One of the most commonly asked questions we get from clients after they book their portrait session is what they should wear. While it seems like a daunting task to figure out what you want to wear on top of making sure you coordinate with your partner and/or children, it doesn’t have to be! 

If you’re stuck on what to wear to your portrait session, here are a few tips we always provide our clients with. 

Coordinate Colors, Don’t Match

Just because there are multiple people taking part in your portrait session doesn’t mean you all have to match! Instead, opt for coordinating colors. I always recommend clients pick a color scheme and rolling with it. This makes figuring out what to wear so much easier! 

A few color schemes we recommend are cool tones, neutrals, and light/pastel tones. Bold and bright colors can be distracting and can take away from the overall image. 

Avoid Busy Patterns

Much like bright and bold colors, patterns can take away from the purpose of the image: yourselves. More often than not, patterns can photograph oddly so we always suggest opting for solid colors if possible. If you do want to wear a pattern, pick one that is more subtle and dress your partner in solids. 

Comfort is Key

If you don’t feel 100% confident in your outfit, you won’t love your photos as much. When choosing outfits, pick ones that fit your personality and relationship – there’s no need to try to pull off a style that just wasn’t your thing to begin with! If you’re shopping for your session, pick pieces you would wear every day, especially if overly trendy outfits don’t fit your personality!

Bring Two Outfits

The more the merrier! I always recommend clients bring two outfits – one casual, one formal. This will help balance your session and will give you more options for photos if you’re using them for save the dates, announcements, or even hanging them in your home. If we’re shooting into sunset, we will begin with the casual outfit and change into the more formal outfit while we catch the beautiful golden light! If we’re shooting at sunrise, we would do the opposite. 

Think About Accessories

Accessories are a great way to add visual interest to photos, but don’t over-accessorize! Incorporating one to two accessories into your photos will be more than enough. Think a fun fashion hat, scarves, layers, or necklace.

Still not sure what to wear to your upcoming session? Send us an email, we’d be more than happy to help!