The Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair – Sunday 13th March

The Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair has become one of the highlights of our calendar year and it is with great pleasure that we will be returning to exhibit this coming weekend.

The venue, the Clifton Pavilion, is a perfect setting. With it’s art deco architecture and view out over Bristol Zoo Gardens, it is a wonderful place to spend a morning or afternoon perusing the original and unique wares of the stallholders and perhaps, afterwards, to take a stroll around the historical zoo, you might even get a glimpse of the new baby gorilla!

But it is, for the most part, your love and appreciation of all things vintage which makes it such a joy for us exhibitors. We work ourselves into a frenzy preparing and fine tuning our displays for your delectation, because, unlike so many other wedding fair’s, the participants at the Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair enjoy exhibiting as much as you like attending.

So why do you ask, is Brown in Town exhibiting at a vintage wedding fair? Is it because our grooms seem to favour a vintage look for their wedding suits: Is it because they have always hankered after a suit that reminds them of the suits which their grandfather’s wore, most commonly a three piece suit of grey flannel, and in some instances, tweed? Or is it because they want to do something a little bit different? At Brown and Town,  you can bring all your vintage sartorial needs and have them translated for the modern gentleman.

Initially, there will be the question of ensemble: three piece suits have become increasingly popular and are often considered to have vintage appeal, as, historically, not wearing a waistcoat was to be considered “undressed” (King Charles II introduced the waistcoat as a part of correct dress in 1666) – waistcoats are also a great way for the groom to stand apart from his ushers and to accessorize – maybe to wear a family heirloom fob watch – but two piece double breasted suits were almost equally as popular, and are now enjoying something of a renaissance of their own.

Once it has been decided if the groom will be wearing a two piece suit, or three piece suit, the next question is invariably one of cloth and colour. There are myriad cloths and  cloth colours, but those which strike a resounding chord with vintage lovers are tweeds for their autumnal shades.  Brown in Town offer an extensive range of some of the world’s finest cloths and materials from heritage brands such as Harrisons of Edinburgh, Fox Flannels, Porter & Harding and Harris Tweed, to name a few.

Which colour is correct? It is a cloth colour that flatters the betrothed – one that compliments either the wearer’s skin tone, hair colour, eye colour, or more commonly, one’s beard colour!  Assuming the suit colour has not been chosen based on wedding party dress colour or scheme, the reason that it is of the utmost importance that a groom look good in his wedding suit, is that those wedding photos will last for years to come, and wearing a suit colour which compliments the wearer, not just the event, is tantamount.

This will be Brown in Town’s third year exhibiting and we are honoured to be a part of the Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair. Moreover, we’re looking forward to the opportunity to discuss all sartorial needs with the discerning groom and offer advice, not only regarding suits but also shirts, ties, pocket squares, handkerchiefs and even umbrellas to complement your wedding attire!

And with only a few days to go, both myself and Brown in Town mannequin, Douglas (who usually resides in the window of Zip Pin Alterations in Clifton Arcade) are busy preparing our suits for this years event, wanting to be sure that we wear an outfit befitting such a prestigious fair.

We look forward to seeing you there..