The Holiday Season is Officially Over and so is Engagement Season!

Valentine's Day is over, marking the end of the holiday season which somewhere along the way, turned into proposal season. Holiday season used to equate to spending, gift giving, stuffing your faces and making resolutions that will end before the season does. Now, it's also been marked as proposal season. Facebook news feeds are flooded with lifetime events of getting engaged, commercials are all about jewelry and plans are made months in advance for how you're going to 'pop the question'. 

source: reddit

I love working with wedding parties. It is exciting to see what everyone is doing to make their day special and impressive to see how far in advance they're getting their suits done, usually it's towards the end of the list. Men are stepping up their game a year in advance and getting their fittings done around the time the bride has picked out her dress. With that said, the holiday season should not become engagement season. It takes away the surprise and puts too much pressure on whomever is proposing to make it extra special and stand out from the rest of the glittering lights in the snow.

The most common reactions are drinking a bottle of wine before logging onto facebook or just deleting facebook all together. In contrast, some brides prefer not to have their engagement occur during the holidays. It sets up failure for next year's holiday gift, what can be better than getting engaged?

Unless the date or time of year is actually special to you and your significant other, there should not be additional pressure to put a ring on it. Propose because it's the right time, not just because it's 'that time of year'. 

If you participated in engagement season, then you should keep in mind that a lot of other people did, too. Meaning, you have to start looking at venues, photographers and wedding planners sooner than later. Let the catch up game, begin! 

source: papermoonweddings

Interested in getting a custom wedding suit? Want your groomsmen to match perfectly? Many of grooms will gift a portion of their groomsmen's custom suits as their "Thank You" to ease the cost. Find out more and book a wedding consultation appointment with us at weddings@9tailors.com.

Mystery Married Style Consultant Revealed!

Tomorrow night is the night for first loves, long loves and those awkward ones where you don't want to call them your love, but you have romantic feelings for that person you've been hanging out with, but are unsure of how they feel. So, you just kind of like them... and hope they like you back. 

source: Emily McDowell

So rare are the days where you get it right on your first try and don't need to learn the rules or games of the dating world. Luckily, there are still modern love stories that are reminiscent of past times with love at first sight and no awkward exes. 

Meet our beloved Style Consultant and Alterations Manager, Karly. 

A sweetheart from the South with a romantic love story to match the tender love that is associated with a Southern Gentleman. 

Her Love Story:

It was her Junior year in High School when Karly began working at the local coffee shop, Convenant Coffee. Her days were filled with making caramel mochas and peanut butter mochas, better than any other place around. A fun after school job with her fellow co-worker, Shane. Shane didn't go to the same high school as Karly and only talked during work while serving strawberry and cream cheese croissants. Karly had a crush on Shane, but didn't know how he felt about her. So, she never made a move. 

Her crush became dormant as she went to college in Nebraska and he remained in North Carolina for his studies. Little did they know, they thought of each other. 

Thank goodness for Thanksgiving and being home for the holidays. All was not lost. Shane asked Karly out over the long weekend and began a long distance relationship by the time Christmas came. After her first year away in Nebraska, she transferred colleges back to North Carolina. Home is where the hear is. Karly knew he was the one once they were together again. 

Shane designed Karly's engagement ring. He carved it out of wax and had it casted before popping the question. 

His Proposal:

"He's a little bit of a joker. I was kind of expecting it but didn't know when. Of course, he wanted it to be a surprise. We went out to dinner as a week late birthday dinner for me. We went to the restaurant where we had our first date in downtown Charlotte. When we got to downtown, there was a really big 7 - 10 story parking deck. There are spots everywhere but he continues to go up to the roof deck and then we have to go all the way down for dinner. There was no one else for the top 7 stories, it was completely desolate. After dinner we walk around and I'm wondering if he was trying to lead me somewhere. But it begins to rain. So, we go back to the car. We get to the car and tries to start it but it won't start. I thought he was joking but it really wasn't starting. He went to the front of the car, under the hood to check the engine. He sends me to the driver seat to try starting it again and still nothing. He has me come around to the front of the car to help him. So, I walk over to look under the hood and then he got down on one knee. 

He set up the whole thing. He pulled something out to prevent it from starting so I could help him with the engine and just put it back in afterwards so we could get out of the rain. He had a cheesy song mix prepared for our ride back. Everything was wedding related, it was really funny. Some of the stuff was really nice but then there were some horribly corny ones" 

Shane and Karly's Wedding Picture

It only took Shane two years to propose with a walk down the aisle eight months later! By this coming May, they will have been married for a solid four years. 

Their Secret:

Karly and Shane have similar personalities and balance each other out in different ways. Also, they are both really creative. They like to make their gifts for one another instead of defaulting to buying something. It keeps them constantly thinking of one another and new ways to keep things exciting. 

And they're living happily ever after...

Voted "Best Of" The Knot's 2012, 2013 & 2014

Interested in designing your husband-to-be's suit for your upcoming wedding? Have the perfect suit in mind for your wedding day but can't find it anywhere? Want all of you groomsmen to feel special with their own custom suits? Thinking of saying "Thank You" to the father's of the bride and groom with a custom suit? Contact a style consultant at weddings@9tailors.com. 

Trend Watch: Double Breasted Suits

Double breasted jackets are thought of to be dated but really, they're a classic. They were introduced in the 20's and have faded out and back in style over the years. The only thing that really changes about them is the fit. The 1920's was all about the American style suits with excess fabric and less form fitting, even the late 80's favored looser clothes. 

source: canadianbusiness.com/Getty images

Now, it's all about having a fitted suit that tapers to your body and really shows your sleek silhouette that men are working so hard to get now. It's not just the women who have something to show off, everyone loves a man in a tapered suit that shows off his physique while looking incredibly classy. A true gentleman. 

source: styleschool.co.uk 

How to Wear a Double Breasted Suit

• Double breasted suits are traditionally paired with a peaked lapel. Notched lapels are acceptable pair with to give a more casual appearance. However, a peaked lapel will visually balance out the suit by drawing the focus towards the shoulders. A peaked lapel helps make the shoulders look slightly broader and can give the wearer the appearance of having an athletic body shape. 
• If there is an inner hidden button, always button it. If just the outer button is buttoned, the suit will not be pulled across the body appropriately. The suit will look saggy and gather underneath, giving the wearer a bulge across their torso. This is the opposite affect a double breasted suit is supposed to have. Because there is more than one button to fasten across the torso, it pulls the fabric tighter around the body, giving it a smoother and slimmer appearance. This is the perfect suit for someone who wants a slimmer European fit. 
• Leave the suit buttoned until you take it off or sit down. The jacket must be unbuttoned when the wearer is sitting and must be re-buttoned when the gentleman gets up. 
• The general rule is to leave the last button unbuttoned but some rules are meant to be broken. Ryan Gosling has buttoned his last button in the top picture, despite his hands covering it, as does Prince Charles on a regular basis. 
• Double breasted Vests - don't wear belts, wear suspenders. Belts will make the vest look bulky at the bottom. Wearing a double breasted vest with a single breasted jacket is acceptable. 

Actual Client: Dana Quigley in his proposal suit (she said yes!), wearing a double breasted vest under a single breasted jacket with velvet trim. 

Interested in a double breasted suit or vest, contact a style consultant at info@9tailors.com