How to Wear Pants to a Wedding

Co-authored by Susan Kim

Last Updated: January 20, 2021 References

Anyone can wear pants to a wedding, regardless of gender. If you don’t like wearing dresses, or just want to mix up your look, there are plenty of great ways to respect the formality of an event while wearing an outfit that makes you feel confident. Check the wedding invitation to determine what kind of outfit you should wear. If it’s black tie event, you might want to wear a formal suit. If you don’t want to wear a suit, there are also many other ways to wear pants to a wedding. As long as you have an outfit that you feel comfortable in and is fancy enough, you can enjoy any wedding while wearing pants.

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Wearing a Formal Suit

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Wear a white tuxedo suit if you’re getting married. If you’re planning your own wedding, and don’t want the traditional bride-in-a-dress look, you can still have a “white wedding.” There are lots of options these days for all-white tuxedos and tailored white suits that can make you feel powerful and beautiful for your wedding.^{[1]
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Try a matching pantsuit for a put-together look. Pantsuits have matching pants and jackets, and are made for women. If you are buying a pantsuit online, be sure to check your measurements with a tape measure before purchasing to cut down on having to return pantsuits that don’t fit.^{[2]
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- Once you have a pantsuit, you can also wear it as separates, pairing the trousers with a blouse, or the jacket with other pants.
- If you want a more androgynous look, try online stores that sell gender-neutral clothing, or a classic suit.
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Wear a suit with a matching jacket and pants for a classic vibe. To be slightly more formal, wear a double-breasted jacket. Suits come in many colors, but the traditional colors are black and navy. Wear a white or colorful shirt underneath your jacket, so that you don’t look like you are attending a funeral.
- It’s conventional to wear the same color socks as your pants.
- For a slightly more casual or creative look than your classic suit, you can pair pants and blazers of different colors, for example, a grey blazer with black plants, or a colored blazer with white pants.^{[3]
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Try a jumpsuit as a creative alternative. Jumpsuits are one-piece outfits where the top connects to the pants. If you get one with flowy bottoms, it will look a bit like you’re wearing a dress, but still feel like wearing pants. Jumpsuits are very versatile, so once you have one, you’ll be able to wear it to other occasions other than weddings.^{[4]
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- Jumpsuits also come in a range of levels of formality, so you can find one even for a black-tie event.

Method 2

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Wearing Dressy Pants

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Try palazzo pants for a flowy, feminine look. Palazzo pants are very long, loose pants, that almost look like you are wearing a maxi-skirt. You can get high-waisted or low-waisted, depending on which you prefer.^{[5]
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- If you have brightly patterned flowy pants, you might want to pair them with a solid top.
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Wear cigarette pants for slightly more casual occasions. Cigarette pants are slim pants that end above the ankle. They have a straight opening at the foot, rather than a flared ending.^{[6]
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- You can pair cigarette pants with a loose blouse and wear either flats or heels.
EXPERT TIP

Susan Kim
Professional Stylist
Susan Kim is the owner of Sum+Style Co., a Seattle-based personal styling company focused on innovative and approachable fashion. She has over 5 years of experience in the fashion industry, and received her AA from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.

Susan Kim
Professional Stylist

Expert Trick: Make sure you find dress pants that aren't too tight across your hips, because you'll be uncomfortable all day.
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Invest in a good pair of dress pants or slacks. Dress pants tend to be tailored with straight lines. They often have darts, which are little tucks on the upper thigh. These will not only serve you well at a wedding, but you can also wear them to work or other places where you don’t want to show up in jeans.
- If you want to be able to get the most wear out of one pair, buy in a neutral color, like black or beige. Then the pants will go well with many different types of tops.
- Slacks are a type of dress pants that are a little less formal.
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Wear pants or leggings underneath a dress for a casual option. Wearing pants under a dress is a great option for winter, because pants will keep you much warmer than a pair of rights. This works best for short dresses. Not only does this provide a way to use a casual dress, but it also means you’ll be able to dance and move more freely without worrying about your dress. Wear tight, form fitting pants underneath the dress.^{[7]
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- Try pairing a short, colorful dress, with black pants.