I’m going to talk about something that guys don’t really want to hear but it needs to be talked about anyway.

What are you wearing?

Don’t laugh.

Ok, laugh. I am.

But seriously, when we’re talking about portraits, there are a few do’s and a few don’ts. For example, do bring plenty of outfit choices, even if your portrait session only has two outfits. Don’t come in short-shorts and flipflops, especially if we’re in the studio.

“So what if that’s just what we wear?”

That’s great! I wear shorts, too. AFTCO, Columbia, etc. The problem is that the more skin we show, the less likely we’re going to be able to focus on your face. This is especially true in the studio, where light plays the biggest role in how you’re photographed. That light can hit your legs and then BOOM! Mom and Dad only ever look at them hairy limbs on their walls and in their albums for the rest of time.

The same goes for arms. I prefer long sleeve in the studio. But don’t take that as you have to come in long sleeve. These are your portraits. I just don’t like having a lot of skin in my portraits. This is even more true when it comes to retouching, since there’s just more of it to work with.

“Okay, so what do you suggest?”

Well, there’s a lot that goes in to your decisions for your portraits. For example, do you or your son prefer really nice dress clothes, like a suit and tie? Or does he always where a button-down or a polo? Is he a camo-every-day-of-the-year kind of person? Or maybe he’s more goth, preferring the all-black look?

Remember, I’m not here to photograph who they aren’t. I’m here to photograph who they are.

Sure, I said shorts aren’t the best idea in the studio (this is not true for certain sports that we can photograph). But as far as traditional portraiture goes, definitely avoid. Jeans, button-downs, t-shirts, polos, vests, jackets, SHOES, boots; these are all great.

You’ll also want to avoid noisy patterns and colors. For example, don’t come in wearing hunter orange, safety yellow, or neon pink. Unless you’re a firefighter, whose uniform actually has to have the safety yellow.

All of that said, there are exceptions. For example, if your son is just an eccentric individual that has to have that fun and crazy look, by all means bring in that ducky tie or the hot pink Hawaiian luau shirt. It’s who they are.

For pants, which are required for portraits, I’d say khaki or jeans. It depends on their normal attire. If they wear jeans every day, they need to wear jeans in the studio. Same for khakis.

It bothers me when parents bring their sons and daughters into my studio with outfits they wouldn’t normally wear, they hate it, and it doesn’t make them feel comfortable. Moms, dads…please don’t force your senior to wear something that isn’t them. Clothing is a form of expression, an extension of who they are. When they’re forced to wear something that doesn’t truly represent their vision of themselves, it shows. I can say this, when this happens, 9 times out of 10, they hate the portrait, you hate the portrait, and I hate the portrait. That’s just my bit of brutal honesty.

“So, yeah. I hear ya. But we don’t want to shop at big chains. Where can we go for these suggestions?”

I’m glad you asked.

I recently decided to reach out and partner with a few local small businesses in Escambia and Monroe. For the guys, these stores are fantastic.

Trace Patrick Apparel in Atmore caters exclusively to men’s clothing. No, I’m not talking about the stuffy kind of attire. This is for the modern southern guy looking to look good and feel good.

The owner of Trace Patrick Apparel, Hunter, is real nice and sat down and talked with me for just a minute about his store.

He opened in 2021 – during the you-know-what, which should tell you how great his store is. It started as a pop-up in the Cotton and Co. Boutique and has grown ever since. It grew so great that he just recently moved into his very own building in March at 101 North Main St.

I asked him if it’s mostly moms and women that are shopping for their husbands and sons but it turns out that the guys are doing most of their own shopping. This is in stark contrast to when I was a teenager and my mom did all the clothes shopping for me. Ok, so maybe that went on into my twenties.

Hunter said he tries to make it an all-around men’s store, complete with cologne, shower aids, and grooming supplies. Even the candles are maid to be manly. By the way, the candles he’s selling benefit our national parks.

Hunter likes to give back to the community and local businesses when he can and tries to keep the brands he has in the store as local as possible, keeping them mostly southern brands, like Burlebo and Fieldstone.

People from all over our area come to Trace Patrick Apparel, especially from Mobile, Daphne, and Monroeville.

Speaking of Monroeville…

Our other recommended store, Bonehead Boots, is conveniently located right across the street from my studio.

Bonehead is a sister store of the one in Brewton. Both are run by a great couple.

Bonehead in Monroeville has a ton of selections for the guys, including my own favorite brand, Ariat. Button-downs, graphic t’s, jeans, work pants…and boots. They are Bonehead Boots, after all.

Patrick opened the Monroeville location in October of 2017. It’s a fantastic store full of brands like Fieldstone, Old South, Local Boy, Struttin’ Cotton, Costa, Drake, AFTCO, Carhartt…the list goes on.

I myself bought my boots and Hey Dudes from him not too long ago.

As for grooming, they’ve got you there, too. They carry Squatch Soap, which has a few other products besides the best soap on the market. Costa sunglasses are also available along with plenty of hats. If you’re like me, you have quite a collection of hats. Okay, maybe it’s more than a collection. Fine, I have a problem. But hear me out on this issue…Hats are to men what diamonds, purses, perfume, and makeup are to women. We only have one vice.

 Like them on Facebook and Instagram right here:

Facebook for Trace Patrick Apparel

Instagram for Trace Patrick Apparel

Facebook for Bonehead Boots Monroeville

Instagram for Bonehead Boots Monroeville

So here are our two suggested local stores to hit up.

In fact, we suggest them so much, we’ve got a little offer.

When you shop locally at these two stores (and we’re including Brewton’s Bonehead store in this), show us your receipt and you can do one of two things: take $50 off your session fee or take a $50 order credit for your portrait order.

So let’s shop local, guys, and support these men and these businesses.

We’d love to hear from you about your favorite brands from these two stores. Let us know in the comments below and I’m sure they’d love to hear them, too!

Next up:

What Do the Ladies Need to Wear?

Oh, that's going to be...fun.