AITA because i dont want to wear a tuxedo for a wedding?

A 15-year-old boy dreads attending his cousin’s fancy wedding because he despises formal clothing, especially tuxedos, shirts, and ties. He has made it clear to his parents that he feels uncomfortable and embarrassed in such outfits, even telling cousins he would never wear one. His parents insist he attend and wear the rented tuxedo, threatening to cancel his summer metal festival ticket if he refuses or misbehaves.

Despite arguments and pleas to stay home, they remain firm. Now he questions whether his strong resistance makes him wrong or if his parents are being unfair by forcing him into something he hates so much. The edit shows he has reluctantly accepted he must go.

‘AITA because i dont want to wear a tuxedo for a wedding?’

The wedding invitation created immediate dread.

I(15m) have to go to a wedding tomorrow and I absolutely dont want to go there. My cousin is getting married and it's going to be a really big fancy...

The discomfort runs deep and has been expressed repeatedly.

My parents know very well that I hate formal clothes and that I don't like shirts, ties and that kind of stuff and i hate even more to be seen...

but they threatened me that if I wouldn't wear one I'm not allowed to go to a metal festival in the summer i want to attend. So last week they...

This thing is so f__king uncomfortable, I had to wear it for half an hour to try it out and even though my mom says it fits, I f__king hate...

Teasing fears and final pleas escalated the conflict.

And the bigger problem is that I told my other cousins ​​that I would never wear that s__t and I dont want to be seen dressed like that, they will...

Today I asked my parents again to let me stay at home, but they got really mad. We were arguing and they say I have to come and I have...

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I begged them but they just told me that they've had enough of my discussions and if I don't shut up and behave tomorrow, then I can forget my metalfestival....

but I have no idea how to get out of this and my parents are really pissed off now. This is so unfair, I'm not a kid anymore and if...

Edit: You can all calm down now. Yeah I'm going to that wedding. No i won't act rude or stupid towards my cousin or her husband, i know its not...

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No i cant take my bow tie off because my parents now force me to wear it for the whole day because i pissed them off. No i dont have...

No, i dont think i'm going to apologize because i thought i have a free will. Thx for the actual nice replies, this blew up way more than i thought...

And thx for the "Haha,have fun in your tuxedo!" DMs, fu! Tomorrow is going to suck but as some of the nice ppl here said "Eyes on the prize!"

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At its heart, the issue is a 15-year-old’s strong aversion to formal attire clashing with the dress code of a black-tie wedding. The boy has voiced his discomfort clearly and fears teasing from cousins, while viewing the tuxedo as embarrassing and restrictive. His parents enforce attendance and proper dress, using the metal festival as leverage, seeing it as teaching respect, compromise, and social obligations. The rented tuxedo and potential costs to the family add practical pressure.

Many view the boy’s resistance as understandable for his age but immature in execution, arguing that family events require occasional sacrifices for loved ones. Opposing views acknowledge that forcing clothing choices can feel controlling and that teenagers deserve some say in their appearance, especially when it causes genuine distress. However, most note that weddings are not about individual comfort but collective celebration, and opting out last-minute impacts others financially and emotionally.

The broader lesson involves growing maturity: learning that adulthood often means doing things you dislike for short periods to honor relationships. The boy’s eventual acceptance and focus on the festival reward show emerging perspective, even if grudgingly, highlighting how consequences can motivate compromise without erasing personal feelings.

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Here’s how people reacted to the post:

The vast majority labeled the teen YTA, emphasizing that family events require compromise and that maturity means showing up appropriately despite discomfort.

coastalkid92 − I'm erring on the side of YTA. I totally get being 15, wanting to wear what you want and not going to an event if you're not comfortable.

But, that being said, you're right, you're not a little kid and part of growing up is learning that not everything revolves around you.

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Sometimes we have to stretch our comfort for people we care about and that some social settings have dress codes that are outside of the norm.

Getting out of going to the wedding tomorrow will cost your parents money for the tux that they've rented and will cost your cousin and their spouse money because you...

Your attendance has a cost and if you weren't going to go, the time for RSVPing no would have been months ago.

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SoImaRedditUserNow − I am totally with you my friend. I hate when other people's weddings aren't 100% about me and my preferences, desires, and wants. Its ridiculous!

Your stupid cousin sucks, your parents suck, and tuxedos suck. YTA For someone who says they aren't a kid anymore, you sure seem to be acting like one.

Congrats on making your household full of stress and angst because you don't want to wear clothes you don't like for a few hours. Welcome to life kiddo. I would...

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SpaceJesusIsHere − This is so unfair, I'm not a kid anymore The rest of your post indicates otherwise. You'd rather not attend a family wedding, with a meal that has...

bc you are afraid of being teased for wearing what everyone else is wearing? I assumed you had to be 12 when I read this and had to look again...

