Inspiration Boards

[Kent]

Alright, guys, I'm just going to be honest. At first, I wasn't sure why an inspiration board was so necessary, until I made one. Oh man! It stirs up the creative energy and really shows the lady what's on your mind. So start up the browser, warm up photoshop and get to work!

[Ted]

While this is a bit more goth than I'd like, it gets the right direction..

I went to a wedding last fall where the groom wore a colorful frock coat from this place which used to be based in Salem, but moved south. It gave me the idea to branch out from the traditional, but I still find that I'm at a bit of a loss..

[Kent]

This isn't too bad.

Kathleen (an offbeat bride) suggested this place, which I absolutely dig. It's got some great stuff in the style I've mentioned previously.

[Tom]

hmm. Yeah, I don't think i can go as far as the lovely vampire outfit up above. See, my friends are going to be there, but my family as well. They're rather... opinionated. And there are some bullets I'd just as soon duck. I do want something cool tho. Bought something on a whim, I very trim-fitting ecru linen job. Weird thing about it is it's got tiny high lapels. Hrm. I get the sense you guys might have been hoping for some kookier ideas than, "my suit has an extra button and a high neckline." But it looks good! All kinds of suits out there. I don't want a tux. There's so much programmatic shit that I seem to be having to put up with as it is... Our thing's going to be very outdoorsy and naturey. Not so formal. And tuxedo in the July sun? Not so much. This isn't the kind of wedding where the gal has two dresses, one absurd and one slightly more manageable.

So this is not an inspiration board. More of a ramble.

[Kent]

I can totally dig that.

Suits are not an awful thing. Though our stuff has been outlandish, I can definitely say I have a HUGE appreciation for suits. I think there are many occasions (including weddings) when suits are ideal. I may not want one for my wedding, but I do see the need for them. If you have any pictures you can supply, that would be awesome. I know many grooms can use that kind of help,

[Tom]

so what are you going to wear? Something involving a long coat? Those are cool. I have this great long army duster I got at an army shop in 29 Palms. Had to get it tailored, but it's very dramatic and imposing when I sweep into a room wearing that and boots and a cowboy hat. Old 1950s army jeep coat from the Korean war. I could use more coats like that. Have you got anything yet, or still idea shopping?
And what's your family like? Traditional or no? If you're dressed very full-on, do you expect any grief?

[Kent]

Well, I wouldn't say I'm idea shopping as much as trying to put the outfit together. I plan on wearing the outfit from Stardust (my b2b loves it and I would wear it a bunch of times). We're looking for similar patterns or ways to put it all together.

My family is an interesting mix. My father is very reserved and was raised by a very traditional european family. My mom was raised by a less conservative crew and is very open-minded. I don't think we'll receive any grief due to the fact that my b2b and I have always been different in our lifestyles compared to my brother and sister-in-law. My brother gave them the traditional wedding. I think they would almost be shocked more if I did the traditional ordeal. We haven't really discussed it with them as much. Her parents are EXTREMELY open-minded and have a very non-traditional belief system as it applies to our life and our wedding. It will be interesting to see how it all comes together. I'll let you know the details as they become apparent.

[Oskar]

I can dig it too, and will likely wear a simple black suit on the big day -- no vest or cummerbund. I was flirting with the idea of wearing an ascot (which looks rad in the picture above), but have decided that I'm going with a long, skinny black tie instead. My b2b thinks it'll give me a cool retro look, like one of the rat pack or something like that.
Like what Kent has said, I think a big thing for us is having things that we can reuse. And what guy can't use a simple black suit and tie? I even already found the tie and used it once. Makes me want to switch to skinny ties in general even though I'm not skinny myself.

(BTW, hi everyone, and I'm looking forward to rapping with you guys on the way up to the weddings. Its good to have guys here with better answers than "I'll let her take care of it.")

[Kent]

Welcome, Oskar!

Hey man, there's nothing wrong with a good, reusable suit. I'm totally into suits, you just have to get the right one that's comfortable and (preferably) has layers. That's what I look for. I did the tuxedo thing twice already and while it's cool and all, it's usually a one time ordeal. Not to mention, if you do have a tux, you may not even be able to wear that same tux in more than one wedding.

[Ted]

ok, I'm starting to get some ideas. How would this coat;

look with this or a similar waistcoat;

[Kent]

AWESOME combo! Lovin' it!

[Oskar]

Dude, that'll look sick... especially if you wear your hair down in some way, like a ponytail or something. It'd look classic yet definitely individual. On the similar waistcoat -- are you thinking "similar" in terms of the style or in terms of the red? Both are cool and I like the design on it. The double-breasted style makes it go really well with the coat I think.

[Ted]

*laugh* that took me a full read-thru to realize it was the "good" definition of "sick" :) and yes, similar in both respects. our wedding colors are gold, fuschia, and teal. that waistcoat is probably more red than I'll want, so I might need to get a vest custom made, but definitely something with a bit of a pattern to it rather than simply plain solid color. I'm hoping that the patterns on the waistcoat wouldn't contrast too much with the frock coat.