What To Wear (& What Not To Wear) To Your Session

If I asked you what the most stressful part of a photo session was, what would you say? I think you'd say picking your outfits. For so many people, the clothes are the main pain point because once they pick their photographer, that's the only thing they have to do themselves, right? Well, it shouldn't be that way!!!

Today I'm going to let you in on the common things photographers want their clients to wear (and a few things they'd rather you leave at home :)

There are a wide range of photographers but despite style and editing differences, most fall into a middle category when it comes to the outfits they recommend to their clients. In a nutshell, we want you to look classy and professional. But that is pretty vague, so how do we help you achieve that look? Here are a few things to keep in mind...

TEXTURES VS. PATTERNS
When selecting outfits, you want to have textures rather than patterns. An example is Dad wearing a smooth cotton sweater, Mom has a silk shirt, the little boy has a knit sweater, and the little girl has velvet. Patterns are okay if you keep them simple. I recommend keeping ONE person in a pattern, unless it's a mommmy & me matching idea. This might look like Dad wearing stripes or Mom with a patterned dress.
DO: wear textures    DON'T: wear lots of patterns

COORDINATING VS MATCHING
I have a whole blog post on this topic if you want more information, but the main idea is to pick a color scheme and work within that. Alternatively, if Mom has a statement dress, pull the colors out of that piece or pick items that work well with its colors. We aren't wanting everyone to wear the same colors but we also don't want a rainbow or clashing colors. Christmas is a great example. Reds, greens, grays, golds, & whites all work well together.
DO: let your colors coordinate    DON'T: all match exactly

SOFT AND/OR NEUTRAL COLORS
Like your location, your outfit is not the focal point of the photo. They are simply and element that adds to the main subject - YOU! We don't want our clothes to overpower us so stick to soft variations of your color theme. Going back to our Christmas example, a pine or emerald green is what you want over a brighter shade. For red, we want burgundy or wine rather than Rudolph's nose :) Fall colors tend to be darker but we still want soft. In spring and summer, we want pale, light colors. We just don't want bright, neon, poppy colors. Read this blog post if you want more details
DO: wear soft colors and pair with neutrals    DON'T: wear bright and neon colors

Remember, our goal is to look elegant, professional, and classy. These are photos that will hang in your home and be shared with family and friends. We want them to be as nice as possible. A few other things we want to avoid are shirts with graphics, holey or ripped jeans (it's better to leave jeans behind completely), and tennis shoes. While we don't want you wearing something that is not at all your style, we also aren't going for your everyday look either. Some people might do slacks and a polo or sweater while others go all out with a suit coat and dress. Keep it within your style and what fits you. If you're not comfortable in what you're wearing, you won't have a good time in front of the camera!!

These are the general guidelines. There are photographers who love bright color and want their clients to wear crazy patterns. A senior session might include a sports jersey and a more casual outfit with jeans and their favorite pair of All-Stars. But for the most part, this is what your photographer will encourage you to think about when selecting outfits.

Want to see visuals? Check out my Pinterest boards!!! I have outfit inspirations for Families, Senior Girls & Guys, Children, and even Newborns!!!