What to Wear Guide
Yay! You just booked a couple session with me, but now you may be wondering (possibly with a bit of dread) “What do we wear?!?!?!?!” Don't worry, because I’m here to help make this task a lot easier! It’s my goal to make sure both of you feel confidant in your clothing choices. I want you to have an experience you'll remember because of how awesome it was; not because you were uncomfortable in your clothing or footwear choices.
I always tell my couples that the bottom line when it comes to clothes is to wear something you are comfortable in and is “you”. If that’s ripped up jeans and a t-shirt… go for it! If you enjoy getting a little fancier, and wanna wear that flow-y dress, bring it! But I recommend utilizing clothes you already have in your closet + love to wear because you feel incredible in them. Remember that this is about authentically capturing who you are and what you look like in this stage of your life. Gals, I highly recommend asking for and considering your guy’s opinion on what you two wear. Most guys aren’t that hyped about having their photos taken and it’s only going to make things worse if he is wearing an outfit that he thinks looks stupid or is uncomfortable in.
Let's Jump In!
If in doubt on what to wear you can always bring a couple of options with you and I can help you choose from those options so that your colors + patterns work well for the environment we are in.
This doesn’t mean you have to bring your whole closet though, stick to somewhere around 3-4 bottoms and 4-5 tops each and then dresses, jackets, hats, accessories and all that jazz. Also, just a heads up that depending on where we we are shooting, you may have to change outfits in the car or in the woods. If you aren’t comfortable with that or only want to wear one outfit during the session, we can communicate ahead of time to decide on your outfit.
Compliment One Another
Along with the colors that you wear being complimentary you also want to be mindful that the styles are complimentary and where your clothes fall on the casual to formal spectrum is the same or very close to one another.
In this photo you can see how she looks a bit more dressy than he does in his long sleeve tee. A sweater, or something with a collar would have felt a bit more complimentary to her dress, OR a more casual outfit on her would have gone better with his clothes.
Both of the above photos are good examples of couples complimenting each other in the colors AND styles they are wearing. The left is a bit more formal and the right is more casual and but in both instances their outfits flow well with one another.
Choose Clothes That Make Sense
I can not stress this enough but please, please, please, be comfortable! Since we'll be shooting outside take into consideration the location and weather conditions when choosing what you bring with you. If it’s frigid out, dress accordingly with appropriate base layers, outerwear, wool socks, hats, gloves etc. If it’s the middle of summer and blazing hot, you’ll want to wear something that is breathable (natural fibers are always the best option) and won’t cause you to overheat, causing sweaty pit stains.
For shoes, wear something that you can walk or hike in easily and won’t put you in danger of turning an ankle. If we are shooting at the lake during the summer, be prepared that may have you take your shoes off.
Movement
Not only do you want to choose clothes that will keep you comfortable temperature wise, but also comfortable where the fit is concerned. Overly tight clothes or brand new clothes that restrict your movements (and keep you thinking about sucking your gut in) won’t be the best option. Which is part of the reason why I recommend sticking to clothes you already own and love instead of buying new, stiff ones. Bring clothes that are already broken in and allow you to move freely without worrying if everything is in place.
Wearing clothes or accessories that have the ability to catch in the wind and move are sooo pretty and help add energy + drama to photos… always a yes!!
Colors
I have three recommendations when it comes to colors:
1. Choose natural & earthy colors (vs overly bright or florescent colors) that are found in the setting we will be in. For a lakeside shoot, blues, whites, tans, and even some greens work well because those colors are typically found in that setting. For a lush meadow or forest setting, greens, whites, golden yellows, tan and blues will also reflect the colors of the setting, but you could also add in some brown, grey or black to mimic shadows in the grass or the trunks of bordering trees.
2. Choose colors that look good on you to be worn close to your face. Anything that creates dark under eyes, or washes out your complexion should be a no. You want colors near your face that help you look vibrant and healthy! Also as a general rule, it's a good idea to stay away from very saturated pinks, oranges, and reds because they can cast funny tints onto your skin which shows up in photos. The only exception to this is if you have dark or olive skin then it might not be an issue.
3. Avoid wearing the exact same color, in the same shade, and at the same level on your body as your partner. Instead of both of you wearing solid navy shirts, if one of you has a navy shirt on and one of you wears navy colors pants it will help keep your bodies from becoming one “blob of navy” and add dimension in the finished images.
In this photo you can see how their upper bodies kind of blend together because of the black on black shirts. Even if one of them had alternated and worn black pants and a blue shirt, it would have been enough to break things up a bit.
All three above images are great examples of outfit colors complimenting each other and the surroundings.
Patterns
Avoiding big or crazy patterns that will steal the show is a good idea. Think smaller + more subtle and limit it to one pattern per outfit combination.
Plaids are always a yes in my book!
Accessories
Jewelry, hats, scarves, sunglass, etc are all good options…Just be sure to take your watch off or leave it at home because they can take over in close up shots of your faces or hands.
Props
There are props that add to photos and props that honestly just look cheesy. What's the difference? I'd say a non-cheesy prop is anything that can be easily and naturally included into a session which tells a story or helps enhance the vibe of the photos. It could be a bouquet, your favorite food (ice cream anyone??), your pets, a campfire, a vehicle (even a motorcycle), blankets, canoes, etc. If you have an idea for props you want to include, let me know and we’ll figure out a way to include them them in a non-cheesy way!
Hair + Makeup
Should you have your hair and makeup professionally done, or go without? Again, this comes down to what you are comfortable with and what makes you feel your very best. If that’s having your hair and makeup professionally done then go for it. If you just aren't a makeup wearing kind of gal, and know how to rock the no-makeup look then go without! I don't care how you show up to the shoot, just so long as you are comfortable.
With that being said though, I do want to let you know that a camera "removes" makeup, making you look like you have less makeup on than you do in person. So please be aware of this if/when you are applying makeup. If you want to look like you have a full face of makeup on, it's going to require being a little heavier than you normally would, paying especial attention to defining the "frame" of your face: eyebrows, eyes, and lips. A good example of this is that if you want to look the same way you do in real life with just mascara on, it may be a good idea to line your eyes as well.
That's All folks!
If you have ANY questions don’t hesitate to send them my way; I’m here to help! And if you are still worried about what to wear after that, then you can text me some pics or we can put a little Pinterest board together of inspo! Remember that the most important thing even if you don’t follow any of these guidelines is to wear what makes you feel most comfortable and that you feel incredible in.