November 17, 2021

What To Wear To Your Portrait Session

The first question I usually get once a portrait session date is set is, “what should I wear?”. I know it can be intimidating and I hope these outfit recommendations will be helpful to you when selecting your outfits.


Wear clothing that makes you feel comfortable. The more comfortable you feel the more relaxed you’ll be while posing the more natural your pictures will look.


Avoid tops that are flesh tones like cream, beige, pastels, peach or yellow. These tend to make people look more washed out and blend your face into your clothes. 


Choose clothing that is more solid in color and muted tones that are on the more subdued side. Patterns and prints tend to be too distracting and draw attention away from you. This doesn’t mean you can’t choose clothings with patterns and prints. Just make sure they are not too busy or chaotic by sticking with tiny patterns.


If you are still struggling with outfit choices and/or struggling with coordinating colors check out the color wheel below. The color wheel will help you see a color’s opposite shade.


Having more than one outfit to change up the look of your session. We recommend you bring no more than 2 outfit changes. Honestly, there often isn't enough time to make more than a few outfits changes. It can eat up a lot of time and precious lighting. Adding changes by putting on a button down shirt, adding jacket, scarfs or even changing jewelry can give a completely different look for just one outfit.


One last suggestion . . . leave your keys, purses, wallets and phones in the car or at home. No one wants to see the outline of your cell phone or wallet in your back pocket in the pictures.


Bottom line, we want the most natural relaxed pictures we can get. These recommendations can be helpful but I also want you to be able to express yourself.