Last week, I shared My Best Styling Tips for Senior Girls and this week I am back with my best tips for styling senior guys!
Having been a photographer for a while (and a sister to two brothers), I have a pretty good idea of the difference between how girls and boys get ready for sessions.
Where senior girls are super excited about the photos and have been dreaming of them for so long, senior guys are quite the opposite. I know they don’t give their sessions too much thought, but they still want to show up looking nice!
When I was getting ready for my session, I went shopping for a new cute outfit and spent some time getting ready. Whereas my brother started thinking about his session maybe an hour before. He quickly showered, gelled his hair, threw on something nice and took a few extras shirts with him. It was quick, easy, and he looked great!
I wanted to share my favorite simple tips to help when choosing your looks for senior photos, so that you can show up to your senior session lookin’ amazing and feeling good!
Tops & Bottoms
Long sleeves are the sharpest look on guys and much more flattering than short sleeves, so I recommend steering clear of t-shirts or polos, and instead opting for a long-sleeve button-down. The other benefit to long sleeves is we can roll the sleeves up for a slightly more casual look, which gives you two looks with one shirt.
*Pro tip: When selecting an outfit for photos, the most important part is the fit. For guys, it’s important to have pants that are the correct length and don’t have too many breaks. Just like high heels make women look taller than they are, bunched up fabric stacked on top of a man’s shoes makes him look physically shorter than he really is.
Choosing Colors and Patterns
For colors, I recommend neutrals and soft. When selecting your pieces, I recommend choosing a different “weight” for the pants and shirt. So, for example, navy pants (darker) and a heather gray shirt (lighter). Or gray pants (darker) with a soft powder blue shirt (lighter).
Also, solid colors will help keep the attention where it belongs, whereas pinstripes or plaid patterns tend to distract the eye, so stay away from too strong of prints, avoid logos and opt for solids instead.
It’s All in the Details
Long pants with closed-toed shoes is the most sophisticated and masculine look for a guy. They draw attention away from your legs and feet, and place it where you want it: on your face! So, for your session, it’s best to leave the shorts and sandals at home.
Dress pants, colored pants or nice dark-washed jeans work best. Brown leather dress shoes complement almost every look. As opposed to athletic shoes, dress shoes, help elevate your photos and will give them a more editorial look.
And that’s it! This blog is not nearly as long compared to the girls and all of their styling tips, but it is still packed with my favorite secrets for styling senior guys to make sure you look amazing and still feel like yourself in the photos! The most common thing I hear from guys before portrait sessions is this: because of a bad experience in the past, they don’t like taking photos or don’t feel like they’ll be good at it. By the time the session is over, though, most guys can’t believe how fast it went and just how much fun they had!
