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Traditional groom clothing around the world, from the sherwani, agbada and barong tagalog to the kilt, guayabera and Japanese haori and hakama.
Most grooms in the West wear a suit or tuxedo, but traditional groom clothing is as varied as bridal wear. South Asian grooms often wear a long sherwani coat, Yoruba grooms a flowing agbada, Igbo grooms an isiagu shirt with a red cap, Filipino grooms a sheer embroidered barong tagalog, Scottish grooms a kilt, and Japanese grooms a black crested kimono with haori and hakama. Many grooms now wear two looks in one day: one traditional, one Western.
Traditional groom clothing by country or culture: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sherwani, Knee-length fitted coat, buttoned down the front; Nigeria (Yoruba), Agbada, Flowing robe over shirt and trousers, with a fila cap; Nigeria (Igbo), Isiagu, Patterned shirt with a red cap; Philippines, Barong tagalog, Sheer embroidered shirt worn untucked; Scotland, Kilt, With a Prince Charlie or Argyll jacket and a sporran; Japan, Montsuki, haori and hakama, Black crested kimono with striped hakama; Korea, Hanbok, Worn for the pyebaek family ceremony; Cuba, Mexico, Caribbean, Guayabera, Pleated shirt worn as formalwear.
The sherwani is a long-sleeved coat, fitted at the waist, falling below the knee and buttoned down the front. It grew out of Persian and Mughal court dress and took its modern shape in the 19th century. It is the national dress for men in Pakistan and is closely associated with weddings in India and Bangladesh, where it's often worn with fitted churidar trousers. Wedding sherwanis are usually richly embroidered. For the rest of the day, see Indian wedding traditions.
The Yoruba agbada is a wide, flowing outer robe worn over an inner shirt and trousers called shokoto, usually with a fila cap. Robes like it are thought to date back to the nobility of 12th-century West African empires. Agbadas are often made of aso oke, the hand-woven Yoruba cloth worn for weddings and other big occasions, or of lace, brocade or damask.
The barong tagalog is an embroidered, long-sleeved shirt and the national dress of the Philippines. The finest are made from sheer piña (pineapple-leaf fibre) or jusi, and it's worn untucked over an undershirt with trousers. It has become standard wedding wear for Filipino grooms, replacing the Western suits common in earlier decades. See Filipino wedding traditions for the rest of the day.
Scottish grooms often marry in a kilt, usually with a Prince Charlie coatee and black bow tie or an Argyll jacket, a waistcoat, and a sporran, the pouch that hangs at the front on a chain or strap. Anyone may wear a kilt regardless of nationality or descent.
At a traditional Japanese wedding, the groom wears a black crested haori jacket and skirt-like hakama with vertical stripes. The most formal hakama are stiff striped silk, worn over a black montsuki kimono carrying one, three or five family crests, with white tabi socks. In non-religious ceremonies, grooms often wear a tuxedo instead. More in Japanese wedding traditions.
Many Korean couples hold a Western-style ceremony, then change into hanbok for pyebaek, the ceremony where they bow to the groom's family. Korean hanbok weddings explains the garments, and Korean wedding traditions covers the ceremony.
The guayabera is a light shirt with two columns of pleats down the front and back and several pockets, usually in linen or cotton. It counts as traditional formalwear in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Puerto Rico, which makes it a natural choice for hot-weather weddings. Its origin is disputed: Mexico, Cuba and a link to the Filipino barong have all been proposed. See Mexican wedding traditions and Caribbean wedding traditions.
In much of the world the default is now a dark suit or a tuxedo, and what counts as correct depends on the dress code on the invitation. What does black tie mean at a wedding? explains the difference.
Match the setting. A heavy embroidered sherwani or agbada suits an evening event; a barong or guayabera suits heat. Coordinate with your partner. Many couples pick fabrics or colours that echo each other. Plan for a change. Couples with a traditional and a Western ceremony often wear both. See why couples have multiple wedding outfits. Allow tailoring time. Hand-woven and embroidered garments take longer to make.
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