Suit Shopping Adventures with Adam: Where Romance Meets Tailoring

There are few moments in wedding planning as iconic as dress shopping—cue the “Say Yes to the Dress” montages, tearful moms, and glasses of bubbly. But let’s talk about the unsung hero of wedding prep: suit shopping. That’s right. It is simply one of those quintessential wedding tasks that often gets overshadowed by the glitz and glamour of dress shopping. But let’s get real for a second: a wedding without the groom’s suit? That’s like a taco without guac. And since Adam and I are equal-opportunity fashionistas (okay, mostly me, but we’re in this together), we recently embarked on the all-important mission to find the suit for him. So in this post, it’s not just about lace and tulle; sometimes, it’s about fabric swatches, bow ties, and whether my fiancé knows the difference between a shawl lapel and notched (spoiler alert: he doesn’t).

So, cue the cute moments, quirky one-liners, and a surprising amount of suit-related banter.

Step 1: Convincing Adam That Suit Shopping is Actually Fun

Let’s start here: Adam is the love of my life. He’s charming, funny, and has a heart of gold—but let’s just say he’s not exactly an aficionado when it comes to wardrobe choices. His idea of “dressing up” is putting on the one button-down shirt he didn’t spill coffee on. So, when I mentioned the words “suit shopping,” I could see the hesitation on his face (he also put it off for 3 weeks following our initial conversation).

But here’s the thing: I’ve learned the secret to getting Adam excited about anything—bribery, in the form of food. I dangled the promise of brunch after the suit appointment, and suddenly, he was all in. Pro tip: when in doubt, offer bacon.

Step 2: Entering the Suit Wonderland

We walked into the suit department, and it was like a fancy men’s wonderland. There were more shades of grey than a paint store, and don’t even get me started on the lapels and fabrics. Adam immediately gravitated toward the “safe” options—black, grey, something that said “I’m going to an important work meeting” instead of “I’m getting married to the love of my life.”

But Noah, Adam’s brother and a fashionisto himself, wasn’t having it. “Let’s change things up a little, huh?” he said, with a little wink to me. He pulled out a gorgeous slim fit, Calvin Klein dusty blue suit, complete with a subtle pattern. Adam looked skeptical, but I could already tell this was going to be a winner.

Step 3: The Suit Try-On Extravaganza

Adam stepped into the dressing room like a lamb to the slaughter, while I waited outside like a proud fashion coach, ready to cheer him on. A few minutes later, the curtain pulled back, and… wow. There he was, in all his suit-clad glory, looking like the cover model for GQ’s Grooms Who Clean Up Too Well issue.

Adam did a little spin in front of the mirror, pretending to size himself up like a pro. “What do you think?” he asked, with that adorable grin I love so much.

“I think we might need sunglasses at the wedding because you’re shining, babe,” I replied. To be honest, it took every ounce of self-control not to propose to him right then and there.

**Note: the suit coat is a little off in color as they need to order the exact color in Adam’s size—but that will be in next week!**

Step 4: Bow Tie or Traditional Tie: The Great Debate

The next hurdle? The age-old question: bow tie or traditional tie. I was team bow tie all the way because, hello, they’re cute and quirky—just like Adam. But he wasn’t so convinced. “Do I look like a professor who’s going to teach history in this?” he asked.

I gave him a look. “Actually, yeah, kinda like my law and ethics professor I had in grad school—maybe we should rethink this.” I was shocked to be disappointed at my own first personal choice. However, in the end, Adam did find an absolutely gorgeous, traditional, tie (and well okay, my mum found the tie and ordered it from Italy). And I, in turn, promised to stop making dad jokes about it. (But let’s be real, I’m not actually going to stop.)

Step 5: The Final Decision: Dusty Blue All the Way

After trying on a few more suits—some that were, shall we say, interesting (there was a plaid situation that we won’t speak of again)—we came back to the dusty blue number that had stolen both our hearts. It was sleek, timeless, and made Adam look like a dashing 007, minus the Aston Martin.

He looked at me in the mirror and said, “I think this is the one.”

I couldn’t resist. “You mean I’m the one, but sure, the suit’s great too.”

We laughed, and with that, the decision was made. Our sales associate Marina rang us up, we high-fived, and I made sure to snap a mental picture of Adam looking ridiculously handsome. (There may have also been a sneaky selfie or two. For posterity, of course.)

Step 6: Brunch, Because Priorities

As promised, we ended our shopping adventure with brunch. Over seasonal features and espresso martinis, we basked in the glow of another wedding task checked off the list—and, let’s be real, we also basked in the glow of how fantastic Adam looked in that suit.

I’m not saying the suit is what’s going to make our wedding day magical—that’s all about the love and commitment (and maybe the cookie table)—but let’s just say, when I walk down that aisle and see Adam waiting for me in his navy suit and tie, I’m going to swoon. Har’

One Last Look

Suit shopping with Adam was everything I hoped it would be: cute, quirky, a little chaotic, and a lot of fun. Sure, there were moments of confusion (why are there so many types of lapels?) and a near-miss with a plaid blazer, but at the end of the day, we found something that was perfectly him—and perfectly us. Plus, we got brunch, so really, it was a win-win.

Now, onto the next wedding adventure… I think Adam heard me mention “floral arrangements” and has suddenly developed an intense interest in golfing.


Are you getting married or have you ever planned a fall wedding? Let’s chat about it in the comments below and you can also always hit me up on my socials! Which are on Instagram (and connect with me on Threads!), Pinterest, BlogLovin, Twitter (oops I mean “X”, eyeroll), you can also like/follow me on Facebook and connect with me on LinkedIn!

