The groom may want to consider a morning coat to add some serious class to his wedding attire. Done right, they look like a million bucks. Done wrong, and the groom and groomsmen will look like the third act at the circus.

If one follows strict tradition when it comes to wedding wear, the proper dress for the groom is to wear a morning coat for a wedding that takes place prior to 6pm. A morning coat is typically a full length, single breasted coat, distinguished by the front (which is cut back and away) and the gray striped pants that go along with it. Pictured here, the morning coat was designed in the 19th century so that men could wear something formal while riding a horse, which is apparently harder to do in a traditional non-cut away suit.

A morning coat has a single button that buttons in the mid-waist. The morning coat is only worn with suspenders. No cummerbund is required, thanks. Underneath the jacket, a waistcoat is worn.

Although the morning coat appears to be very formal, it was for a long time considered less formal than a tuxedo (ed. - Looking at it, that's hard to believe!) GroomGroove.com happens to think that morning coats add a touch of class to a wedding, and tend to make the scene more formal in nature.

That being said, we also believe that morning coats look best on grooms and groomsmen that are taller than average, or at least not too short. The effect of the long, cut away tail tends to make shorter grooms and groomsmen look a bit clownish, particularly if the tail of the jacket is only a few inches off the ground.

Read more about wedding attire from GroomGroove.com:

• How to get the groomsmen outfitted in tuxedos, painlessly
• An intro to formal wear for the groom:
  • Tuxedo Jacket
  • Pants
  • Shirts
  • Ties
  • Cufflinks
  • Shoes (and socks)
  • What the hell is a cummerbund and do you need one?
  • Boutonnieres (aka the only flowers a groom needs to think about)
• Morning coats
• Wearing a suit instead of a tuxedo
• Whether to buy or rent a tux
• If you're buying a tux, whether to get it custom-made or off the rack tuxedo
• Beach wedding attire (you lucky bastard!)

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