What to Wear for Guys Senior Pictures | Suit & Tie Ideas for Guys

Suiting Up for the First Time: Finding the Perfect Suit for Your Son

Boy moms, if your son is graduating soon, you’re probably stressing about a million things–let’s be sure one of those is NOT senior pictures! I want this to be fun for both of you, some quality time spent together that will give you great memories and amazing photos of your son! I know you need ideas for what to wear for guys senior pictures, and the struggle is real! As a senior portrait photographer, I used to tell teenagers to just choose comfortable clothing. But somewhere along the way, these teenage boys started to choose suits, blazers, and ties to add to their senior portrait wardrobe, and they looked amazing! Knowing this, I truly wanted to have this look for my son’s senior pictures, but I had no idea where to start! So this subject is near and dear to my heart, as I remember when I took my own son, Trevor, for his first “real” suit.  After a short discussion with him, he and I both wanted something that would last for years and would also reflect his personality both now and into the future.  Trevor is young enough to want a stylish appearance that is not old-fashioned, yet old enough to know that he wants a suit to be classic enough and quality enough to withstand years of wear.  The first step was to choose a great retailer that specializes in men’s suits as he is now a older teenager and of course, needs a manly look. We wanted someone that could give us some ideas and help us to choose the best style for a teenage boy.

So, off we went on the “perfect suit hunt.”  We headed to Jos.A.Bank because they specialize in men’s clothing and I thought it would be a good first step in deciding what we wanted for Trevor’s senior pictures. Unfortunately most locations have closed down but there you’ll still find Jos A. Bank Clothiers at The Prominade in Scottsdale.

First of all, go during the week if you can. It is far less busy which gave us the undivided attention of several experts who were able to tell us what the current trends are for guys clothing. For his fitting, the perfect measurements had to be carefully taken. But that was the easy part. Without them, that would have easily been my first mistake. Their first selection was a slim fit jacket that fit pretty well. A slim fit? Really? I never would have guessed that, but he slipped it on and instantly had a huge grin across his face realizing just how good he looked! It was priceless! He actually liked it! I thought this was going to be such a difficult shopping experience, but with an expert’s help they were able to tell just by looking at Trevor what his best style and color would be. 

Of course there are a lot of different styles available now, although the classic style is still a good choice.  A good associate will know all the styles and what is popular with teen guys. Grey and black are always a great bet, but there is also a wide selection of blues. There are “extreme” colors and styles, but we avoided those, since we had decided in advance to make this a lasting purchase.  Grey is considered a good neutral choice, but black is now and always has been considered a great “power” choice. Either gray, black or a blue seemed to be the most classic choices. For a younger man, black might be too severe yet, depending on personality. Wearing grey or charcoal shows confidence for men of all ages. But for Trevor, this navy jacket from the Traveler Collection was the perfect style and color for Trevor.  His face absolutely beamed satisfaction and both of us were thrilled in the end. The jacket he chose looked like it was made just for him and he looked like such an adult that this mama was close to tears herself!  What started out as a stressful experience, turned into some special time together that we’ll both remember forever. 

Choosing the jacket was just the beginning. Next came selecting a shirt and tie, and the choices will make your head spin! Once again, the professionals at Jos.A.Bank were able to piece together many choices including color combinations that we wouldn’t have considered. They are able to fit each tie directly in the shirt so you can truly see what it will look like without trying it on. We ended up with several shirts and ties so Trevor would have a good variety, however, this gorgeous blue shirt and purple tie were exactly what I wanted for his senior pictures!

So, if you are suit shopping for a young man yourself remember things: quality, classic style, color, and the personality of the young man themselves.  Don’t forget to bring your patience and an open mind, then let the pros do their thing! This should be a lasting purchase so a knowledgeable salesperson will make it much easier.  A good suit will make your son look amazing and feel confident in front of the camera!

Take it from this proud mama. The experience was a great one and will live in my memory forever!  Suit up happily everyone! 

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