They say there are only two things guaranteed in life: death and taxes. But we’d also venture to say that at some point or another, you’re guaranteed to be invited to a wedding, or attend a graduation ceremony.
The good news is that Western wear fans don’t need to panic about what you’ll wear, because Wei’s helps you embody the western wear spirit.
Wearing Western wear to an event defines your strength as an individual. The core principle of western wear is that it’s practical so that you can live and work in these clothes. Americana is currently trending in fashion because it’s all about understated, rugged style.
We’ve curated a list of men’s formal western attire to make your life easier. You get comfortable, stylish event and wedding attire that lasts you for years to come, plus style tips too. Because you might as well do it right, right?
Keep reading for your guide to men’s event and wedding attire, so you can do more of what you love and less shopping.
Western Wear Staples
You already have the basic staples: jeans, shirts, belts, hats and boots. They’re great for work and play, and adding a vest, coat and tie might be all you need to do. Check out Wei’s Formal Wear Collection for ideas.
When attending an event like a wedding or graduation, a sports coat pairs nicely with jeans, a sharp-looking buckle, cowboy boots, a Western shirt, a vest, and a cowboy hat. If you want a tie, consider a bolo tie instead of a traditional tie.
Here are some pointers:
- Western sports coats will have yokes on the front or back. For extra style and attention, choose yokes with contrasting colours that pop.
- Western jeans in dark wash instead of light wash are a good choice for more formal events. Wei’s recommends Wrangler or Cinch, and we also have Ariat, Silver and more brands.
- A Western belt, in a plain or intricate style. Wei’s has more than 1,000 belts in its stores, and we are getting them online. For best quality, choose a belt made from a single piece of leather, like Marc Wolf belts.
- Cowboy hats, by Stetson, Resistol, Serratelli, Bailey or Akubra
- Cowboy boots, like Ariat or Canada West
- Exotic cowboy boots like Lucchese, also made by Ariat, Black Jack, Boulet and Canada West
- Jeans, like Wrangler, Cinch, Levi’s or Silver
- Fashionable buckles like Montana Silversmiths initials or Attitude
- Western shirts, like Wrangler, with front and back yokes and snaps
- Wei’s also has lots of Cinch shirts and they are more of a Casual style that do not have front and back yokes, or snaps
- Vests, by Scully or Wahmaker, are an eye-popping upgrade and make a statement even over a plain shirt
- Shirts, by Cinch, Ariat, Wrangler, Panhandle and more. You’ll want your shirt to match the jacket in colour and contrast the style. If your jacket is plain, a patterned shirt can work. If your jacket is patterned, wear a plain shirt.
Dressing for a Western Event or Wedding
Before you start shopping for clothing or assembling your outfit, you’ll want to find out if it’s formal or semi-formal. Once you know how formal the occasion is, it’s easier to pick out what you’ll wear to the western event or wedding.
Semi-Formal Western Wear
The difference between formal and semi-formal for western events is a jacket and tie. You can get away with no jacket and tie for semi-formal occasions. In addition, you can often even wear your best pair of jeans.
Semi-formal events allow you to mix and match your western wear, so don’t just default to your best shirt and jeans—have fun with it!
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Try a playful blend of western attire with a vest, plain dress shirt, cowboy hat, and non-denim pants. Create this look at Wei’s with:
- Cowboy hat such as the Akubra Snowy River
- White or complementary solid colour dress shirt by Wrangler
- Vest by Wahmaker Frontier Clothing or Scully
- Pants by Wrangler Wrancher in any colour
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Another option that’s ideal for cooler weather includes a jacket. You’ll want:
- Cowboy hat like Akubra’s The Boss
- White dress shirt by Wrangler
- Sport jacket by Red Sky or Circle S Boise
- Jeans by Kimes Ranch or Cinch
- Belt such as Justin Trophy Steer Head with a silver buckle by Montana Silversmith
Of course, there is only one footwear choice at events like these: cowboy boots by any of our brands like Lucchese, Ariat, Boulet, or Canada West!
Formal Western Wear
A formal western event is all about elevating the Americana look. For example, rather than wearing your Wrangler jeans, you’ll step into Wrangler’s semi-formal Wranchers. This simple substitution of jeans for woven polyester pants retains the western look but transforms it into formal western wedding attire. The key pieces you’ll need to get this look include:
- Dressy cowboy hat like a Stetson or Resistol, or an adventurer’s hat by Akubra
- Bolo tie, such as Montana Silversmiths
- A plain dressy western shirt like Wrangler’s long sleeve western Dobby white with snaps
- Wrangler Wranchers semi-formal pants. Choosing a dark colour helps hide any stains.
- Sport or day coat such as Circle S sport jacket Lubbock black print
- Oversized belt and buckle like the Justin fenced in overlay
- Cowboy boots such as Ariat
You don’t have to put on a penguin suit to be in formal wear; you can easily use many of your existing western wear items with a few small tweaks to ensure you’re following the dress code while staying true to your style.
How to Colour Coordinate Your Western Wear
You can easily uplevel your western wear look for events by playing with colour. These western colour schemes are a great way to brighten up the monotonous black and white.
- Pastels: Introduce pleasing greys, dusky light browns and greens into your wardrobe.
- Punchy hues: Add crimson red, navy blue, and white. You can also pair these colours with a patterned vest for a standout look.
- Neutrals: Cowboy colours like black, white, beige, burgundy, and brown never go out of style and always match.
- Turquoise: The quintessential Americana colour is turquoise; pair it with brown, denim blue, or black.
The good news is that these hues naturally blend with existing pieces in your wardrobe for a cohesive collection that’s easy to mix and match.
Patterns and Plains
Be careful about too many patterns.
Most sports coats have plain colours or muted patterns so they can be worn with either a plain shirt or a patterned shirt. But many Western vests will have a tone-on-tone pattern, such as a burgundy paisley stitch on a burgundy fabric.
If you have one pattern on the sport coat, such as a strong stripe, plus a paisley vest, they will clash with a strong pattern on a shirt. In this case choose a plain-coloured shirt, or a Dobby stripe shirt.
Or, choose a vest with a plain fabric. Black goes with everything, but you could choose a blue-toned vest to pop against a sports coat with a different blue tone, or a complementary colour like tan. When your vest and coat contrast each other, it’s best to go with a white shirt.
A bolo tie often has materials that may add another pattern to the mix. Think of a faux bone bolo, or a Southwest bolo. These will pop against a plain-coloured shirt.
Look Stylish With Wei’s
From weddings to graduations, Wei’s has all your Americana goods to get you western-ready at the drop of a hat. From the hat on your head to the soles of your cowboy boots, Wei’s has quality formal western attire so you can look forward to the event without worrying about what to wear.