Tips for men on how to dress for a photoshoot.
Author: Judyta Wajszczak – designer, journalist.

The company’s image is often perceived through the looks of its representatives. For men, the question of corporate attire seems to be simple. A suit, a tie, and a shirt. However, with a simple touch, we can make this inherent dress code look modern and, with it, add to our self-esteem and confidence.

SUITS

Men often tend to wear a fitted suit for many seasons, yet its fashion constantly changes. Maybe not in such a spectacular and vivid way as women’s fashion, but still, always slowly but consistently. A man wearing his suit has to feel good in it and accept its colour. For example, dark blue stopped being just a good match for men’s accessories; it became a safe base. We will find it in such classical and traditional collections as in Vistula. But the most important factor remains, whether men feel equally OK in a given colour and fashion. A dark suit or shades of grey are the right choices for everyday office work and a business photoshoot. When choosing a suit’s jacket, it’s good to pay attention to the fashion; the shoulders cannot be too fitted or narrow; let’s choose a jacket with a natural shoulder, with a light fold at the waistline, and with smaller flaps and cut on the lower back.

I RECOMMEND:
– a colour that suits the rest of the attire and one that adds to the wearer’s self-confidence;
– „safe” colors: dark blue, dark grey, or graphite;
– a well-matched jacket: the shoulders should not be underlined too much nor too tight;
– let’s choose a jacket with a natural broadness of the shoulders, with light folds on the waistline.

I ADVISE AGAINST:
– a badly fitted jacket and with shoulders that are too tight;
– vivid patterns that will clash with the colour or pattern on the shirt or tie.

SHIRTS

A shirt is an inseparable element of a man’s attire. Always elegant, in a suitable colour, it is the basis for composing the style for a business photoshoot. Before the actual shooting, consult with the photographer concerning the background he has planned for the session; if it’s going to be white, the shirt should be the opposite: light blue or grey.

I RECOMMEND:
– a pure white shirt, whose elegance has not changed over the years;
– a shirt that has been properly ironed and is of good quality;
– a perfectly fitted shirt: it should have long sleeves (which won’t disappear under the cuffs of the jacket) and not be too tight, which produces an unaesthetic look.

I ADVISE AGAINST:
– visible, vivid patterns on the shirt: the bigger they get, the less formal the shirt becomes;
– the most informal shirts which are the checkered ones or shirts with large patterns;
– intense colours;
– matching patterns from the shirt with the ones on the tie; it is also far better to avoid a situation where the shirt is striped and the tie is dotted.

TIES

The tie, in a natural way, is the most colourful part of men’s corporate fashion; it is the tie that first of all attracts attention.

I RECOMMEND:
– silk ties which do not crumple;
– for all formal occasions, a pale-coloured shirt and a tie that would be darker and stronger in colour: dark blue, claret, graphite;
– a delicately dotted or striped tie;
– ties lighter in colour, matching, e.g. pastel-coloured shirts which will create a style suitable for less formal photo sessions.

I ADVISE AGAINST:
– ties with flashy, ostentatious patterns or signs;
– matching the tie patterns with the jacket; to a striped or dotted tie, we should always wear a toned-down one-coloured jacket.

ACCESSORIES

More and more often, there is a need to link corporate men’s looks to the world of accessories; a modern man can freely use accessories, such as a coat with strongly marked shoulders, a leather briefcase with an arm strap, or even a suitable “business backpack”. A wristwatch of good quality, a men’s bracelet, and of course a pocket square or more vivid tie. Men’s fashion does not necessarily have to be limited to a suit, a shirt, and the eternal tie. For less formal business occasions one can use a combination of a good quality T-shirt; a black or dark blue “T” would perfectly match a traditional jacket and trousers. The same applies to shirts: pale pink, light blue, light grey.

Another idea within what is less formal would be a checkered jacket: this trend is in 2017 and it can apply to the corporate world, too. Let’s not be afraid of the check, it can be toned down but would add a bit of novelty and a less formal character to the overall look. A plain shirt and trousers should be chosen to suitably match the checkered jacket.

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Judyta Wajszczak