Say Yes To A Dress & Heels!

Have you noticed a trend in the family photos all your friends have? It's probably that they are all wearing a long skirt or a dress. That's not an accident or coincidence! What you wear in your photos goes a LONG way in how you feel during the session and your opinion of the photos themselves afterward.

We women tend to be very self-conscious about how we look. We compare ourselves to others and maybe we think we don't measure up to an ideal we've set for ourselves. It all adds up to making us very reluctant to get in front of the camera but getting photos with our kids is SO important!!! Luckily there are simple ways to help us feel like a million bucks!

Say Yes To The Dress (or Skirt)
Long dresses and skirts are so popular and the recommendation of photographers because they are so flattering on women! The length makes us look taller and thinner and the flowy nature creates beautiful portrait opportunities!

There is a balance to be had here. Some women can go a little bit closer to form-fitting with their tops but we also don't want to go so flowy that it's baggy on us. This goes for a dress top or a shirt if you're wearing a skirt. I have all kinds of examples and ideas on my Family Outfit Inspiration Pinterest board and I'm sure you can find dozens more!

*Important note: if you are choosing a dress with stripes, make sure they are vertical stripes, not horizontal. Vertical lines help elongate the appearance of our bodies, making us look taller and thinner, while horizontal lines make things look wider and that's definitely not what we are going for!

Grab Your Heels
Shoes are one of the most overlooked aspects of our wardrobe when it comes to choosing outfits for our photo session. Even if you're not what you would consider a heels girl, I'm guessing you still have a pair you can pull out when the occasion demands it and now is one of those times!

Heels help our legs look fantastic! The muscles are slightly tensed and the overall effect is one of lengthening. Everyone has their preference when it comes to heels, but in general we are looking for something in the range of 2.5" to 3" to give us a nice elegant look.

Wedges might be a great choice as well for outdoor photos because there isn't a stick to get stuck in the ground :) With outdoor photos, I recommend bringing walking shoes for movement between locations and getting to and from the car.


I send all my clients a Portrait Style Guide that goes into this in greater detail and I'm happy to offer assistance if you need help selecting your outfits for your session!