I get asked so frequently, “What should I wear?” for sessions. You want to feel like yourself but you want to show your BEST self for photos that you will hang in your home, send to friends and family on your annual Christmas cards, post on social media and the like. So really, what should you wear?
I’m going to go step by step on what will flatter you, your body, what will make your photos stand out and make you feel confident and beautiful. I will also go into what you should avoid during photos, because that is JUST as important on what you should be wearing/doing to look your best.
PATTERNS AND COLORS
First and foremost, I always recommend my clients to stay away from any crazy colors or patterns. If you are wearing something with zig zags or 10 different colors, it’s going to take away from the most important aspect of your photo, YOU! A viewers eye is going to be drawn to your outfit as opposed to the subject of the photograph. Solid colors, or basic/simplistic patterns such as stripes, non-distracting floral patterns and among others is the best route to go. Sticking to a lighter color in most circumstances is best. Whites, creams, earth tones, pastels, and neutral colors are going to make skin tones pop, and maybe even make you look a little tanner (which is a win for all of us pale individuals out there)!
COORDINATE BUT NOT MATCH COMPLETELY
This is SO important! You don’t want to look EXACTLY the same in your photos. I’m talking to and looking at all of you who made the white shirts with jeans look when it was “in style”. Pick a color palette with about 3-4 different colors in it and have everyone in your family match to those colors without wearing the exact same color is style of outfit.
THINGS TO AVOID
Ladies, I know we all think yoga pants look great in our everyday lives, I’m speaking from experience. For photos, it’s a NO. Wear a dress, a skirt, or formal pants but please avoid leggings at all costs. Yes, even your buttery smooth LulaRoe Leggings with the crazy patterns.
Now for my guys! I know how much you love your hats and sunglasses. Leave them at home, PLEASE! Your hair looks great, I promise! Hats and sunglasses leave unflattering lines on the head and face that are NOT easy to edit out. They also do not look cute when having formal photos done.
Lastly, try to avoid spray tans for anything less than a week prior to your photoshoot. Spray tans can leave orange marks that are also hard to edit out and can make your skin tone look uneven on different parts of your body. I want to look tan, but we also want you to look natural!
IRON CLOTHING
I feel like this is 100% self-explanatory! No one wants to look like they just rolled out of bed for their photos. Steam and iron shirts, pants, and dresses! If you’re wearing tule for a skirt/dress they can show wrinkles; A quick steam and it’s fixed!
NO BRA, NO PROBLEM!
Ladies, we all know about some of the most famous “nip slips,” which we DO NOT WANT. Pasties or even bandaids (yes, bandaids!) make for a great way to avoid the Jennifer Aniston “Network Nipple” circa 1994. You can hide any small bumps with these two items. Another trick is wearing thicker material. The thicker the material, the less likely any color/bumps will show!
PROFESSIONAL HAIR AND MAKEUP
Take your photos from pretty and nice to beautiful and timeless with the simple application of professional hair and makeup. It really makes all the difference. Your skin smooths out nicely, your eyes will pop, and you will just look all around more put together! I know we all think we can do our makeup like Kylie Jenner and all of the YouTube beauty bloggers, but it looks much more clean when you have a professional. My go to girl Amanda Victoria Beauty is the BEST and will always make you feel radiant and like you’re a movie star.
I hope these tips and tricks, along with the examples help you decide the best outfits for you and your family for your sessions. Any photographer should help either by sending style guides to assist you, or by giving you advice on what will look nice in camera and what will not. Enjoy and look beautiful!
Brittany Nemec Photography 