When it comes to portrait sessions, what should you wear? And does it really matter?
The answer is yes, it does matter. What you wear not only affects how the picture looks, but also affects how you feel. If you wear something that is uncomfortable or does not accurately reflect "you," the pictures are likely to reveal that lack of confidence and that's the last thing you want! In simple terms, it's extremely important that what you wear is comfortable and is an accurate reflection of your style (this does not mean that over-sized t-shirts and jeans are acceptable). To help you plan your outfit for your next photo shoot, I've come up with a simple set of rules that will help you be better prepared.
1. Learn how to dress your body shape and find something that is comfortable, dressy/casual, and that you like.
A great resource for helping to understand your body shape is Shop Your Shape. Using your measurements, it will help you identify your body shape and help you find styles that compliment your particular shape. I would HIGHLY recommend taking a look at this site, even if you feel confident you know your shape. You might be surprised! Most importantly, make sure you feel confident in what you plan to wear. Confidence is the key to amazing pictures!
2. Unless you are doing a family shoot with small children, never do anything matchy-matchy.
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| ^Great example of complimentary clothing! |
Please, try to refrain from matching everything together. His shirt does not need to match your shirt or your shoes or your bracelet or whatever it is you are trying to match. The acceptable protocol for making sure you both look good together is simply using colors that compliment each other. I often recommend that the person who tends to dress more neutral wear colors like black or gray or white so that the person who tends to dress more colorfully can do that without fear of clashing.
*For example, in one of my most recent shoots, Ashton wore a dark pink dress while her fiance, Eric, wore a gray colored shirt and khaki shorts. This is a great way of pairing things together in a way that isn't matchy-matchy, yet they still compliment each other nicely.
3. Be aware of trends.
Listen carefully... It is important to be classic, not trendy. 20 years from now, you don't want to look back at these pictures and think, "What was I wearing??" You want to look back and think fondly of the moment, not be distracted by that horrible pair of parachute pants you were wearing (which are making an unfortunate comeback). Loud prints, crazy colored pants, and giant accessories (i.e. big hair bows), are all examples of current trends that you might not look back on and think fondly of in the future. Just keep that in mind when choosing your outfit!
4. Try on the outfits you're planning to wear BEFORE the day of the shoot.
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| ^Too much going on! |
It's extremely important to make sure the clothes you are planning to wear fit, are comfortable, and compliment each other BEFORE before the day of the shoot. Have a friend or family member that you trust help you "edit" your outfits so that they don't clash and so they aren't too busy. You don't need to wear a headband, a belt, several necklaces, several bracelets, several rings, and earrings... It's just too much! Pick a couple things you like and ditch the rest. You want to be the main focus of your shoot...not all your accessories! Simpler is better. Be sure to apply that same rule to your hair and make-up as well. :)
5. Keep in mind location and season.
It's important when deciding what to wear that you are aware of where you will be getting your pictures done and what the weather/temperature is going to be like. If your shoot is in the summer, you want to make sure you wear something breathable. If your shoot is in the fall or winter, you want to be sure you're warm enough. As far as location, just be sure that you feel comfortable in what you are wearing where you will be having your photo shoot. Would it be comfortable to wear short shorts if you're photo shoot is going to be in the woods? Just keep things like that in mind! :)
I hope these rules help you make the best choices in style for your next photo shoot, but remember... the most important rule of all is to BE YOURSELF! If you follow that rule, your pictures will most definitely come out great... even if you don't follow fashion advice... ;)
