The biggest question I get from my clients...
What to wear! This post is going to tell you everything you need to know about how to dress for your session, whether it's family photos, an engagement session, summer or fall, I've got you covered. For more information about senior photo recommendations check out this post "Making Sure You Fall in Love with Your Senior Pictures." Below are my "4 C's to Dress With Ease", A.K.A the things to consider when deciding outfits for you, your boo, and your family.
#1 COLORS
Colors can make or break your photos based on location, season, and overall coordination. I almost ALWAYS tell clients to stay away from bright, bold, neons as they can make your images look dated and take away from your lovely, smiling faces. Try to stick to neutrals with a pop of color, but if that's not your style dress how you want! The most important thing about colors is to consider your location and what your surroundings might be, you don't want to wear green in a forest or you'll end up camouflaged. My biggest tip is to dress for the seasons...
Autumn
My absolute favorite season for colors. The warm, spicy neutrals are flattering to any skin tone, hair color, eye colors, etc. With fall, you get an abundance of color with the backgrounds so choosing outfits that match but don't blend in is so important. Neutrals are often the best when it comes to fall and then adding a pop of color really ties it all together.
Summer
I am the biggest fan of white & beige when it comes to summer sessions. Not only will the keep you from melting in the summer heat, but most of the time these fabrics are lightweight. Opt for things like linen, mesh, and breathable cotton to finish off your summer look!
Spring
Spring is the perfect time to break out your pastels and fun colors. The scenery is almost always packed with rich, vibrant tones that pair nicely with softer, pale pieces. Blues, pinks, and sage green are my favorite.
Winter
Truthfully, when it comes to winter sessions by best advice is: dress WARM. However, make sure you don't wear your biggest, puffiest coat ever or else you might find it hard to move around and pose in it. Accessories like hats, scarves, and gloves make sessions so fun!
#2 COORDINATE BUT DON'T MATCH
My all-time favorite thing to tell my clients to make their session-shopping so much easier: coordinate but don't match. Now this is a personal preference, I think that things like matching t-shirts or mommy-and-me dresses are outdated and can stop your images from being timeless. When picking your outfits think, will I like these photos 5 years from now...10 years..15...etc. Below are some examples of matching but also coordinating.
Matching
If you truly want to match, go for it! I just always recommend having each person wear a different accessory like shoes, hats, jackets to break up the repetition.
Happy-Medium
If you want to match but not be identical, opt for a color scheme or basic "uniform" such as: wear jeans, white shirts, or black pants.
Coordination
Wearing the same color but switching up patterns, layers, and accessories creates the illusion that, you put some effort in but not too much that it's noticeable
Have your kiddos pick their favorite kicks to show off with their outfit! This brings some personality to their photos and helps them feel confident.
Sticking to "neutral" color schemes ensures that everyone has something in their closet that they can wear to the session without feeling pressured. If you're wearing a white shirt and dark jeans, have your partner/family wear a white shirt in a different cut or ripped jeans to mix it up.
Have one partner pick a piece that they love, and from there you can mix-and-match with accent colors to really make them pop! A perfect example is this white top pulled from the white in the multi-color flannel. It's not too busy, but it still pairs.
#3 COMFORT
The last thing you want is to get to your session and realize that you're not going to be able to move in your outfit. If it means ditching your 3-inch pumps or swapping out those jeans you found in the depths of your closet, do it. You want to be able to stand, sit, run, jump, pose, all of the things that make photoshoots fun; and that's hard to do in something you're not comfortable in.
Hey Siri, "How do I break in a new pair of heels FAST?" Nope, don't do it. Wear your shoes days, even weeks, prior to your session to make sure you can A. Walk in them, B. Don't get blisters, and C. Know if there's a better option you can wear that will still look great with your outfit.
DITCH YOUR SHOES!
if the weather and location allow for it, do it!
FLOWY OVER FITTED
nothing is better than a good ole-fashioned twirling dress
TRIAL RUN
make sure you take your new look out for a spin to guarantee you'll feel confident and comfortable
My favorite ways to stay stylish and comfortable
#4 CONFIDENCE
At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter what I suggest. If you're not wearing an outfit YOU don't feel good in, your pictures will show it. So go ahead and get some input from your friends, family, or partner about your new look...but don't let it completely determine if you're going to wear it. Your images are for YOU, wear what you want and what you like.
Wear it with confidence.