13 Year Old Boy Style

So, my 13-year-old is a football player, and on game days, he has to dress up a bit—socks, a nice shirt, maybe even a tie. And of course, all of his dress clothes are too small. It’s constant. I can barely keep up.

I went out and bought him a few dress shirts and some bigger pants so he’d be covered for school game days. For church, I splurged a little and got him the most beautiful brand name teal dress shirt. Dark hair, dark eyes, light olive skin—it looked amazing on him. I also grabbed a black dress shirt he needs for band concerts, and a red one just for variety.

And what does this shy kid pick? The black. I laughed to myself, because I know he’s starting to notice girls, and honestly, that teal shirt would have been the ultimate “girl catcher.”

This morning, on the way to drop off the littles, I passed him at the bus stop. He was wearing his black slacks and black shirt, surrounded by a bunch of boys from the bus line. I couldn’t help but wonder: do 13-year-old boys dress to impress girls—or to avoid hassle from the boys? That’s going to be an interesting question to explore as he grows.

And just a little mom curiosity: I’m definitely going to point out the teal shirt would get him noticed by the girls, and see what he does. I have a feeling I might get a small grin—or an eye roll. Either way, it’ll be fun. And I also think about hand-me-downs: that teal shirt will probably look amazing on my blue-eyed, blonde 8-year-old when he’s that age—if it’s still intact by then, of course.

Just wait until Henry (13) finds out that the teal is also what he's going to wear for his 14 year old photo shoot later this month. It's heck having a professional photographer as a mom.

Parenting six kids is a lot of constant logistics and little style battles, but moments like these—watching personalities shine in something as simple as a shirt choice—are priceless.

---

You’d give anything for your kids’ happiness, and yet you often forget your own. Let this be your moment. At Kristian Hutchings Portraits, I’ll create a space where you’re celebrated, pampered, and captured in portraits that remind you just how extraordinary you are.

_______________________

Kristian is a mom of six, Program Manager by day, active Professional Photographer by trade, and a big believer in finding beauty in the everyday chaos.

Life in our house is loud, messy and full of literally everything. Love, noise, laundry, laughter, and definitely could use a bit more grace. I'm happily married to my best friend, grounded in my Catholic faith, and fueled by five to six hours of sleep per night and adrenaline.

I try to find joy in the everyday — even when it's wild, because without the little bit of joy, this life would be unbearable. This space is for the moms in the middle of it all: the ones juggling family, faith, work, and wonder. The ones that need someone else's messy life to make their own seem better or somewhat normal. You're not alone, and you're doing better than you think.

Welcome to Six Sweet Smiles — where we celebrate the mess, the miracles, and everything in between.