What to Wear for Portraits

Comfort & Beauty

I’ve been photographing people professionally for over a decade, and my number one piece of advice has never changed: wear something that makes you feel beautiful, and something that feels like you. Your photos should represent you — not the latest trend that’ll pass in a few months, and not the super expensive dress that looks amazing on the models but you feel weird wearing. Those outfits can be fun, but if you don’t feel like they represent you, I recommend that you go through your closet or go shopping for an outfit that speaks to you and your specific style. You want to be physically comfortable in it, and — more importantly — you want to feel excited, beautiful, and happy to be wearing it.

Complement/Contrast with the setting

Once you have an idea of where you’d like your photos, think about what style clothing might fit in (or stand out in) those specific locations. For example, if you have a ritual of going for walks to grab coffee on autumn mornings, 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 every day 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 look more like fashion photos (also called styled shoots), plan to wear something that stands out in the setting. For example, a fancy dress beside a creek, or a graduation gown in the middle of the woods.

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 looking lifestyle 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.

Break the rules!

As with (almost) everything else in life, rules are meant to be broken. The bottom line is to wear something you feel fabulous in. As you’ll see in some of the photos I’ve posted here, people have worn bold patterns, or they’ve matched colors with their kiddos, and they’ve looked great because they felt happy & comfortable. Always 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. Mirrors and indoor lighting can be deceptive, so go outside and see what the clothes look like outside the house.

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