Yesterday I wrote a post about what Women should wear. In short I recommended renting long dresses, but you should really head on over there to read the post. It was a little harder to find rental options for guys, but there are some great options out there. I’ve gotten ahead of myself, so let’s start with the basics.

What to wear:

Men looks best in fitted pants and closed toe shoes. That is the most masculine look out there, and I don’t think it’s going out of style. Fitted pants make men look slimmer and draw your eye away from legs and onto the guys handsome face. You’ll want to leave baggy pants and flip flops at home. If you follow what I said for the ladies then you’ll probably want to leave the jeans at home too. Solid shades of gray, navy, brown, and black photograph really well. If you’re being photographed with someone else then coordinate with them on which color of solid to wear. For instance, if they’re wearing more black, then choose grey or black to coordinate. Plaid patters and most pinstripes attract too much attention, stick with solids.

Even if it’s really hot it’s okay to suffer for an hour or two! It will also help scheduling your photo session at the golden hours, which will be less hot. (Pss! I’m planning a blog post about that soon too!). Bring layers into the mix. You can bring vests, different ties, coats, v-neck sweaters to go with the look. You can add these on (or take off) to create the illusion of a different outfit. If two outfits are too stressful, stick to just one.

Accessories:

Accessories aren’t just for the ladies. Colored socks, suspenders, vests, watches, pocket square can be great compliments to the outfit. These can be borrowed from friends or rented. Leather dress shoes photograph the best.

Prepping:

In general women are more excited for photographs more than the guys. If you’re a lady reading this, explain to your guys why you’re getting the photographs and why they matter to you. I have a lot of tips for guys to feel more comfortable in front of the camera. I always tell the guys that I know how to make them look cool.

The How:

Some guys don’t have clothes like I just mentioned. It’s okay! A photo session is a time that you can totally ask to borrow or rent! When we lived overseas a Chinese photographer wanted to photograph our family in these awesomely cheesy matching white shirts with bowties and jeans. My husband, at that time, didn’t own a pair of jeans. He (luckily!) found a friend who was his same size to borrow a pair of jeans (not an easy task when you’re 6’4″ in China). The friend totally didn’t care. Most people won’t care. If this isn’t an option then consider renting from The Black Tux. They have more than just tuxes. Maybe you have the nicely fitted pants and you’re looking for an accessory item like this…

I think this beige vest would look great paired with the dress I posted in the What Women Should Wear post.

Both vests are $15 to rent each! That’s such a great deal!

Here’s the funny family photo of the “borrow jeans incident”. Don’t notice my husband’s shirt too small and riding up!

Men: What to wear; How to Style Your Photo Session