Deciding exactly what to wear for your upcoming session can seem quite overwhelming. When I tell you that I’m here to help I mean it with the utmost sincerity, I LOVE to shop! Unfortunately, there aren’t enough hours in the day for me to go shopping with each of my clients. In an effort to assist you with process I’ve included a few sample images and helpful tips below.
The Star of the Show
One child, endless possibilities
A wildly-patterned pair of cargo pants and a hipster tee. Her funky hot pink tutu and cowboy boots. His “superhero” cape. Individual shots give your child a chance to show his or her personality through fashion like no other. Without the concern of clashing or competing patterns that exists in a family shot, the possibilities are limitless! I recommend bringing a few outfits. One that lets your little one’s personality shine and one that is more classic.
What doesn’t work: over sized hair bows.
What always works: denim, khaki, sundresses, the layered look, bare feet, mid-tones.
Siblings
Coordinating, without matching
Wardrobe choices for sibling shots should be complementary but far from “a matching uniform.” A tried and true formula for a boy/girl sibling duo includes a patterned dress or skirt for the girl, with the boy in a solid shirt pulled from that pattern. If the little girl is wearing a solid shirt with a patterned skirt, have the boy’s top match a different color in her skirt, so that their shirts don’t match precisely. Trust me, it works! While many parents have the urge to put their boys or girls in the exact same outfit, mixing it up a bit–while still creating a pleasing overall combination–creates a considerably more interesting color palette and image.
Families
Keeping it simple without wearing uniforms
The cardinal rule of family dressing for portraits is simple: choose items for the entire family as if you were creating one outfit. If all of your choices were somehow on one person, would the result be pleasing, colorwise? A handy trick for those who are hesitant to break away from the monochrome madness is to choose one patterned item (for example a print dress for your daughter) and then select the rest of the family’s clothing from colors within that pattern.
Want More?
For clients who would like more detailed information on dressing for an upcoming session I’ve developed the What to Wear Guide. Loaded with images from past sessions as well as a listing of my favorite clothing retailers, this is the definitive guide to dressing for your session!