Later babes!

Xx, Bree

P.S. Pssssst! If you love this outfit and want to shop Adam’s closet (at least for this post), you can find these pieces and similar ones here in my LIKEtoKNOW.it shop!

The Fort Lauderdale Chronicles: Spring Break 2017

Much like every blogger, I obviously love my blog. It's my baby, my creative outlet, and I have worked so hard over the past two years to make it the success it is today, so obviously I cannot see myself ever just giving it up. However, that kind of hard work (especially while juggling classes and a job) also entails many caffeine fueled, sleepless nights, writers block, and frustration which leads to a meltdown or two similar to Fiona Gallagher's from Shameless last season: 

Yes. I look just like that, aside from the fact I definitely do not look as pretty while crying, how does Emmy Rossum do it? Anyways, jokes aside, as much as I love my blog, when I get to that state of frustration, it reminds me to step back, relax, that I am only human, and believe it or not, I need a break. And as I am sure many of you know from past posts, I ended up doing just that, and actually had a break for spring break--which is why I was M.I.A. for four days. And man, was it liberating!

You see, normally when I go to Florida to visit John he is still dealing with his classes and I am perpetually busy with my blog, so though we spend time together, we also spend a lot of time working along side each other too. Which means I always end up bringing my laptop, iPad, my million and one post-it notes, and all my stress. Well this time, since my beau was actually on spring break too, he decided I needed an actual vacation and planned a romantic seaside getaway for us in Fort Lauderdale. His only condition was that I had to leave all of my work at home and enjoy myself. At first it was odd because I honestly wasn't quite sure how I would cope not working for a few days, but as soon as I saw the beautiful inn John picked out for us to stay in, I was thrilled and just knew that this was in fact the break I needed. And after having four gorgeous days just relaxing with my man, I have to say I came back home feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and inspired to get back to work here! And even though I've already done a few posts since I returned, this one is a bit different simply because I've decided it would be nice to share some of my more personal details with you guys, so here are some of the highlights from John and I's trip!

Snaps & Such

Though I did bring my Leica with me on this trip and took a few professional grade photographs for this post, there were points in our vacation where I wasn't so much focused on shooting, but just having a good time. However, while strolling along the board walk and stopping at my favorite restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Lulu's Bait Shack, I was armed with my iPhone and here are a few of my favorite candid moments that I snapped!

Pretty palm trees on the board walk.

View from Lulu's Bait Shack.

Not quite sure why there was a dummy of Castro on the street, but it gave John and I a laugh regardless.

Town center in Fort Lauderdale.

First ever trip to IHOP!

The Sea Side Inn

Next up, John got us a room in this nifty little seaside hotel, Lauderdale By The Sea. The hotel itself had more of a mum and pop or B&B feel, but it was lovely on the inside and had a gorgeous court yard which was great for enjoying our morning cups or tea and coffee.

Outside view of our hotel and the court yard.

Though the hotel looks tiny from the outside, it was actually quite spacious and homey on the inside.

I just loved the little work station complete with a live plant.

Comfy and cozy beds with a vintage photograph of Lauderdale By The Sea back in its early days.

One thing that I was very excited about, is that this hotel had a complete kitchen along with this cute little breakfast nook! 

Lastly, the bathroom of the room was cute and spacious as well, and the little sign just gave John and I a chuckle.

Funky Buddha

Next up, John treated me to lunch and drinks at the Fort Lauderdale brewery, Funky Buddha. For those of you who have never been or heard of Funky Buddha, it is a brewery with a huge selection of in house beers and a tapas menu. It's quite the laid back place and is definitely the place to go on a lazy Sunday afternoon to just hang out and enjoy a couple brews.

Just outside of the brewery.

As I stated earlier, I really love the laid back vibe of Funky Buddha, as well as their chill atmosphere.

It's also a bonus that Funky Buddha's beer and tapas selection is excellent!

Casual Date Outfit

For John and I's casual date to Funky Buddha, I decided on a more whimsical and relaxed out fit, because I was on vacation after all! So I paired my Victoria's bikini top with my white criss-cross cami from Fascino, my Oliver Goldsmith sunnies, some high waisted shorts from ModCloth, a basic tan leather bag, and my black flats.

And to add the finishing touches to this outfit, I paired it with gorgeous Delilah Druzy neckace by SLATE. The reason I chose this necklace is because I felt the blue stones added a nice but subtle pop of color to this outfit.

A Perfect Moment

Lastly, on John and I's way home from the hotel, I decided to snag a photograph of this barn because the lighting was absolutely gorgeous. The story behind it though is, in order to get this photo, I actually ended up having John pull off the freeway. So we ended up having a little adventure of our own.

If you can't tell from this article, I had an absolutely wonderful time over my spring break! I just can't thank John enough for putting this all together for us, as well as just being an outstanding human being. If you're reading this Affection Rabbit, I love you and you are just the best!

So, did any of you travel anywhere exciting for spring break? If so, let's chat about your adventures in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic! Have a sweet photo from your travels? Feel free to tag me in your post or Instagram story at @StarkRavingChic. Later, babes!

Xx Bree

P.S. Psssssst! If you love the jewelry I styled in this post as much as I do, you can try Rocksbox for a whole month 100% FREE when you sign up using my promo code "starkravingchicxoxo". Don't know what Rocksbox is or how it works? You can learn more here!

Also, In case you haven't heard, I am now a proud member of rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it! Meaning you can shop straight from my Instagram feed when you click here or here. Don't know what LIKEtoKNOW.it is all about? Learn more, here!