The first look is a classic casual outfit – jeans with a plaid button up, with either a cool jacket or sweater layered over top.  I think an outfit like this would suit almost anyone and almost any location too, it’s very versatile. The second outfit is the GQ look. J  I’m still waiting for a senior to come with a GQ wardrobe (hint, hint, guys!), but for the right guy it would really make the images stand out.  I can easily see a look like this paired in a modern or more industrial urban environment. The last look is for all of the hipsters out there.  I fell in love with the varsity-style cardigan, but really liked the look of the whole outfit.  Add a fedora for an extra touch!  I think this outfit would look great in an older vintage downtown area or a great coffee shop or cozy book store.  SHOPPING TIP: If you find an article of clothing that you love online, make sure to check out the different images available – retailers often show a full ensemble using the piece (like the cardigan) and it may give you ideas on putting together the rest of your outfit. 

Shopping List

CLASSIC CASUAL

Red Plaid Shirt – Old Navy $24.50 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=78228&vid=1&pid=897953&scid=897953062
Tan Jacket – Old Navy $65 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=5286&vid=1&pid=897399&scid=897399012
Tan Sweater – Gap $59.99 http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=5180&vid=1&pid=869698&scid=869698022&ssiteID=ON
Jeans – Old Navy $29.50 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=5209&vid=1&pid=574143&scid=574143022
Shoes – Piperlime $64.99 http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=21406&vid=1&pid=872954&scid=872954012

“GQ”
Suit – Express (although any tailored suit will do) http://www.express.com/suits-1420/control/page/2/show/3/index.ens
Striped Tie – Express $39.90 http://www.express.com/silk-tie-stripe-37742-825/control/page/20/show/3/index.pro
Solid Tie – Express $39 http://www.express.com/silk-tie-solid-36503-825/control/page/22/show/3/index.pro#jsLink

HIPSTER
Cardigan – Urban Outfitters $39 http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=22563860&color=061&itemdescription=true&navAction=jump&search=true&isProduct=true&parentid=M_APP_SWEATERS
Chambray Shirt – Old Navy $24.50 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=6921&vid=1&pid=897375&scid=897375022
Khakis – Old Navy $27.00 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=67525&vid=1&pid=776056&scid=776056002
Sperrys – Piperlime $85 http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=23881&vid=1&pid=833803&scid=833803002
Fedora – Old Navy $14.94 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=5314&vid=1&pid=896360&scid=896360012

For the classic casual look, I’ve paired a great pair of boots with a beautiful sweater and belt combo.  Add in the scarf and knit hat or wear it on its own.  If it’s too cold to stick with short sleeves, you could easily throw on a long-sleeve shirt underneath for a nice layered look.  One thing I always recommend to my cool-weather seniors is to use a great jacket to expand your wardrobe.  Throwing on a jacket can give the appearance of a completely different outfit, especially when paired with some other cold weather accessories like a colorful scarf and hat.  For the dressier look, I went with a pretty seasonal sweater dress glammed up with some fun accessories like the feather headband and necklace.  Add the jacket on top for a few shots to change it up once again!

There are great deals to be found, especially this time of year!  You can get a steal at stores like Forever 21 and Wet Seal, especially on shoes and accessories, while you can grab your staples at a great price at stores like Target and Old Navy.  Happy shopping!SHOPPING LIST

Casual Look
Jeans – Wet Seal $18.55
Sweater – Target $22.99
Boots – Target $29.99

Outerwear & Accessories
Jacket – Old Navy $25.99
Scarf – Forever21 $9.80
Hat – Forever21 $5.50

Dressy Look
Dress – Target $20.99
Tights – Target $5.60
Boots – Wet Seal $23.99
Headband – Forever21 $5.80
Necklace – Forever21 $4.80

Here in New York, we’re smack in the middle of our high school senior portrait season (my favorite!). While we’ve featured wardrobe advice for the ladies before, it’s been some time since we’ve focused solely on senior guys. Why leave them out?

Whenever I meet with clients to discuss their senior shoot, we spend some time talking about what they plan to wear. What I often find with guys is that their wardrobe is still stuck in a more youthful stage: oversized t-shirts, well-worn and faded jeans, sports or college hoodies, etc. I want them to see themselves as young adults, just a year away from heading to college. The coming year will likely bring formal events, college or work interviews, campus tours, etc.

