Morning Wear for weddings, Royal Ascot & other formal events by Sarah Gilfillan, personal stylist

I'll soon be continuing my #FatheroftheBride series in which I'm looking for a British made outfit to wear at my daughter's wedding at which I'll be wearing morning dress. Meanwhile, I've asked Sarah Gilfillan of SartoriaLab, the outstanding personal stylist who has helped me so much on this blog, to tell us more about what morning wear is and how to wear it:

Sarah writes: Morning dress is a formal dress code worn in the day, mostly at weddings, seasonal events such as Royal Ascot Races or at events linked to Royalty or government. There are two main variants. The first comprises a black tail coat with striped (or sometimes checked) trousers and a waistcoat. This is strictly not a morning suit, as nothing matches! The second variant is less formal and has coat, trousers and waistcoat in matching grey, making it a true morning suit. While usually a morning suit has a matching waistcoat we don't see why, given its less formal nature, you shouldn't try a subtle pastel or paler grey if you want.

The Royal Family wearing all variations of morning dress, morning suit and morning coat

The coat is generally worn unbuttoned. Get advice on length: the tails should reach the back of the knee, but other factors can come into play, so check the final look in a mirror to ensure the proportions look right. Google 'morning dress' and study the images, what lengths look right, what look wrong? If in doubt, study Prince Charles. Nobody wears morning dress better. This is partly because he's so relaxed in it. The fact that he has an excellent tailor helps too.

Some retailers offer coloured and patterned linings to morning coats. Some (and I'm one of them) feel this is a mistake. The lining shows on the tails and can be overpowering. Stick to black or grey lining.

The trousers are usually cut quite high in the waist to match the elegant waist of the coat. You may need braces (suspenders in US) to keep them up comfortably without altering their shape. Trousers usually don't have turn ups (cuffs) as they don't suit the formal nature of the dress code.

Usually either form of morning dress is acceptable at a wedding, but the close family may all agree to wear one or other variation to achieve some uniformity of appearance. My experience is that this expectation doesn't generally extend to guests, but check if you're unsure.

Loake Rothschild oxfords, British Belt Co Baker blue braces, TM Lewin shirt

Shirt

A white shirt is traditional, although a coloured shirt is a little more adventurous (see Prince Charles's above). If you select a coloured shirt, we highly recommend what the Americans call a Winchester shirt: one with a white collar (and sometimes white cuffs as well). This harks back to the days when a removable white collar would be worn on the shirt. In our view, the flash of white at the collar ideally suits the formal nature of the suit. 

The coloured shirt is best in a soft blue, pink or yellow; take care with brighter colours. Stripes and even checks can be worn; but we advise discretion. Pastels and soft hues are best. Make sure your shirt complements, rather than matches, your waistcoat.

A turn-down collar is the usual and best choice. We aren't keen on wing collars, they're not traditional to morning wear and give a period costume appearance. Double cuffs (French cuffs) go with the formal nature of the dress.

Morning dress of yore. The maverick Prince of Wales wears a bow tie and rakish hat; rules are made to be broken

Tie/cravat

A silk tie is the best choice here. Cravats (and wing collars) run the risk of looking a over-dressed in our view and they aren't part of traditional morning attire. Choose a tie in a discreet colour and pattern that complements shirt and waistcoat. 

Waistcoat

The waistcoat is single or double-breasted. For coolness in the summer, try linen. It can match the coat, or a muted plain colour can look very stylish. We caution against being too bold with the colour or design of your waistcoat.

Top hat

For very formal events a top hat may have to be worn. For weddings and other events it is generally put to one side or dispensed with altogether. Black or grey hats seem to be interchangeable with grey or black morning coats and suits, although arguably a black hat is preferable for the most formal events.

Shoes

Black oxfords are the formal shoe of choice. Plain derbies are acceptable. The usual wisdom is that brogues (with punched hole designs) are strictly a bit country and therefore not formal enough. Patent leather is really for evening, not day, wear. Please wear good shoes that aren't too estate agent pointy; bad footwear will ruin the look. They should be in good condition and shiny clean. Wear socks to match the trousers.

Accessories

Cufflinks, a pocket square that complements rather than matches the tie and a tie pin can be worn. As ever, go for minimalist design and soft pastels in any accessory, rather than anything too overpowering. Grey Fox wore a beautiful porcelain buttonhole from Boutonnière London, image below.

General thoughts

If some of our advice sounds a little cautious, remember; if you're at a wedding the photos will be being studied for decades to come. Morning suits have the advantage of looking timeless. If you depart too far from the classic, with extravagant cravats, trendy shoes or bright shirts, those images will lack that timeless classic look.

At other events, part of the fun is being in a uniform enjoying the occasion. Departing too far from the dress code can leave you feeling self-conscious. That's fine if you're an extrovert, feel you want to make some obscure political point or are so sophisticated that you can pull it off with bravado. You can express individuality within the constraints of the dress code in choice of colour, cut (if you're lucky enough to buy bespoke or made to measure) and accessories. Relax and enjoy the event. Try to feel comfortable in your morning dress or you'll look very stiff and awkward.

I know that many readers here are from outside the UK. In general the rules over morning dress are more uniform worldwide than the black tie dress code, but I suggest you do your own research on local variation.

Note: This feature is an updated version of a feature on the same topic posted on the blog last year. What I write here is a combination of my thoughts and discussions I've had with David of Grey Fox. The views we express are ours and reflect the occasionally flexible nature of dress codes. Rules are there to be broken, but do so with care! The post is unsponsored.

[GF: If you need help from Sarah on this or any personal styling problem, contact her through her website, SartoriaLab here.]

Read an introduction to Grey Fox's #FatheroftheBride search for a British-manufactured wedding outfit here. He will be reporting on the products he's found over the following few weeks. The products in the feature above are not all made in the UK.