Men’s Style Tips from an Image Consultant

If you’re considering investing in professional dating profile photography, it’s not a bad idea to take a good hard look at your wardrobe.

Do you feel good in your clothes? Does what you’ve been wearing lately fit you well and reflect who you are right now and where you’re currently at in your life?

Good dating profile photos tell a story of who you are as a person and what it might be like to date you. What’s your attitude and vibe? What’s your lifestyle like?

Choosing what to wear for your online dating photos is an integral part of telling that story.

There’s no one right answer when it comes to personal style, but there are some good rules of thumb and guiding principals.

I sat down with Pamela from Michael Bruce Image Consulting to get some tips for men on sorting out their personal style for dating profile pics. Pamela and her team help people find their authentic, confident, stylish self in an organized, efficient and fun way.

Read our conversation below…

For folks who assume stylists and image consultants are only for celebs, can you describe a little bit about your process and how you help regular people?

Generally, people hear the words stylist and they do think in terms of helping celebrities get ready for red carpet events, and it’s not something that “regular people” do or need.

As image consultations we have helped thousands of people figure out their style and elevate their appearance for all manner of reasons. It could be anything from life transitions, looking for a job or promotion, or having been promoted and needing to dress for the role, or simply feeling stuck with their style choices.

Everyone deserves to feel fantastic and personal style really does help, personal stylist and image consultants can make that goal easy and efficient.

We take a slightly holistic approach to helping individuals with their style, we want to get to know our clients before we help them elevate their style. We strive to help everyday people find their authentic style, style that works with who they are (personality), how they live and what their goals are.

Our first step is always to meet for a style consultation to address style challenges and goals. We come up with a vision and a plan to get the results they want, within a budget that they are comfortable with.

What are two most common mistakes you see men make with their personal style?

Getting stuck in a style rut and clinging to what is familiar is a common style misstep. This usually comes about because people aren’t really sure what works for them, or they simply don’t like to shop so avoid trying something new and stick with what they already know.

Likewise, wearing clothing that is too big is another area where many men’s wardrobes fall short. Quite often people assume they are one size and automatically purchase all their clothes in that size, without actually considering how that particular item fits their body.

I see a lot of ill-fitting clothes on men. What is the most common item of clothing you see men wearing that doesn’t fit them well?

Jeans are very commonly ill-fitting on men. For the most part they tend to be too long, or baggy in the backside area, and quite often are ill-fitting in both areas. Also, length can be an issue; having too much fabric at the bottom of the jean leg leads to the jeans looking big in the knee.

Denim these days has so much stretch in it that buying a jean that feel loose or comfortable when first tried on can lead to a false fit. Once a pair of jeans has been worn for a fairly short period of time the fibers and elastin in the jeans start to give and they can become overly loose. If you are purchasing jeans with any amount of stretch in them, you want to make sure they feel a little snug at the offset.

>>Check out this guide on Finding the Perfect Pair of Jeans

Any good rules of thumb to know whether it’s time for an item of clothing to go in the donation pile?

It’s time to let a particular item of clothing go if:

You haven’t worn it in over a year
You can’t think of at least three unique ways to wear it.
Its style is outdated.
It looks worn out (holes, stains, stretched out etc.)

What are the key foundational items every man should have in his wardrobe?

A really great well-fitted pair of dark-wash jeans works well for everyone. They can perform double duty for both casual and more elevated occasions.
A well-fitted jacket is key. It doesn’t have to be a suit jacket or blazer.
A nicely tailored shirt.

What advice would you give to someone who just booked a dating profile photoshoot and is now standing in their closet trying to decide what to wear?

Plan ahead, don’t wait until the last minute.
Don’t step too far outside of your comfort zone. Part of great style is about being comfortable and confident in your clothing; if your outfit does not feel like you, that will come across in the photos.
Consider bright, eye-catching colors.
Avoid all-black outfits–it can look intimidating and not necessarily approachable.

And remember you can always call an expert to help you put together great outfits 🙂

Need some help with your style game so you look hella fine in your new dating photos (and on all those dates you’re about to go on)? Pamela could be your gal!

Check out Michael Bruce Image Consulting and ask about the “Dating Photo Closet Audit”.

And, if you’re a bit of a procrastinator and do better with a deadline, why not Book Your Dating Photo Session for a few weeks out so you’ve got a tangible and immediate reason to update your wardrobe.

Andrea | Seattle Dating Profile Photographer

I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is not about photography skills, it’s about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.