Figuring out what to wear for senior pictures can be tricky, especially if you’re a guy. I mean, most guys aren’t quite as obsessed with clothes the way that most girls are. Or having their picture taken. What looks good? What do you want? What if you don’t know what looks good or what you want? These are some of my tips for guys deciding what to wear for senior photos, as well as some other general photo-taking advice.
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Senior Photo Tips – For the Guys
1. Choose 3-5 outfits. This is what I recommend for the 1-1.5 hours I spend in a senior photo shoot. This provides you with some options. You might be able to wear some items twice, like jeans with your football jersey and a polo shirt, or a button-down by itself and with a sweater over top.
2. Variety of styles. Select outfits that cover the spectrum of formality: something formal, something casual, and something in between. Don’t forget your jersey/band uniform/karate gi/etc.
Why something formal?
–You’ll look grown up and responsible.
–Impress people. If you’re applying to college, or seeking academic or athletic scholarships, attach a photo of yourself to your application. You want your photo to say, “Yes, I am a gentleman. I made an effort to look nice. I have my act together. I am a good choice for your college/scholarship/team.” Instant bonus points.
–Formality is less likely to go out of style. Your photos will still look cool ten, twenty years from now. Maybe even more.
How formal is “formal”?
That’s really up to you. Some guys like how they look in a tux, some prefer a button-up shirt and tie. What do you like to wear when you want to look sharp?
3. Variety of colors. Dark colors and long sleeves are the most universally flattering choices, but I’d also suggest picking something colorful (it doesn’t have to glow in the dark, just something not black, gray, white, tan, or navy), especially if it’s close to your eye color. I like to convert a handful of photos into black and white, but the effect is lost if all your clothing is shades of black, gray, or white. It’s not a requirement, just something to consider.
4. Keep it simple. Senior portraits are supposed to be about you, not your clothes. Although we talk about clothes a lot, the goal is for the attention to be on you, not what you’re wearing. So stick to solids or very, very subdued patterns. Avoid logos, words, and busy patterns. A stripe or two across the chest isn’t the worst thing in the world, but plaid is very distracting. One way to get away with a patterned shirt is to wear something that almost completely covers it, like in the photo above, under Other options.
5. Plan your shoes, too. Your shoes are part of your outfit, so don’t forget to pair them up with your clothes. Sure, they won’t be in all your photos, but they certainly will be in some. Athletic type shoes can look a little sloppy–unless you’re wearing them as part of a sports uniform, of course. For casual outfits, plain colored sneakers are a good alternative, as well as boots, loafers, and even moccasins, if they don’t look too much like slippers.
6. Iron your clothes. Bring them on hangers, either hanging or nicely laid out in the back of your vehicle. To be honest, it’s hard to look good in photographs if you have wrinkly clothes. Make that extra effort and you’ll thank yourself later.
7. Don’t change your hair too drastically. Have your hair cut or trimmed a week or two before your senior pictures. If your hair stylist makes a mistake, that gives it time to grow a little. If you want to try a totally new look, wait until after pictures.
8. Shave or trim. This one is kind of obvious. I can hide a cut in post-processing, but erasing a whole face of stubble is difficult, if not impossible sometimes. If you have facial hair, make sure it’s trimmed nicely.
9. Everybody knows glasses tend to glare. If you want to wear your glasses in your photos, check with your eye doctor if you can borrow a pair of frames without lenses that are alike or similar to the ones you usually wear.
10. Smile once in a while. I won’t make you smile for every shot; it’s fine with me if you want to look tough or serious. However, a smile flatters anyone, and your family will enjoy seeing a few smiles here and there in your pictures.
11. Bring some props (optional). Sports equipment, medals and trophies, hats, instruments, a fistful of paintbrushes, pets, your FFA animals, your car, your grandpa’s super awesome car, whatever. If it makes you who you are, consider if you’d like some photos with it. You can bring your sibling(s), best friend(s), or significant other for a couple shots if you’d like.
12. Think about where you want to go. Some photographers will make the location choices for you, especially if they have a studio. Although there are advantages to that approach, I like to consider what you want. There are plenty of options: urban area, downtown; at the base of a ski hill; in a park full of trees and green things; beside an old barn with peeling paint; on a bridge; in an auto salvage yard (personally I think that’d be fun); or whatever else comes to mind. If you don’t have any strong preferences, I can make some suggestions. No pressure.
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Was this helpful? Am I forgetting anything? If you already had your senior photos taken, what worked for you? What didn’t? If you’d like me to look over your outfit choices and give specific suggestions, I’d be happy to help!
Looking for the senior girls What to Wear? Here it is.
