What Should You Wear for Pictures?

Tips and Suggestions on Clothing Options for your Upcoming Photoshoot.

We have all been there, deciding what to wear isn't easy when you know that you are going to be the center of attention. Add in the fact that the outfit you choose will be immortalized in images for your friends and family to view for years to come, and you've got a recipe for decision paralysis. Lucky for you, this blog will hopefully point you down the right path and make the decision of what to wear less daunting, while also helping to ensure your images look great!

Understanding the Occasion

The first step to deciding what to wear is understanding what you are dressing for. Do you want your vibe to be more formal? Casual? Is this a special event? What is the location? These are all things to consider first before deciding any other factors for your wardrobe. Here you'll find a few items to consider for your occasion.

Are the pictures for a special event or casual family gathering? Special events call for special wardrobes. You'll usually want to dress your best with suits, dresses, or even formal wear. Family gatherings can be more casual with denim, shorts, t-shirts, and fun textures.

The landscape was pretty simple for these photos, so the family was able to play with funky patterns and textures on clothes.

Indoor or outdoor shoots call for different clothing choices. Indoors shoots are much easier to control. You don't have to worry about bugs, rain, cold, heat, etc. They also provide the opportunity to go with a cozier vibe if you are doing something casual, or something really formal if you want to feel fancy. Outdoor shoots come with more variables, but they also allow for you to choose a location that is more personal to you and has more to offer as a background.

Natural landscapes versus urban settings may influence color palettes. Natural landscapes often have enough going on that sticking with neutral tones and little to no pattern on your clothes is the way to go. Urban settings are usually simpler in color tones and offer lots of gray for a background, making it easier to choose brighter highlight colors or add funkier patterns to your clothes. Both of these tactics ensure that you stick out from the background and are the focus of your image.

Coordinate, Don’t Match

There is a time and place for matching photos (see: blue denim and black or white T-shirt on everyone in the photo), and there is a time and place for coordinating. What vibe you want to go for is effected by coordinating. Coordinating your outfits will usually provide a more visually appealing look while also allowing each person to express their own personality.

What do you mean by coordinating? This is when everyone is following a certain color palette, but is wearing different clothes. This can be done by selecting complementary colors that work well together, or by having people dress in different shades of the same color. Colors don't have to be used in a full article of clothing either, you can have someone in a neutral color and have an accessory that makes it so they coordinate (like a bandana or hat). Here are some examples:

Don't feel like the examples are for you? No problem! Try using a color palette generator My favorite is Coolors. You can explore trending palettes, or make your own. Try playing around with it by locking colors that you like and seeing what gets generated.

Consider Comfort

This photoshoot was during really early spring. The people who got cold easier or felt better in long sleeves wore those while others wore shorter sleeves.

Do you have an article of clothing that looks great and feels great? We want that for your photos! Sometimes it's tempting to wear something that looks great, but it cuts into your arms weird because it isn't stretchy, or the waist band is too loose so you have to keep pulling it up, or it's too heavy of a material so you start sweating. PLEASE don't do this! When you are focused on what your clothing is doing it is so much harder to get genuine reactions and capture true memories. You'll feel more confident in something that fits properly.

Something else to consider, fabrics. Do you generally run hot? Choose a linen button up shirt over flannel. Do you get cold easily? Wear a dress that is a thicker material, a jacket over top, or even a pair of leggings under your dress or pants. When you are comfortable in your clothes, you are more comfortable in front of the camera!

Dress for the Season

This one seems obvious, but it should still be brought up! Especially if you are doing your session outside, think about the weather. Keep light colors and soft patterns light florals in your mind for summer and spring sessions. For fall and winter use bolder patterns like plaid, and darker colors to give your session a cozier vibe.

This session was in the winter, everyone wore layers to combat the cold. The theme they chose for their wardrobe was band tees!

Think About Accessories

This family used a variety of accessories such as hates, ties, bows, and jackets.

What's the best way to add personality to your outfit? Accessories! This can include hats, scarves, jackets, belts, shoes, jewelry, etc. Wear something that will reflect your personality in an image. My one major warning for this portion goes all the way back to the first point, understand the occasion. If the setting is more casual, you can probably avoid the large statement necklaces, but if the setting is closer to formal, maybe save the beanie for next time.

On the note of accessorizing, make sure you wear appropriate footwear! While sandals may look great with your outfit, they may not be great for the location. Sometimes the ground can be marshy, which may get your shoes wet, or you could be in snow and your feet get cold. Choose an option that is comfortable the entire length of your session! If you're going somewhere dusty and you're wearing a dark colored shoe, think about bringing wet wipes to clean some dirt off between images.

Trendy vs. Timeless Styles

Just like matching, trends have a time and a place. Think about what use these photos will have. Is your session just a fun session to capture a unique idea, or do you regularly get your photo taken? Use trends all you want! If your family only does photos every few years or for major events, try to stick to something more timeless so your photos don't look dated within a month.

This family only get photos done every other year, so they stuck to a more conservative styling for their wardrobe

What do I mean by timeless? Doesn't everything go in and out of trend with fashion? You are correct! Remember that example in the coordination section where we talked about everyone wearing the same shirt with denim pants? That was once timeless, but if you look at those images now, you can easily tell that they are from the early 2000's. Ultimately, the easiest way to look timeless is by dressing in your Sunday best. parts of fashion will go in and out of style, but you can always bet that Sunday best entails a button up and dress pants for men, and a dress or blouse and dress pants for women.

Well, what is we want something more casual? Fabulous! You don't need to get gussied up to go to church for every photo. For casual photo sessions, make sure to stay away from bold patterns like leopard print or checker boards. Stick to solid color clothing options that will still show your individuality. You can still incorporate trendy items with accessories while still having a timeless look.

Plan Ahead

Ever had an outfit planned in your head and it just looks too perfect, and then you put it on and it was not at all what you were imagining? Preach, because I do that too. Save yourself some stress and get your outfits figured out ahead of time so you have time to revise if you need to! This allows each person to try on their clothes and give them a test run before you add in someone chasing you around with a camera.

Since this session was planned to be by the river this family planned on shorts and easy to roll up pants just incase anyone needed to get in the water.

The lamest pro tip you'll probably get? (But it honestly works) Set all your outfits and accessories in a safe place the night before your session. This way when it comes time to get ready you don't have to hunt down bits and pieces and have less chance of forgetting something.

What Now?

Take a deep breath. Talk to your photographer and ask for some feedback for your options if you want it! Since they are probably helping you choose a location, they should have some insight and helpful tips on things to consider before you arrive. Just remember to always be yourself and to not stress too much.

Still not sure and want more examples to look at? Take a look at my Pinterest board! I've got all sorts of outfit inspo pinned and ripe for viewing.

Thank you so much for hearing what I have to say about choosing your outfits for a photoshoot! If you think we might get along and you want to work with me check out my pricing or just contact me!