Men, I have some important questions to ask you.

So here goes.

1. Do the words “summer” and “men’s fashion” make you a little bit uncomfy?
2. Are you wearing the same shorts that you bought a decade ago? Cuz those jorts have got to go!
3. Bearing in mind the last year, do those clothes still fit you? Picture the old classic movie “Tommy Boy” and Chris Farley singing, “Fat guy in a little coat”. Okay, maybe that isn’t a classic movie. And it’s a little harsh. But you get the picture. We are all there after last year.
4. Are you just going to sweat it out and keep wearing your cold-weather clothes because the thought of actually shopping for not just new clothes but new summer clothes makes you break out in hives? Just roll them jeans up and they are basically shorts!
5. Are you afraid of having to face arrogant, judgemental sales associates that make you feel out of the loop just because you don’t live for the latest fashion trends in Europe?

And women, let’s not forget how men’s fashion affects you as well.

1. Are you dressing to go out to dinner with the love of your life only to see that he is wearing his “summer duds” that he just cut the lawn in. Possibly even still smelling like two stroke oil.
2. Are you afraid to go “personal shopping” for your guy only to have to return every item that you purchased.
3. Are you afraid to let your S.I. go out shopping unchaperoned for fear that he comes back with only rock band T-shirts in hand or even worse, dressed in sear sucker from head to toe like a 5 year old from a bygone era.
4. Are you afraid that the only way that your man will change up an outfit is by wearing the collar “normal” or “popping the collar” for that sassy evening look?
5. Does men’s summer fashion only equate to golf attire and neither of you golf?

Well, no worries ladies and gentlemen. I’m here to save the day and make your summer date night Instagram worthy. For real. You’ll even take full body shots with you both in it. That’s right. No more selfie “head only shots!! And not just shots of your lady in her gorgeous, popping outfit.

And even better, with Father’s Day coming up you can gift the perfect styling threads that will actually get worn.

So where is all this leading?

To me! As usual. I was hired to shoot some branding and website content for Knicker’s Menswear because, well,  that’s what I do. You should check out Sprout Connectors to get the full overview of that.

We connected prior to the shoot and discussed the purpose and vision of what and who they were speaking to and then came up with a plan to make this visual come to life. They wanted to pivot their business to allow for more online sales and service their dedicated clients that weren’t always living within in store shopping distance. Something that all businesses should be considering. Especially with the changes to commerce for small businesses in the last year. It’s time to take inventory of your old websites and actually make them work for you. And this begins with good content and visuals that speak to your ideal client. That’s where I come in handy.

Models were hired and it was all action from there.

We started at the crack of dawn. Okay maybe not the crack of dawn but our models needed to be ready to be on set by 7am. There’s actually some solid reasoning behind this. It wasn’t just me being a difficult “artist”.

1. Lighting is everything. Let me repeat that because it’s worth repeating. Lighting is everything. And the best lighting is early ( actually even earlier than 7 am but who am I to tell models to get up early?).

2. We were shooting in Hilton Head in the summer. Enough said. But let me explain it for those who have never experienced summer in the Carolinas. It gets hot. And it gets humid. Those two things combined with wearing clothes and trying to look cool as a cucumber and not sweaty, are the enemy to a photographer. Honestly, no one wants to purchase clothes from models that look on the verge of heat exhaustion. (Free tip – Guys, you will want to buy summer clothes before visiting here the months May- September. You’re welcome.)

And then the real fun began and fun was had by all.

• 

Because, and this may be a life lesson for everything that we do, when you work with good people your craft is elevated.

And here’s all the designers that you need to know about.

We shot the Peter Millar Collection, Sperry, Southern Tide, Tommy Bahama, Johnnie-O, 34 Heritage, Brighton, Castaway, Dapper Classics, Duck Head, Faherty, Forrest Lennard, Gill Marine, and Hari Mari to name a few. Ok, that was more than a few.

And all of this was centered around the focus of each set being “On the Links” (that’s golf talk), “On the Beach”, “On the Town”, “On the Trail”, and my favorite “On the Water”. 

And here’s my takeaway on this. You don’t need to own a yacht to wear these clothes. But there is nothing wrong with looking like you might. Heck. You might even get invited onto one if you step up your summer threads. The same goes for looking like a “hang loose” surfer/beach dude or golf pro. Let’s pull up for summer guys, alrighty?

But I’ve got you Boo for all of the other things too.

I’ve opened up your social calendar and a plethora of possibilities. You’re all set for BBQs, outdoor parties, Sunday chilling, hanging with friends, walking the dog, and letting the neighbors know that, yes, you do know how to dress to be seen in public. Who knows, you might get invited to some of those neighborhood summer parties finally. You’re welcome again!

And now that I have you looking your best you should take a peek at this great blog too! Oh. And this one.