Contract signed, shoot booked – that was easy! This is going to be so much fun. But the next big question is…
“What should we wear?!”
Never fear! Here is a handy guide to help you through the process.
THINK COORDINATING, NOT MATCHY-MATCHY
Matching white shirts and khakis? This is not an extended family photo session on the beach. Find a palette and coordinate using that – if you love light, bright fabrics in photos, then creams, whites, light pinks, and beiges will look great. Flowy dresses photograph incredibly well whether it’s in a field or in a city.
SOLIDS VS PATTERNS
Solids are great, and so are patterns! The trick is to coordinate them well. Majority solids, minority patterns. Mix a patterned dress with a pair of dress pants and a solid button down. Or, if wearing a solid colored dress, one can pair with a plaid shirt.
TEXTURE IT UP
Textured clothes look fantastic on camera. Instead of a plain button down, think about wearing one with a textured stitch and little speckles throughout. Lace photographs SO beautifully! And sweaters? YES! Fuzzy knitted sweaters for the chillier months give outfits delicious texture.
LAYERS ON LAYERS
Especially in colder months, layers are great. They add great dimension to photographs. Wearing cardigans over a blouse, a jean jacket over a dress, textured socks coming out of boots… and it gives you a second look without having to change clothes.
COLOR ME HAPPY
It’s important to think about the environment you’re being photographed in when it comes to colors. I generally recommend lighter and more neutral colors. Creams, pinks, beiges, and whites. These colors look especially fantastic for golden fields and forests. Natural settings = earth tones. If you’re running around Boston with me, pops of color are fantastic! Go with a color slightly off from the color wheel – mustard instead of bright yellow, maroon instead of bright red, navy instead of bright blue. Stick with lighter, not darker. Don’t wear all black! It will draw the eye straight to the black clothing and take away from the rest of the photo. And above all – NO neon. It makes color casts onto your face, so steer clear!
IF THE SHOE FITS
The funny thing is, shoes aren’t really seen much – unless they stick out like a sore thumb. This is not the time to wear Nike’s! Classic sneakers like Converse or Vans are always in style, sandals for ladies but no flip flops unless we’re kicking it at the beach! Cute boots are a must for the chillier months.
STRAPPY UNHAPPY
Bra straps and undergarments showing through your outfit is a huge pain! To fix this, wear a shirt / dress that from every angle in the mirror, the straps doesn’t pop out. This includes from the back, sides, and front. Wear a strapless bra if it’s a problem shirt/dress or if the band by your underarms showing, wear a bandeau over your bra.
BE YOURSELF
You want your clothing to compliment YOU, not the other way around! Choose something you feel absolutely amazing and totally comfortable in. Your smile, your laugh and your face is the main event, not the clothing. The clothing compliments you and your personality! You’re bright and bubbly and love polka dots? Show me polka dots! Preppy and love all things nautical? Hand over the J Crew catalog.
THE LITTLE THINGS
Get your nails done! Guys, you too – clean cuticles and fingers are a must. Have your nails clean and nude or painted, nothing chipped or in-between! HAIR ELASTICS, take them off your wrists. Speaking of wrists – if you have an Apple Watch, Fitbit, anything like that, remove it. I can edit out an Apple Watch tan far easier than an actual Apple Watch. Bring chapstick or lip gloss to reapply during your shoot, even non-tinted makes a juicy difference.
RECAP:
Coordinate, don’t match perfectly.
Pick a color palette and run with it
Mix solids and patterns
Texture = great
You can never go wrong with a mix of creams, pinks, beiges, and whites
Leave running shoes at home, wear cute + functional shoes
Low stress – wear what makes you feel amazing
