What to wear to your photo shoot?
What to wear for portraits is a common question that get’s asked frequently.
In the early 1900’s everything was captured in black & white so many photos featured men in dark suits and women in light colored dresses. Because there were only 2 colors back then, the photo’s tended to look fairly harmonious making the subjects look “related”. Today color can often make or break a group photo. Sometimes if difficult for many of us to identify what makes a great photo but we often know a bad one when we see it. Here are a few time tested nuggets for deciding what to wear:
COLOR
Our eye is attracted to the brightest areas of a photo first. For portraits we usually want this to be our faces and expressions (unless we’re in the fashion industry where the clothing is the hero) and should avoid loud, distracting colors, patterns or logos.
Muted or neutral earth tone solid colors tend to work best, e.g. tans, greys, blacks, browns, beiges, navy blues, greens, reds, burgundy etc. Wedding portraits look good because the bridal party is wearing similar colors or tones - the same holds true for family photos, it makes us look connected. We don’t have the wear the exact same clothing as long as the color tones are similar and in harmony.
Keep the top and bottom of similar tone if possible - a white top and dark pants make the top look larger. A dark top and white pants make our bums look larger.
In general, darker tones absorb light, make objects recede and are more slimming to the body. Lighter tones reflect light and make things appear larger.
Choose dark socks and footwear.
There are some exceptions as noted in the photo above where a flannel holiday pattern is worn by all. The black/red color is darker and shows off the faces nicely while the same shirts bond the beautiful family together.
STYLE
Pick the style you want to convey, casual, comfortable, formal, semi-formal, relaxed etc. This is totally up to you but just make sure all members dress similarly if its a family or group portrait. Consider an outfit change to give you a couple different looks or vibes.
Choose a top with sleeves to at least the elbow. Your arms have more skin area than your face. Completely bare arms will fight your face for attention and may make your arms look larger.
Keep jewelry simple and minimalistic so it doesn’t distract from your face and expression.
Choose clothing you like. If you choose something you look & feel good in, it will reflect in your attitude which will show up in your photos.
These are general suggested guidelines, not absolutes, and can be modified. Above all, approach your session as a fun and enjoyable event that it’s intended to be and don’t hesitate to ask an experienced portrait or family photographer for suggestions.