What the HELL do I wear?

Wondering What the Hell to Wear for YOUR Portrait Session??

I’m here to help!

So, you’ve pondered for a long time, and have finally booked your session…What may seem like the hardest part, can be made much simpler with these 10 tips for your fine art portrait session. 

1.    Ever heard of “KISS”? Some say it stands for Keep It Super Simple.  And this doesn’t mean BORING. For this, ‘simple’ means keeping it timeless. You don’t want to look back on your images in 5 or 10 years and feel all cringey because you took the Barbie theme to an extreme! In essence, stay away from anything super trendy at the moment.

2.    Think about your color palette. You want the focus to be on you, not on the dayglo orange sweater that you’ve been hanging onto for far too long (unless you’re doing fine art portraits in the woods during hunting season) Instead, opt for neutrals or colors that everyone compliments you on. If your friends always say you look AMAZING in purple, then bring some purple!

3.    Texture is a good thing, even mixing textures up can bring a whole different level of interest. Imagine mixing a silk blouse with a wool pencil skirt. Leather and lace? Yes, please.

4.    Logos are not such a good thing. They are distracting, and again, when you look at these in a decade or two, you don’t want the images to feel dated because you had an on-trend brand or graphic as the focus of your photo.

5.    Size matters!  Imagine wearing an amazingly cute blazer and then you strike a pose where you cross your arms and then, BAM! the blazer gapes in such a way that it now looks 2 sizes too small. Of course, you want your clothes to fit, but make sure you have plenty of room to move into different poses comfortably. I keep a variety of clips and clamps in the studio just in case something looks too big. It’s much easier to fix something too big than too small.

6.    Accessorize! While I don’t think these should be over-powering, they can really help to tell a story. If you are wanting to achieve a modern twist on classic imagery, adding a pill box hat, for example, can really set the tone. Unless you are using a piece of jewelry as a statement piece for your theme, keep it simple. Scarves are awesome too, and can often be fashioned in a number of ways to get you several different looks, same with blazers and jackets.

7.    Hair and makeup matter! I always provide my clients with professional hair and makeup services. Even if you’re not one who normally wears makeup, a little highlight on the cheeks and browbones goes a long way in the finished portraits. It’s still you, just with an emphasis on your BEST facial features.

8.    Bring the suitcase! I always tell my clients they should bring at least four different outfits/looks. Of course, my clients always have access to my client wardrobe as well. I think it’s important to get a variety of outfits, just like it’s important to get a variety of poses. Don’t forget to include jewelry, accessories, and shoes. More importantly, don’t forget to bring seamless undies and bras that won’t show with your selected outfits. Panty lines are never in fashion.

9.    Bring at least ONE thing that you bought on a whim and have never been brave enough to wear. I find that clients quite often end up loving those images far more than the ones the thought were “safer”. It’s YOUR day, and you have your hair and makeup done already, so this gives us a bit of time to PLAY! This is going to be super fun, after all, so let’s make the most of it.

10.   DISCUSS! There is no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to your portrait session. You’re investing a good chunk of money and time into this, so I want you to make the most of it and feel totally prepared. I often have clients zoom with me in their closets, or send me photos of options…This is such a great idea! I also know a couple of personal stylists that I can refer you to if you feel you need a shopping buddy to help you out.