Picking your dream dress can be one tough cookie. Along with a veil, jewelry, shoes and accessories is tough, but what about the groom? What should he wear? Curious about the ins and outs of dressing a guy, we took groom-to-be Josh Sullivan to Blackwells (2716 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, 417-887-8200, mensclothingspringfieldmo.com) to learn tips on fitting suits and tuxedos.

If you wear a suit, a simple, white dress shirt always looks sharp. In fact, you can even get away with wearing a dress shirt with a tuxedo if you’re looking to save some extra money.

To determine the correct sleeve length on a suit jacket or tux, remember that the jacket sleeves should show about half of an inch of the shirt sleeve.

The style for suits and tuxes right now is a slimmer, more fitted look.

The pant leg on a tux is a little shorter than on a suit and should barely touch the top of the front of your shoe. Suit pants are a bit longer and have a little slouch to them.

Fitting Notes:

• The most popular color of suits for weddings are black, white or gray. 
• The pant leg on a tux should not have a cuff. There should be a plain hem instead. 

Shoes:
• There are several styles of shoes that would work for a wedding, but black, patent leather shoes will always look good. You should buy a pair that is sleek and shiny. Word of advice: avoid winged-tipped shoes. 
• Black socks are the safest option when wearing a suit or tux, but a lot of grooms are having fun wearing socks with patterns and colors. It’s up to the groom which footwear he feels most comfortable in. If he’s looking for a way to add in his personal style, socks and ties are a great place to do that

Shirt: 
• If you have a shirt that needs studs, you can buy studs in sets that come with matching cuff links. Some tux shirts come with studs included, in that case, you will only need to pick out cuff links. Even if you decide to wear a suit, I would always recommend wearing cuff links. This is your day, too. You want to look the part.  
• For the most part, fitting a tux is no different than fitting a suit. Start with the chest measurements, going from shoulder to shoulder. A well-fitted jacket and dress shirt will have the sleeve heads touch the edge of your shoulders. The jacket should be snug, but you want to be able to move in it.

Belt:
• You have the option of wearing a belt or suspenders with a suit. Choose one or the other. Do not wear both. With a tux, you should not wear a belt, but suspenders are fine. . 

Accessories:
• Whether you wear a tux or a suit, you can go with either a tie or a bow tie. The trend is going back to bow ties, and grooms are having fun picking out fun and colorful ties to wear down the aisle. 

Rent vs. Buy
• If you’re considering buying a tux, ask yourself if you’ll wear it more than once a year. If the answer is yes, then it’s probably cheaper to go ahead and splurge on the tux. Renting tuxes can get pricey if you need one more than once a year.