Whenever I book a session, the first question my client asks is typically, “What should I wear?”. This is always a daunting task for clients when preparing for their session, because the outfit usually sets the tone and style for the entire session.

I have come up with some helpful guidelines that will hopefully make deciding what to wear to your session a little easier.

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Wear What Makes you Feel Comfortable and Confident.

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There is nothing worse than standing in front of a camera and being uncomfortable about your outfit choice. If you are uncomfortable in what you’re wearing, it will always show on your face in your images. You do not want to be tugging at your clothes or trying to readjust clothes throughout your entire session, because things are uncomfortable.

You want to be confident in what you are wearing to your session! When you are confident in yourself and your clothes, your facial expressions and entire portrait experience will be so much better. Your portrait session is not the time to step out of your comfort zone and try an outfit that is way out of your style and comfort zone. These images will be shown to family and friends for years to come; you want to enjoy the experience and make sure that your confidence shows in those images. So whatever outfit you choose, make sure that you are comfortable and confident in that outfit.

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Mix Simple Patterns Into Your Outfits

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Adding simple patterns to your outfit allows for pops of color and interest to your images, so that you stand out from the background. Basic florals and wide strips (avoid pinstripes or thin stripes as they photograph weird) are great examples of patterns that flatter most body types and photograph well. Try to avoid funky and crazy patterns as they will go out of style quickly and can often take the focus off of your face; which we do not want to do, because everyone needs to look directly at that pretty face of yours!

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Wear Something Classic and Timeless

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We all have those pictures of us that every time we look at them, we think “What was I thinking wearing that!?”. Or we see pictures of our relatives from decades ago and wonder what in the world were they thinking putting that outfit on. Trends come and go so quickly throughout the years; we can all see the differences in trends over the decades. Don’t get me wrong, I love certain fashion trends at the moment, but your professional photography session may not be the best place to memorialize those trends.

You need to have at least one outfit during your senior session that in classic and timeless; something that you won’t look back out and wonder what you were thinking. Choose an outfit that 10 or 20 years down the road will still be in style and won’t be embarrassing to show your future children.

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Dress to Impress

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Graduating high school or college is a huge accomplishment; and it should be celebrated! Make sure to dress your best for your senior session. You want to make sure that you look your absolute best in your images, so dress accordingly. Down here in the Bible belt, we like to refer to it as dressing in your Sunday’s best or your “church clothes”.

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For the Girls

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Here are some standard outfit or fashion pieces that look beautiful on and photograph well.

-Dress

– Skirt & cute top

-Romper

-Nice jeans & cute top

– Flowy/ Dressy shorts & cute top

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For the Boys

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Here are some standard outfit or fashion pieces that look beautiful on and photograph well.

-Suit

-Slacks & Button Up Shirt

-Nice, Dark jeans & Button Up or Polo

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What To Avoid

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Girls, try to avoid t-shirts, light-wash jeans, flip flops, athletic shoes, ball caps, and jean shorts.

Guys, try to avoid graphic t-shirts, tank tops, light-wash jeans, flip flops, ball caps, and shorts.

While these clothing items are fine for every day, they do not always photograph well. You want to look pulled together in your images, so spend some time finding an outfit that looks impressive and also matches your personal style.

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Here are some visuals of some great outfits that some of my past clients have worn that looked great in their images.

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I hope this simple guide to choosing your senior session outfit helps make the process a little easier! Also, don’t forget that Pinterest is a great place to find cute outfit ideas for your session. Head on over to my Pinterest page and check out my outfit inspiration boards to help you get some ideas for your own session.

xo Brittany ox