What to Wear to Your Portrait Session

It’s Normal to Feel Stressed

Unless you have an innate passion for fashion, deciding what to wear to your portrait or engagement session can be one of the most stressful parts. I’ve heard it from so many clients, they are so excited for their upcoming photos but dreading figuring out what to wear. I’m writing this guide not to tell you intense, must-follow outfit rules (those don’t exist) but to give you some guidelines you can choose to follow if you’d like. Sometimes having something to start from is easier than starting from scratch.

For simplicity’s sake, I’m going to split this guide into ‘Don’ts’ and “Dos’ but it’s not that serious. Take what you’d like from this guide and leave the rest. Any tips that don’t resonate with your style or needs will still be here to spark inspiration for future readers. 🙂

Avoid Neons, Especially Orange and Hot Pink

These colors tend to reflect off of skin and can leave your face with a strong color cast. I love love love colorful outfits so this tip is dear to my heart: for vivid colors go for a darker shade over a lighter one. You’ll avoid the color cast and still have that gorgeous saturation.

Try and Bring Glasses That Are Not Transitions Lenses

If you wear glasses try to bring a pair with non-uv sensitive lenses. Transitions lenses go into sunglasses mode in even low outdoor light and completely obscure your eyes.

Opt for Larger Patterns Over Smaller Ones

There’s this wacky thing that cameras do called moire. It’s a visual aberration caused by the overlapping of misaligned grids. Tight patterns (especially ones that cross over each other like plaid) are more prone to causing this effect than looser ones. Here’s an example of what it looks like to a camera. This isn’t the end of the world when it happens as we have tools to fix it in most cases, but it’s nice to avoid if possible.

Stay Out of the Sun

It’s usually easy for me to fix a pimple that popped up overnight or a bruise you got the day before your session but one thing I cannot fix is sunburn. If you have photos coming up, do your best to avoid getting burnt. Bonus tip – be mindful of any extreme tan lines you may have (especially apple watches!)

Watch for Pocket Wear on Pants

If you have a favorite pair of dark-colored jeans and often keep your phone in your pocket, you may end up with phone-shaped distress lines around the hip areas of your pants. Even if you take your phone out of your pocket for photos (which I’ll always remind you to do, don’t worry), the lines may be visible. Instead, opt for non-denim pants or bring a newer or less-worn pair.

The Dos

Wear What Makes You Comfy

You look how you feel in photos. If you aren’t feeling like your authentic self when we take your photos, you aren’t going to like how they turn out. Wear something that fits with your personal style, comfort level, identity, and physical needs. Don’t wear something you don’t want to because a family member or the internet tells you to.

Coordinate, Don’t Match

If you’re doing a family session, couples session, or other portrait session with more than one participant, it’s important you think about how your outfits look together. Decide on a color palette and find pieces that compliment each other. Avoid directly matching outfits though. If you match exactly, your outfits may look like a family on vacation at Disney in the early 90s (unless that’s what you’re going for of course!)

Add Layers + Accessories

An easy way to mix up an outfit throughout a session is to wear layers and accessories that can be changed out part way through. It’s also a fun way to play with different styles and add some variety to your session.

Show Your Style

Whether your style is trendy or something more niche, don’t be afraid to incorporate your favorite fashions into your session. If you’re not sure what styles you like, reach out. Fashion is a major hobby of mine and I love helping people figure out what makes them feel best. ❤️

Consider Professional Hair + Makeup

You’re putting a huge time and financial investment into your photos – so go all out! Having your hair and makeup done professionally not only looks good but also feels awesome and is a great way to treat yourself before your session. If you need help finding artist recommendations in your area, reach out. I keep track of my favorite hair and makeup professionals who can work with all hair types and skin types.

Go More Formal Than You Normally Dress

Portraits are your chance to look your best and dress however you want. Don’t be nervous about feeling overdressed (there’s NO such thing, I am a firm believer in that). Get that suit, ballgown, or other formal piece that you want to wear again but feel like you have no place to. This is your chance! If you don’t want to invest in a stand-out piece for just this session, consider renting an outfit.

Tips for Multiple Outfits

I love it when clients want to do two looks for their sessions. It’s a great way to mix it up a little and get a larger variety of images. I suggest going for one slightly more casual look and one more formal look to get the most mileage out of your outfits.

Choosing clothes can be stressful for a myriad of reasons – body dysmorphia, past bad experiences, mental fatigue, and just not having the time or energy to deal with it. If you feel stuck or need someone to bounce outfit ideas off of, I am always available. I love playing with color palettes and helping people dive into their wardrobes to find fun options. I think everyone deserves to have photos of themselves that make them happy and remind them of great moments in life. The first step to making that possible is finding an outfit that you feel amazing in.