, but no one likes to be tricked by gimmicks. So, when you’re shopping for tuxedos and suits, be certain to bring your trusted calculator along with you, because if your vendors are offering big discounts off of artificially inflated prices, then it’s not “actually” a good deal, is it?

If you’d like to schedule a personal consultation with one of our stylists, please contact us today!

Happy planning!

 

READ MORE

How to Pick Out Wedding Tuxes



Were you at last weekend’s Virtual Grand Wedding Expo? If we talked to you at our “booth,” thanks for stopping by! As you may know, the show’s producers had a technical challenge that prevented them from airing our new video tutorial that shows how to pick out formalwear for your wedding. Don’t despair: We’ve uploaded it to our new YouTube channel, so you can watch it whenever you like! Please check it out, share it with your friends, and subscribe for more content.

As always, we’re here to answer all of your tuxedo and suit questions, and if you’d like to schedule an appointment for a personal in-store consultation, contact us at any time. 

READ MORE

2020 Wedding trends

navy wedding suit

Copyright: ImageMakers Photographic Artists

In the Navy

The ballots are in, and fashion experts agree that navy blue is one wedding menswear trend that’s here to stay. Ably accessorized with contrasting vests and pattered ties for a vintage, rustic look, or with somber solids for a chic, classic presentation, navy gives modern brides the versatility to work with any wedding theme.

Slim is IN

Indigo slim-fit suit

Copyright: Michael Vaz

It’s hard to feel your best when you don’t look the part. Now more than ever, grooms understand that tailored clothing is designed to be worn close to the body, and today’s slim- and modern-fit styles will achieve the flattering silhouette you desire. Main Street Formals offers an astonishing array of retail and rental slim-fit options, plus on-site precision tailoring.

TWO Suits?!

Burgundy slim-fit suit

The “reception look” is a trend that brides have been doing for quite some time. After the ceremony, the bride slips away to put on a second (often less traditional) dress. When she arrives at the reception, she wows her guests again with a brand new, stunning look! This trend is a lot of fun, as it allows brides to get dolled up twice in one day and give their guests a big surprise. Grooms want in on that action, too! A second suit is a particularly great choice if you are planning to have a very traditional ceremony. Your groom can transform from “classy to sassy” by wearing his classic black tux for the vows, and then donning something provocative and fun for dinner and dancing! This makes the wedding just a little more memorable (and you get to see him looking sharp in two Instagrammable outfits!).

Pop Some Champagne…and Some Color

Hunting for hunter green suits? We have them!

Many grooms stick to the classic suit color palette for formal occasions: black, grey, navy, and maybe khaki in the summer. But in the past few years, menswear has seen a dramatic shift toward the colorful and creative. Does your man want to stand out from the rest of his groomsmen? Give him a suit in a bold, brilliant color, and he’ll certainly be the star of the show! (Of course, it is important to remember that your groom’s suit should still coordinate with your wedding color scheme.)

Getting married this year? Take advantage of our Wedding Specials!

READ MORE

Who (really) has the region’s largest selection of men’s formalwear?

Wedding tuxedos in Southeastern MassachusettsWith all of those crazy claims you hear out there, who really has the widest selection of men’s formalwear on the SouthCoast?Seems like a simple question, right? Let’s sort this out.

The Big Box Shops?
They specialize in retail, but some box shops offer a limited selection of rentals, which you’re expected to choose from a website or kiosk. Rental inventory is warehoused out of state, and they are shipped to your local chain store days before your wedding. In-house tailoring services are limited or nonexistent.

The Catalog Showrooms?
Here, you may encounter a showroom of tuxedos and suits, but few (if any) products except samples are kept on site, and your tailoring options are very limited because these companies often don’t employ tailors. Routinely, these stores have an exclusivity contract with a single supplier and can only offer styles from just one catalog. Retail offerings are generally scarce for couples who want to purchase.

Main Street Formals.
Suits for saleWe’re somewhat like a hybrid between the Big Box and the Catalog Store, but we’re also a lot more. For starters, we have three showrooms (a rental formalwear showroom, a retail suit showroom, and our Casual Friday showroom, which features a large selection of sportcoats, dress shirts and trousers), and we carry rental inventory so that when you’re ready to shop, you can come in and try things on. But if you want something we don’t stock, we have many catalogs to special-order hundreds of other rental styles. Furthermore, we stock hundreds of retail suits in stock, with thousands more available by special order. Most important, we have a fully-staffed precision tailoring department with skilled full-time tailors to ensure our formalwear fits like a glove. Somehow, we manage to throw in dazzling group specials, and prices that everyone loves.

Discover it for yourself: Take a short ride to the countryside, and visit the Biggest Little Tux Shop in New England!

READ MORE

The tuX Files: Should I rent or buy?

Let’s compare both options so that you can make an informed decision.

