What to Wear to My Portrait Session
You have a photo session coming up and you swear you have nothing to wear. Unless you’re a total fashionista or personal stylist, this may be the hardest part of planning for your session. At least for me it is!
I’m going to give you a few tips today that should help you come up with a few choices that will help you look your very best. I’m ready. You ready? Let’s dive in.
Complimentary colors are your friend, both for choosing tones that flatter your skin tone and for selecting different pieces to go together. Let’s start with your skin tone. If your skin has a more blue, pink or red undertone to it and you’re likely to burn in the sun - it’s considered to be more cool and will be highlighted best by jewel tones. Now, if your skin is more yellow and golden and tans easily in the sun - those warmer hues are going to look great with earthy tones. If your skin is a mix of the two, it’s your lucky day because you can rock neutral colors, cooler colors AND warmer colors! Alright, so for complimentary colors in coordinating your outfits and different pieces - we’re going to refer back to the ol’ color wheel.
Next, dress for your body type. Babe, I’m all for a fun flowy dress or skirt, but let’s not go all baggy in every outfit to hide our body, alright?. All you really need to know is how to dress for your body type and you’re going to look great! Trust me. Take a look at the guide below to try and determine your body type. A little Pinterest search will give you much more details on your body type once you distinguish what that is and what clothing is most flattering for each.
3. Layer it up! Bring along jackets, sweaters, and other layering pieces for quick and easy outfit changes that will give you a variety of options in your photos and change up the mood. Flowy dress can feel dreamy and romantic, but paired with a jean jacket and hat - you’ve got a more relaxed, boho vibe going on! Plus layering is a win for outdoor sessions with changing temps.
4. Consider the vibe you want to portray. Business, formal, casual, glam, natural, etc… Play to the feel of that! If I’m capturing documentary lifestyle portraits of your family in-home, starting in cute pjs and then changing into a casual everyday look will make so much more sense than heels and sequins. If you want more formal portraits for your business card or website, stick to a more classic business look.
5. Bring options! With my portrait sessions, I encourage you to bring a few wardrobe options that include 2-3 differing styles. A dressy look, a semi-casual outfit and a trendy/fun outfit that you just love to wear. Don’t be afraid of patterns and colors and accessories. Just make sure you’re referring back to the color wheel for complimentary colors when pairing pieces or coordinating outfits with a partner/family/anyone else in your photoshoot.
6. Texture is everything! Plain cotton everything will start to look the same so play around with mixing jean, silk, lace, chiffon, vegan leather, etc… as well as pieces with collars and buttons and other accents. I especially love dresses and skirts with movement that can flow or twirl with you. They photograph beautifully!
There you have it! 6 tips to figuring out how to dress for your upcoming photo session. Plan in advance so you’re not stress-shopping the night before (been there, done that), try your pieces on to ensure you love the fit and feel, and feel free to text me some photos of your choices if you just can’t decide! If all else fails, I’ve got the number of a fantastic stylist who will come to you and help you find the perfect choices!
Cheers!