One of the toughest decisions to make when planning your portrait session is deciding what to wear! We’ve been there, and we want to help you dress your best so that you feel like a million bucks when you step in front of our cameras! So let’s get to it.
For Her
One thing we will say here: Don’t be afraid to dress up! We get it. We live in West Texas…there’s lots of dirt and WIND, so most of us wear jeans or pants just about everyday. But listen, it’s not everyday that you invest in a portrait session. This is your time to shine!
We suggest wearing a dress for a couple of reasons. 1. We love the movement that dresses create in photos, and 2. Dresses are universally flattering. No need to stress about those insecurities we all deal with. Find yourself a to-die-for dress or skirt that flatters your features and be done! It’s an effortless way to add a little flair to your photos while also loving the way you look and feel in them! Consider the length of your dress or skirt here. Do you have littles? If so, we will likely ask you to crouch or sit on the ground to snuggle up with them, so mid or floor length is ideal. And one other thing, don’t forget the heels! They make those legs look amazing in photos. You’ll thank us for that tip later! (You can bring your flip flops for walking around in between shots!)
Dress to flatter YOUR body:
- We’ve found that just about every woman we know has an area of her body that she is insecure about. Understanding this is so important! Just because someone else looks great in that super cute on-trend outfit doesn’t mean that you have to wear it. Understand what looks best on your body and rock it! Because it doesn’t matter how amazing your photographer is, if you don’t love the way you look in your photos…you won’t love your photos!
- Discover your body shape and dress to enhance! There are so many helpful articles online designed to help you figure out your body type, dress your best and flatter your features! (This one from StitchFix is pretty great to help get you started.)
- Sleeve length and fit make a huge difference! If you’d like to minimize your arms, for example, go for a top that has loose three-quarter length sleeves or longer. Keep in mind that long sleeves will elongate your arms and three-quarter length will shorten.
- Darker neutrals help minimize and lighter neutrals help accentuate. For example, someone rocking a pear-shape might choose to wear a darker ruffle skirt with a lighter, fitted top. This will minimize the hips and thighs and draw attention to that tiny waist!
Shop for her: Chrome | Drest by Scott Malouf | Piper | Joyfolie | Mama Bump Rentals | Nordstrom Rack | Reclamation Traveling Dresses | Red Dress Boutique | Rent the Runway | Dillard’s
Hair & Makeup: Hire a Pro
As busy mommas, we know how hard it can be to get yourself camera-ready when you’re trying to get everyone else dressed and out the door! That’s why we are huge proponents of booking a hair and makeup appointment for your portrait session! Whether you are a mom of 5, or a graduating senior, you will love that extra boost of confidence you’ll feel knowing that you look your very best!
Book Hair and Makeup: We love love Lovestruck Artistry, GloGorgeous by Ashleigh and Makeup by Janelle
For Him
In the same way we encourage our ladies to say “yes” to the dress, we suggest men step out of their comfort zone and wear something a little dressier than they normally would.
Long, fitted pants and closed-toed shoes are ideal for a portrait session. (For the love of family photos, leave the crocs and flip flops at home, guys!) We also suggest avoiding shorts as they tend to draw the focus to the legs, rather than the place you want it…his handsome face! Solid colors look best on camera, and we also suggest avoiding busy patterns or words on clothing. Again, we want to keep the focus on the face and not on any distracting clothing elements. We don’t really think you can go wrong with tans, greys, or navy! Bonus: they go with most outfits!
- Make sure to wear socks that complement your attire. If we have you sitting or crouching, your socks WILL show!
- Add some layers! We know it can get hot under all those pieces….but the camera loves it! We love creating texture and depth in our photos, and adding layers is a great way to do this! It helps to make your photos more visually interesting. A jacket or sweater is a great way to add layers.
- Watches, ties, belts, etc. also create more visual interest in your photos.
Shop for him: Drest by Scott Malouf | Gap | Nordstrom Rack | Dillard’s
For Them
By far the hardest part of planning your photo session is coordinating outfits for the whole family. Here are some tips we’ve learned for making this process easier:
- Avoid the “matchy matchy” look and instead go for an overall vibe. Do you prefer greys and navys? Or would you rather do more earthy tones? Decide your color palette (we always suggest neutrals because they look great regardless of background) and then assign each person a dominant color. Then choose what color(s) you’d like to accent with.
- Look at your home…what colors do you tend to gravitate towards when you decorate? Use this to help you decide color choices. We are huge advocates of framing your images and getting them up on your walls. Coordinating your outfit colors with your decor will help create a cohesive look.
- Start with mom. Pick your outfit first, and then decide how you will coordinate everyone else. Try to mix up and break up the colors as much as possible on top and bottom. Again, this creates visual interest and helps bring balance to your images
Shop for the kids: Jamie Kay | Fin & Vince | Gap | Joyfolie | Nordstrom Rack | Dillard’s
*For in-home, lifestyle newborn sessions, creamy whites and neutrals are best to create that light and airy look. These sessions lend themselves to a more casual vibe (sans socks and shoes), so consider this when planning your newborn session outfits.