I recently took part in a wedding where I stood with the groom as best woman. I’ve served as maid of honor, bridesmaid, but never been one of the groomsmen. What’s the difference? This time I wore a man’s suit.
It was a nice, tailored three-piece suit that the groom generously provided to me and his best man. I could tell not many at Indochino in Buckhead were used to a woman coming in for an initial fitting, but there I was standing on a platform and getting measured behind a curtain.
The woman taking my measurements apologized when she told me that the entire suit would have to be a man’s, that they couldn’t mix and match the pieces between men’s and women’s designs. I was ok with that, I said naively, and she reassured me men’s suits were easier to alter than a woman’s.
We went back for one more fitting, as the gray suits and vests with pink shirts arrived at the store. It was then that I realized a man’s suit isn’t necessarily flattering for a woman’s figure, and I began to understand why the employee apologized. A gorgeous suit, but very straight-lined despite being the easiest to alter. I dismissed any concerns of its contour on my middle-aged physique to that of our tendency to hate ourselves while staring in a dressing room mirror.
The groom kept the suits until the wedding, and I found mine hanging in my room and the Stanley House in Marietta upon arrival. When I put it back on the morning of the wedding, I quickly understood I had taken a couple of things for granted when having to wear it all day as opposed to 10 minutes in the store.
First there was the frantic search for a belt, which for some reason I failed to bring. Men’s pants tend to fall a little further down one’s waist or hips to provide enough room for the “external equipment” I didn’t physically have. I realized I was constantly pulling on the pants to make up for this gap in the front, and if I placed anything in my pockets – the glorious, deep pockets men enjoy – the weight would send the pants right down to my ankles. Fortunately, the best man had an extra belt for me to use
Also, suits are hot. It was an outside Spring wedding in Georgia, so we were standing in 80-degree weather, but even after we went inside for the reception, I was burning up. Between fanning the jacket and adjusting my tie for some relief, I felt a lot more sympathy for men who have to stay in this attire for long periods. Bras are still the worst of all clothing, but I would place men’s suits near the top of the list.
In the end, friends assured me I pulled off the suit, and the wedding was a wonderful experience. But if I’m ever asked to gender-bend again, I may have to cheat a little and include women’s clothes.