Spoiler alert: being an adult means constantly wearing stuff you don't want to wear and going places you don't want to go without throwing a temper tantrum.

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The "adults can do anything they want," attitude is why your parents still treat you like a kid. They're waiting for you to understand and can tell you haven't figured...

YTA. Put on the tux and go to the darn wedding. If you do it without whining, your parents may start treating you like you're mature.

imbiggay96 − When I was 15 I has to wear this awful (to me) lilac gown to be a bridesmaid at my aunts wedding. I was a massive alt kid...

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so I can empathise with how you feel. That said I still have to say a soft YTA. It's a family members wedding and it's expected you wear formal dress....

but it's not about us in these situations, we essentially need to have some perspective about the fact this is an important day for someone.

It's just one day and it's not worth upsetting someone on their wedding day so we feel true to our fashions.

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You don't have to wear it again and it doesn't make you any less alternative to compromise for one event to show support for your cousin tying the knot.

I wore the stiff lilac dress even though I felt like a toilet roll holder. It was about 8 hours and when it was over I got to change back...

My character and style was not forever changed for dressing against type for one day. I was still the same person as it was never about me.

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Also side note to feeling embarrassed in front of your relatives, they are likely dressed formal too, if anyone takes the p__s tell them to suck it and move on...

From one alt kid to another- suck it up & make damn sure you get yourself to that festival. One day and your pride is not worth screwing yourself over...

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DueIsland2983 − YTA You aren't a kid anymore, and you have to learn to compromise and to dress appropriately for the occasion. A black tie event is black tie, you...

This is no different than wearing swim trunks and a t-shirt to a pool party, rather than a dress shirt and slacks. It's for a few hours, is what's expected,...

You'll have more things like this as you grow. You'll wear a cap and gown to your graduation. . Possibly a tux to your own wedding. Etc. Just wear the...

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A smaller group offered empathetic but firm advice, relating personal experiences while still calling YTA.

lyrical_llama − YTA- imagine if the shoe was on the other foot. Your buddy only wants to wear slacks and a polo wherever he goes. You tell him that he...

He'll look silly and make you uncomfortable. He says "well, if I don't get to wear what I want to wear, I don't want to go. " You've already bought...

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This is essentially what you're doing to your parents by having this tantrum. They've spent money to have you go. Tux rental, probably hotel room. How much can your cousins...

fizzbangwhiz − Sorry, but YTA. Part of being a grownup is learning that you can’t just do whatever you feel like all the time. If you aren’t a kid anymore...

If adults only ever did what they wanted to do, do you think anyone would show up to your recitals and birthday parties?

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No adult is jazzed about attending a kid’s party but they do it anyway because they care about you and they want to show up for you.

You’ll be graduating high school in a couple of years—were you expecting any of the members of family to attend the ceremony or send you a gift?

Did you think they were going to love watching a couple hundred kids they don’t know walk across a stage or are they going to go because you’re a part...

and supporting the important milestones of family members is what adults are expected to do? If you want to be treated like an adult then you need to embrace the...

Those responsibilities include occasionally wearing an uncomfortable outfit (that was very expensive, by the way) to show up for your family. Suck it up and deal with a few hours...

DblAytch − YTA I was the same at 15, and I’m telling you: there’s a good chance you’ll look back on this as an adult and realize what a brat...

Sometimes you’ll have a party or a job to go to and will be required to look a certain way. At 15, we all said “NOt Me! JuST YOU watch!!!”...

Instead of focusing on the aesthetic…focus on your cousins happiness and (what sounds like) a big fancy party to be at. The “all about me” mindset makes you looks and...

A couple of responses kept the tone direct and humorous while reinforcing the need to suck it up.

Solid_Internal_9079 − You’re 15, you are a kid and you are acting like one as well. You’re a bit old to be throwing such a tantrum, however. Life is about...

You were invited to this wedding, your tux is free, show some decency and stop being so dramatic. If I were your parent I would consider not allowing you to...

[Reddit User] − Yta you're not a kid, but you're throwing a temper tantrum? There is no 'way out of this'. It's a family gathering with a specific dress code....

If you're trying to convince your parents that you're maturing into a young adult, a temper tantrum about a tux is not going to help your case.

The teen’s frustration with formal wear and fear of teasing is relatable at 15, yet the consensus holds that family weddings demand compromise, even when uncomfortable. His parents’ enforcement, while strict, aims to teach social responsibility and respect for the occasion. The reluctant acceptance and focus on the upcoming festival suggest he’s starting to weigh long-term rewards against short-term discomfort.

Do you think teenagers should have more say in formal events, or is showing up properly part of family duty? Have you ever been forced into an outfit or event you hated, and did it end up being worth it? Share your experiences below.

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