Engagement style guide
Engagement and style guide for men with dark skin or complexion.
It's not everyday that we have our photographs taken, yet alone with our partner who we love and adore and take pride in making them proud. So when it comes to having your photo taken, what do you wear? How do you wear it? What do you need? What colours work with my complexion? Here is a style guide for men with darker skin, to help you look good, feel great and be confident.
Is what I wear important?
In summary, yes. A more intentionally styled and confident you means a happier you. Plus, it's no secret, that when you are happy it will translate in the photos. So this is a team effort and I am here to help make you proud.
Dressing well, for many of us, can feel intimidating. For some (such as introverts) it can mean standing out and being seen, which some have spent their life avoiding. But think about your wardrobe for a moment and ask yourself this simple question: What are you wearing when you feel the most confident?
Starting with this simple question can help you better understand how empowered we feel when wearing. There are a number of incredible resources and sites to help you with your styling. A few of my favourite resources are Thread.com, Fashion Beans, and Stitch Fix. Both Thread.com and StitchFix have an incredible library of outfit styles that will link directly to the relevent store where you can buy that item of clothing and have it delivered directly and conveniently to you.
Styling what you wear, to compliment your complexion for your engagement session, can be a lot of fun and create amazing results. Oh... and your partner will be excited to show you off.
“Looking good isn’t self-importance, it’s self-respect."
Priyush
London, UK
When Priyush contacted me about his surprise proposal, we spoke about style and I suggested a neutral color palette, which he took on board. This grey really helped both him and the autumn colours stand out.
Grey
Shayne
London, UK
We planned this for a couple of months and discussed styles. I suggested to Shayne, who was over here from New Zealand, a neutral colour palette. Shayne ran with that and nailed it!
beige
Shai
London, UK
Shai's partner is a professional model and I knew that Shai wanted to make her proud. But Shai already knew what colours work for his complexion and needed no help from me. His color choice for his three outfits were bold, fun and classy.
Steel blue
“Be sensitive to your sensitive inner capacities to respond to color."
- Nathan Cabot Hale
Winston
Harry
David
London, UK
Cheltenham, UK
London, UK
David treated himself to a new coat ahead of his surprise proposal, with a light brown and neutral colour palette, wanting to soften his colour scheme. Again, neutral colours create a wonderful contrast for a darker skin complexion.
Harry is a professional dancer from Argentina, so he chose a formal shirt and tie in a grey tweed with a splash of colour in his tie, to soften his color pallette for photos.
Winston chose a natural color palette for his surprise proposal, which helps with contrast and makes him 'pop.' You can see here that softer pastel colors photograph so well and present a tailored and styled look.
Colors to avoid
1. Black
It's suggested that men with darker tones avoid black, as it creates a dull appearance and quite frankly works against trying to make you shine out. So be brave! Instead, try a brilliant white, as it;s a great contrast to a darker complexion.
2. Dark Brown
This color is so close to our natural skin tone, that it can also create a dull look and style because it merges and blends with our complexion. Instead, try a neutral colour palette such as Khaki, camel, pastel, sand, cream or beige. Don't confuse some of these colours for brown!
3. Navy Blue
Navy blue is a popular trend for lighter complexion and can look great for lighter skin tones, especially when matched with lighter colours, but very difficult to flatter a darker skin tone. So, instead of navy blue, why not try another bold color such as plum, a dark emerald green (not light),
