What do men actually look at when they buy a shirt online?

Fit, fabric, and whether the guy wearing it looks like somebody they'd want to be

A menswear brand owner, working with me from overseas, wanted the line shot where it belongs, on the water, on a yacht cruising a Southern California harbor

I produced and directed the shoot and shot the video and the stills the same day

The boat, the crew, the schedule, the edit, I own the production, so she had one person to call and one person responsible

She liked it enough to come back later for a second label, a desert shoot with five models. That's the best review there is

A boat is a set that moves

Here is the deal, on a yacht nothing holds still. The sun swings around every time the boat turns, the wind owns the shirt, the deck moves under your feet

So you work with it. Wind in the open plaid shirt, the model at the bow, lounging on the white deck, looking out over the marina and the waterfront homes

Lifestyle first, then the details

The lifestyle shots sell the weekend. The close-ups sell the shirt

Skip the lifestyle and the shirt is just another shirt. Skip the close-ups and the guy can't tell if the collar holds its shape, and he scrolls on to the next brand

The logo on the chest of the white tee, how the plaid falls open, the waistband of the chinos, the cap, all the shots an online shopper wants before he clicks buy

One day, stills and motion

Why rent a yacht twice? you don't

Same day, same model, same light, the video for social media and the website, and the photos for the store and the Amazon listings

The film even ends with title cards showing the stills from that day, so the buyer sees both

Producer behind the lens

When the producer is the one shooting there's no meeting about a collar flipped in the wind, I see it in the viewfinder and fix it before the boat turns again

See more lifestyle work in the Lookbook Lifestyle gallery and the Fashion Photographer gallery

Shirts, salt air and a captain who never stops turning

Length: 1 min 14 s · Producer & director: David Victory, VRSET video production, Los Angeles & Orange County

Key moments

  • 0:00 On deck aboard the yacht
  • 0:09 Harbor portrait
  • 0:15 Plaid shirt look
  • 0:27 White tee close-up
  • 0:33 Chinos at the bow
  • 0:46 Logo cap
  • 0:58 Studio portrait
  • 1:04 Fashion and Amazon photography title cards

See the matching photography in the Lookbook Lifestyle gallery.

More videos

The full video library

Planning a video or a fashion shoot? Contact David Victory or call (310) 988-6575 in Los Angeles, (949) 873-4551 in Orange County. Free consultation and quote for first-time clients.