SO YOU'VE
BOOKED YOUR photography SHOOT AND NOW NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO WEAR?
I've been doing THIS for years, here's all you need to know
TIPS ON CHOOSING WHAT TO WEAR FOR YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SHOOT
Determine who is the most difficult to dress in your family and figure out what they are wearing first!
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Then dress everyone else around them. Makes it a lot easier than trying to shop for specific colors first.
TIPS FOR WOMEN
Be aware of your body type. Know what your flaws are, what your assets are, and dress accordingly. Fabrics that are soft and have some movement in them always look great. Form-fitting clothes make you look thinner. Avoid anything baggy since it will make you look bigger in photos. If you’re curvy, wear something properly tailored that really shows off the curves of your body. If you’re petite, dressing in layers will help avoid a boney look. If you’re athletic, avoid the urge to play up your killer arms or rock-hard thighs. Unfortunately, without sophisticated studio lighting, it can be hard to capture muscular definition in natural light photos, and so heavily muscled arms and legs can end up looking more like fat.
Clothing should complement your look, not complicate it.
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Out are the days of everyone wearing khaki pants or blue jeans with white shirts. Choose a color palette with 2-3 colors and dress everyone around that. The goal is to have everyone comfortable and complement each other, and not be too “matchy-matchy.”
Classic colors are best.
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When determining your color palette, neutrals (whites, creams, beiges, grays, browns, etc.), earth tones, and season colors always look best. Trendy colors will date your photos faster and bright, fluorescent colors tend to reflect onto faces, necks and hair. You want something that you could have worn 10 years ago, and still wear 10 years from now.
TIPS FOR MEN
Match the tone of your partner’s outfit. If they are dressy, you should be too. Be aware of your location, and dress appropriately. If you’re going somewhere natural like a park, wear something romantic and light. If you’re going somewhere casual and relaxed, pick an outfit you would feel comfortable lounging around in with your friends. The more formal the portrait, the darker your colors should be. Avoid any shirts with loud patterns. Men tend to photograph better in solid-colored shirts.
Avoid any big logos, graphics or loud patterns on shirts.
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TIPs for pregnant women
Be you. If you are not a flowy dress girl, it’s ok! Don’t stress over it. Pick out an outfit that shows off your gorgeous baby bump that you look cute in. If you like full glam, go for it. Book appointments to get you hair and makeup done. The bottom line is I want you to wear whatever makes you feel pretty. And once you have your clothing sorted, then coordinate the rest of the family around you.
If your feet will show, bring two pairs of shoes. One comfy pair to walk around in and another nicer pair to slip on for the few photos where they will show. Avoid any dresses with an extended or extra-long train. The added fabric can be heavy and makes walking around much more difficult. If you have any visible tan lines, please skip wearing a sleeveless dress.
Shoes matter.
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Most women know how the right shoes can make or break an outfit. So please don’t skip that rule when it comes to your portraits. Stay away from character shoes, cheap flip flops and Crocs. Choose boots, leather sandals, Converse, Toms, Sperrys, Joyfolie, Mary Janes and other similar classic style shoes. Barefoot is also an adorable option, especially with small children and babies. I would much rather see dirty bare feet than the bottom of their shoes.
Hands (and nails) matter.
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Make sure everyone's hands look good. No chipped polish. They WILL show.
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WOMEN
Some of my current favorite places to shop for women’s dresses are Free People, ASOS, Vici, Dress & Muse, Wren & Ivory, Doen, Reclamation, and even Amazon Prime!
For maternity dresses, I love Sew Trendy, Reclamation, BellyBabyWear.com, Abby Bella Couture, Pink Blush Maternity, Wren & Ivory, Silk Fairies Maternity, Skaira, Vici, and Amazon Prime. You can even rent maternity dresses from MamaBumpRentals.com and Flutter Dresses.