You know what they say about first impressions…

No one needs to go out and buy an entirely new wardrobe. Not for a second. I never want anyone to buy something for a shoot that they won’t wear again. This is about looking good and making sure that your outfits say something about who you are. Think about what you’re wearing right now – do you love it? Are you happy when you put it on? Do you feel good when wearing it?

Let’s be honest. Your senior photo shoot will probably be the last time you’re really photographed until you get married someday. That’s just how it usually is. Be sure to wear something that you’ll look at 1, 5, 10, 20 years down the road and feel good about.

• You can’t go wrong with one relatively formal look. Pick out a pair of dress or dark pants that you’ll get a lot of use out of – something that would look good with either a dress shirt, polo or graphic t-shirt. Try to find a shirt color that is complimentary to your eyes and skin tone. You can start with it buttoned up and with the sleeves down, then roll the cuffs and loosen a button for a more casual look. An undershirt usually isn’t necessary, but if you’ll feel more comfortable wearing one, just be sure the color is appropriate (black with dark shirts – white with white or lighter shirts). A v-neck is a nice option since you probably won’t even see it.
• I’ll say it all day long – a dark pair of jeans is a MUST. You can wear ANYTHING with them.
• If you want a more preppy look, polos with khaki pants or shorts totally works. Boat shoes or sandals can work, too.
• Layers help you get more longevity out of your session outfits. In the second look, you can take some pics with the red plaid top, then throw on the sweater for a totally different look.
• Are you more sporty and athletic? Go ahead and bring your favorite team hoodie or shirt. Often times you can find unique or more vintage inspired team apparel. If it isn’t something you see every day (standard jersey with a giant mascot or number on the back), it will have a more subtle and timeless look.
• No matter what you wear, please be sure it fits you well. A lot of guys tend to buy larger sizes – maybe thinking it makes them look bigger? – but the opposite happens — you always look smaller and younger. If you can belt a pant or short and have extra fabric folding up, you definitely need to go down a size. If you need to, look for “athletic” or “slim/fitted” shirts.
• As always, accessorize. Chunky watches, hats, cufflinks, sunglasses, etc – they all work and can add something to your look.
• Don’t be afraid of some color. An all black/brown/grey wardrobe can get pretty boring.

Shopping Guide:

Everything was purchased from two stores – Express and Abercrombie & Fitch. While you can find examples of these types of pieces in so many places, I wanted to show that a trip to the mall doesn’t have to mean being dragged to every store in the place. You can get plenty of looks by just picking one or two places!

Look #1:

A&F Bushnell Falls Polo – $42 (comes in 10 colors)

A&F Classic Preppy Belt – $28

A&F Woodsfall Trail Shorts – $22

A&F Rugged Vintage Treads – $48

Look #2:

A&F Seymour Mountain Plaid Shirt – $88

A&F Adams Mountain Sweater – $68

A&F Slim Straight Chino – $39

Express Double Zip Boots- $158.00

Look #3:

Express 1MX Modern Fit Stretch Cotton Shirt – $59.00 (buy 1, get 1 50% off – comes in 23 colors)

Express Stretch Cotton Producer Pant – $69.00 (buy 1, get 1 for $39.90 – comes in 7 colors and machine washable)

Express 2-in-1 Reversible Leather Belt - $39.00

Express Dress Loafers – $108.00

Look #4:

Express Colorblock Hoodie – $59.90

Express Slim Fit Boot Cut Stretch Rocco Jean – $79.00 (buy 1, get 1 for $29.00)

Express Casual Suede Sneaker - $88.00

If you can’t see the embedded video above, click here for a direct link.  And now here I am preparing for the Class of 2012 … and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for me!  Can they top the Class of 2011?  Let’s just say that the challenge has been put forth …

