One of the questions I get asked the most is “what should we wear for our session?” It’s an important question and one that I’m going to deal with in this blog post.
Family Portraits
- The most important suggestion that I have re:clothing for a family session is to avoid logos, bold stripes and patterns. Your portrait should be about your face and not your clothing (unless it’s for an advertisement!)
- Stick to solid colours.
- If you are doing a family portrait it is best if everyone is wearing clothing in the same colour scheme.
- A white top and denim with a white background is one of my favorite combinations. Denim works well outside with black, white or almost any colour.
- You can bring more than one outfit to a session.
- It is often difficult to get family members to wear the same colours. That’s one of the times that I think black and white works best. After all, the focus should be on your family’s faces and not their clothing. Right?
Children
- Children look best in simple clothing and plain colours but if your son is attached to his Superman outfit, bring it along!
- Avoid collars with small children as they tend to slide up and block their faces.
- Bring a few outfits.
- Newborns and children under the age of one have gorgeous skin and nothing shows off their natural innocence more than being naked or wearing just a diaper.
- White gives a natural clean look to portraits of children.
Maternity
- A long-sleeved lacy white blouse with a few buttons opened to show your bump is a great look.
- Some pretty lingerie or being nude are also great options.
- A cropped top and black pants works well with a black backdrop. This look is about creating mood with shadows and highlights.
More Examples
Still stuck? Have a look at these 2 Pinterest pages that offer a ton of suggestions for clothing choices. Don’t you love Pinterest!