Jake and Geno model the Allure Bartlett in heather gray and slate blue. Photo: ImageMakers

RENT YOUR WEDDING OUTFIT

1) IT’S EASIER If renting your formalwear, you only need to take two fittings. The first fitting takes five minutes and should be done at least 4-6 weeks before your wedding. We carry tons of product in house, and when we need more during peak seasons, we can simply call for back-up from our countless suppliers, so “running out” isn’t really a problem. Your second fitting (60-90 minutes 1-2 days before the wedding) is also easy. If anything doesn’t fit, we fix it while you wait, and then you take it home on the same day.
2) SIZE DOESN’T MATTER. Rental formalwear is convenient. Every rental tux and suit style is cut down to a Boy’s 4 (sometimes even smaller), and up to a 70R (sometimes larger), so no matter what size your attendants, they can all match.

The Sandstone Brunswick by Allure

3) IT’S AFFORDABLE. The Number 1 reason people rent? It’s

 

affordable. Consider: The MSRP on most rental ensembles is about $600-900. You have a personal stylist helping you make a selection. We expertly measure each man’s body. Every rental includes an average of $50-75 in complimentary custom tailoring. And then we clean everything between rentals. (Naturally.) So, soup to nuts, it’s like wearing a $800-1000 ensemble for $150 or so. Good deal, right?

Indigo blue suit. Photo: ImageMakers

PURCHASE YOUR WEDDING OUTFIT

1) WE NEED LEAD TIME. It’s like the process you probably used with your bridesmaids’ gowns. We don’t order the suits for your group until we have collected ALL of your measurements. Don’t procrastinate, or your first choice might be sold out before the order is placed. The first fitting takes 5 minutes or so; ideally, these would be completed 3+ months in advance, although we’ve worked some miracles in short time spans.
2) NO GUARANTEES. No selection is guaranteed until our suppliers confirm all of the required sizes are available in time for your event. Later, when the suits have arrived at the store, each man returns for a second fitting, which takes 30-60 minutes. Ideally, these second fittings are completed at least four weeks before the event, to allow time for tailoring, which is a separate fee.

Main Street Formals’ owner, Robert, makes adjustments on a retail suit worn by his son, Baylen.

3) SIZE MATTERS. Retail suits have limited size scales. Most are made as small as a 36S and up to a 54L, but we can get many traditional sizes in a broader range. However, if the suit you desire is made up to a 54 and your best man is a 58, you may have to decide on an alternative suit (or an alternative best man).
4) BOYS SUITS. In most cases, suits companies that manufacture suits for adults do not manufacture suits for children. Therefore, if you decide on retail, any boys in your wedding party will not be able to wear the exact same suit as the adults. We match them from our boy’s suit suppliers as best we can. Accessories are not included and can be rented or purchased separately. Boy’s suit purchases do not count toward your head count for your wedding special package.

 

For more fashion, follow us on Instagram: @mainstreetformals

5) IT’S MORE EXPENSIVE. We believe our retail suit program offers tremendous value, but it is a lot more work, and skilled labor isn’t cheap. All labor is priced a la carte, and many customers elect to include rental or retail accessories, which are priced accordingly. We permit three fittings on retail suits: the first two, explained above, and a final fitting on pickup day, 1-2 days before the wedding. If you are on an Atkins diet, Crossfit, etc., and we have to re-tailor your suit because your body changed, you will be charged for the extra fittings and the extra labor.

 

READ MORE

The tuX files: How to rent a tuxedo

If you have a large wedding party to be outfitted, it’s smart to start the planning process as early as possible. Photo: ImageMakers

How soon should you come by to look at tuxes? The single easiest answer is, “As soon as possible.” Most couples visit about three to six months in advance, but we routinely service weddings on much shorter notice. Our half-price invitation special represents the biggest incentive to book early. All too often brides visit us after they have purchased their invitations and are dismayed to learn they could have saved hundreds of dollars.

When you visit the shop to look at styles, it’s best to leave the wedding party at home. If you want their fashion advice, then, by all means, invite them, but do not expect to find an easy consensus among the members of the group. Frequently in such cases, couples will capitulate to please the tastes of their party, rather than picking what they had in mind. Remember, it’s your day. When it’s their turn to get married, they can pick what they like.

Each member of your party is required to make three visits to the shop. The first visit should occur approximately four to six weeks before the wedding (ideally). At that point, we take a quick (10 minutes, tops) fitting. One or two days before the wedding, each person returns for a longer visit (about an hour), during which they will try on the entire tuxedo, and we will make any required alterations on site, e.g., lengthen the pants, shorten the sleeves, etc. The last visit is the following Monday when the party returns their tuxedos. If you wish, you can designate a single person to return them. We don’t care who brings them back, so long as we get them back…!

If it sounds easy, that’s because it is. If you’re worried about short lead time, out of town ushers, or anything else, we do it all. Just give us a call!

READ MORE