Tee Apparel — looks worth considering

For: Nigerian wedding, as a guest who does not want to outshine the groom

Deep chocolate rather than the usual navy or white-and-gold, with tonal embroidery only. It reads ceremonial from ten feet and quiet from three — which is exactly what a guest should want.

Shorter frames should cut the sleeve drop higher; a full-length agbada on a compact build swallows the shoulder line.

For: The white wedding or the church service, as close family

Aubergine sits between ceremonial and discreet. Worn among a family in cream and gold, it is the one that holds the photograph together without taking it over.

Long, lean frames should keep the tunic long so the robe does not float.

For: Daytime wedding / naming ceremony / summer owambe

Stone is the daytime alternative to white, and it is far kinder in photographs. Cut short in the body and high in the rise, it adds height to almost anyone.

Indicative UK market range: £380–£720

Compact builds get the most from this: short body, high rise, no break.

For: Any occasion where you want to be correct and comfortable at once

Navy is the default, and defaults are only boring when they are badly cut. Straight through the body with no waist suppression, this is the most comfortable formal thing you can own.

Indicative UK market range: £400–£850

Full-figured builds: straight body, no waist seam, and a straight trouser.

For: Black tie / gala / awards dinner

Midnight blue reads blacker than black under photographers' lights. If you own one Western evening piece, this is the one worth spending on — it will outlive three trend cycles.

Muscular through the chest? A one-button front and a lower gorge stop the jacket looking strained.

For: Black tie in a grand room / winter gala

A shawl collar is softer on the face than a peak and easier on a heavy neck. In matte black barathea under chandeliers, it is as correct as evening dress gets.

Broad builds: take the lapel out toward the shoulder and close one button only.

For: Aso-ebi at a wedding, traditional engagement or naming ceremony

When the family has chosen the cloth, the only thing left to decide is the cut — and that is where most men lose. I had this made as a straight top and a plain-front trouser in the same champagne lace, no shoulder structure, no extra panelling. It sits with the group and still looks like it was made for one person.

Ask for the top hemmed to the group standard, then adjust the length for your own frame rather than the photograph in the family group chat.

For: The evening reception, after the ceremonial change

A short silk-cotton kaftan in terracotta, cut with deep side slits and worn with sandals. It is the most comfortable thing you can wear to an evening reception and still look deliberate.

Indicative UK market range: £400–£900

Broad frames should keep the shoulder clean and the slits deep.