Vintage Vibe
I’m not going to lie, I’m a girl with a heart for all things vintage, so this particular trend excites my creative soul in particular!  I love the throwback vintage trend right now that I see so many of my seniors embracing, especially when it comes to dresses.  They usually have such a soft feminine look that makes them stand out and look fabulous in almost any type of location.  Typically, they aren’t as short as some of the more modern fashions, which will make life much easier on your photographer (more on this later).  I love this beautiful lace dress that one of my seniors wore – paired with a belt and cowboy boots it made for a great look!  Find a similar dress at Old Navy for $24.99, or check our stores like Anthropologie and Francesca’s for some great vintage looks. Bring on the Belts
You may notice lots and lots of belts even in the non-belt images in this post!  Using belts is a great way to help break up and balance a pattern or bold color, hold a layer in place, and just add some more depth and texture to your overall wardrobe.  It’s an accessory that you really can’t go wrong with – brown, black, multicolored, thin, wide – they all can add that extra punch to your images.  The brown belt picture above can be picked up at Old Navy for $17.94, and you can find the black belt at Forever 21 for $7.80.

 Pocket Dresses
I get giddy with excitement whenever I see a senior pull out a dress with pockets.  Not only are they just really cute (I definitely wish they were around when I was in high school), but it offers your photographer some fun options in regards to posing.  We are always trying to come up with flattering and different things to do with your hands (there can’t be many photographers out there who haven’t heard, “what do I do with my hands?”), and I love pocket dresses for opening up a whole new world in that regard.  If you wear a dress with pockets, make sure your photographer knows!  Sometimes it’s amazing how well they can hide, especially in those fuller A-line skirts.  You can find the orange dress at Overstock.com for $86.00, the printed dress at Dillard’s for $17.40, and the grey dress at Dillard’s for $49.00.

Headbands & Hats
As photographers, I guarantee that we all dream about clients bringing adorable headbands and hats to wear for at least a few shots during a session.  We love it for the same reason the clients should – it really makes the images stand out.  Accessories like that, when used well with the right outfit and location, can really make your images unique.  Trust me, photographers want our images to be unique just as much as you do!  The variety is endless as well.  Headbands run the gamut from really skinny bands (shown here from Forever 21 for $3.80) to more intricate headbands decorated with beautiful vintage flowers and a birdcage veil (shown here from TFJ Designs for $25.00).  There are so many cute hats in style right now too – from stylish fedoras (shown here from Gap for $29.50) to cowboy hats to straw floppy hats or hip newsboy hats.  There really is something out there for everyone.  I always stress to my clients that bringing something like this does NOT mean you will be stuck wearing it the whole session.  We normally throw it on for a few shots and then take it off, so you shouldn’t shy away for that reason. 

Statement Shoes
I’m always so amazed to see the killer shoes that my seniors show up to a session with.  Picking a great pair of shoes to top off an outfit can really make all the difference in giving you the COMPLETE look.  This winter and fall I saw some seriously drool-worthy boots, but since spring is here I am focusing on more warm-weather looks.  Now being from Texas, I do believe that cowboy boots are good in any season, and colorful glammed up cowboy boots can really give your images that “pop” and sense of personality that you want.  You can find these awesome urban boots at Forever 21 for $32.80.  Using colorful shoes to accent your outfit is a great way to maximize impact and tie everything together – don’t feel like you have to stick to standard brown or black.  You can find these fun turquoise sandals at Nordstrom for $78.95.  Embellished sandals are so in right now and can almost make your shoes feel like a cool piece of jewelry!  Being a natural light photographer, I love how the light plays off of anything shiny, and shoes are no exception.  Find these great embellished sandals at JC Penney for $29.99.

In closing, there’s really only one current trend I’ve seen that I think you will really want to be wary of, and that is the mini-dress or skirt.  I can’t say that I’ve run into it in one of my sessions, but it is a prevalent fashion trend so it’s worth addressing.  I encourage my clients to wear dresses, but they do somewhat limit what you can do in regards to posing.  The super-short lengths available out there right now are VERY limiting, and they aren’t always the most flattering option.  Keep in mind that the way something will photograph is different from the way something will look as you go about your daily routine.  A photograph captures a brief second in time, and with really restrictive clothing with a lot of skin exposure, those tiny seconds here and there may not always be the most flattering.  So, if you are dead set on wearing something ultra-short to your session, make sure you walk around in it ahead of time, stand in different positions, check yourself out in a mirror and make sure that you are 100% happy with what you see.  If you are, then it’s definitely something your photographer can work with!