What to Wear for Portraits
So you booked a portrait shoot. Now — what to wear? Your decision will vary depending on what type of shoot you’ve booked and how many people will be in your photos. I can recommend a few basics for all types of portraits.
Confidence & Authenticity
I’ve been photographing people professionally for fifteen years, and my number one piece of advice has never changed: wear something that makes you feel amazing, and make sure it’s something that feels like you. Your photos should represent you — not a trend that might look outdated in a year, and not the expensive dress that looks amazing in the ads but you feel a little weird wearing. Those outfits can be fun. But if you don’t feel like they represent you, I recommend looking for an outfit that speaks to you and your style. You want to be physically comfortable in your clothes, and — more importantly — you want to feel excited, beautiful, and confident.
Complement or Contrast with the setting
Once you have an idea of where you’d like your photoshoot to happen, think about what style of clothing might fit in (or stand out in) those specific locations. For example, if you like going for walks to grab coffee, let’s do that together in a slightly dressed up version of what you’d normally wear. Dressing up just a bit more than your everyday wear will make you look polished while still representing you. These photos are called lifestyle shots: photos that document your life as it is.
If you’d like your photos to be more of a statement, plan to wear something that stands out in the setting. For example, wear a vibrant dress in the middle of the woods, or a brightly colored suit in front of beige concrete buildings.
Colors & Textures
I always advise against wearing busy prints or shirts with text on them. Solids work well because they look good with a lot of different backgrounds and other outfits (in the event you’re taking group pics). My favorite thing about solids is that they tend to age well, so they don’t look wildly out of fashion just several years later like many prints might.
If you’re taking engagement or group portraits, coordinate your outfits so that they go well together. Check out color palettes and choose your outfits based on one of them. Consider wearing different dominant colors with accents that match or complement each other.
Movement
Consider if there’s anything dynamic you can wear to add movement to your photos. Things like flowing dresses, long jewelry, and hair blowing in the wind can be a lot of fun during photo sessions and produce great portraits.
In addition to creating movement, accessories like jewelry, hats, and scarves give you something to hold onto, which can set you at ease during your photo shoot, leading to a more natural photo.
Multiple Looks
If you booked a 1-hour photoshoot, you’ll have plenty of time to change your clothes at least once during your shoot. In the above photos, you’ll notice that the family changed their clothes when we switched settings. For the indoor photo, they wanted the details of their newly renovated home to stand out, so they wore solid colors. Their stylish but neutral clothing pulls the attention to their faces and their space. Conversely, in the outdoor photos they chose to make a statement with their handmade quilted jackets. Their clothing stands out against the natural background and gives them a very different look from their indoor portraits.
Break the rules
As with (almost) everything in life, rules can be broken. The bottom line is to wear something you feel great in. As you’ll see in some of the photos I’ve posted here, people have worn bold patterns, they’ve matched colors with their kiddos, and they’ve looked amazing because they felt amazing in these outfits. At the end of the day, my suggestions are just tips to think about — you should ultimately wear what you want to wear.
Once you’ve decided on a few outfits, my last piece of advice is to take photos of yourself ahead of time to confirm you feel great about what you’re wearing from all angles. Selfies can be deceptive, so go outside and get someone to snap a few photos of you to see what you look like in a different setting.
Finally: remember that your photos are about having fun. You’re going to be so grateful for these portraits a couple years (or decades!) down the road.
I can’t wait to work with you.
-Julie