What you wear for your photos
can make a big difference in how you feel each time you look at them
What you choose to wear in your photos should feel authentic to your style but also not something that you would typically wear everyday. It should be comfortable,
Find your colour palette
I always recommend choosing a colour palette first to help you decide what you are going to wear. It is much easier to narrow down ideas for clothing you may already have on hand or what you may be shopping for if you have a set of colours that you are specifically looking for. Your eye becomes drawn to items of those colours which you can then breakdown if the style will work with the image you are going for. Example, if you are going for a neutral look you can go on Pinterest or Google and search neutral colour palette to decide what you colours you prefer. I do NOT suggest going down the Pinterest rabbit hole by looking for clothing specific colour palettes because you will most likely come across these perfectly curated outfits that may be unattainable, unaffordable or won't work with your personal style or body type. You can add an accent colour to add a little pop too. You can include this colour as a bowtie, bracelet, hat, belt, shoes, etc.
Check your surroundings
After choosing a colour palette the next step would be to think of your surroundings. Where will you be getting your photos done? What will the weather be like? How long will you be at that location? Will you be at other locations too? These are all super important things to consider because they can really make or break your outfit choices. You're probably not going to wear stilettos if you are in a grassy field. You most likely won't want to sport a cute mini skirt in the dead of winter when your photos are being taken outside in -15 degree weather. Your husband might not feel comfortable wearing pants and a long sleeve shirt in your engagement photos in the dead of summer. You can solve all of these problems by wearing block heels, wearing insulated leggings or putting hubby in pants and a button down short sleeve.
keep it simple
The biggest advice I can give you when it comes to outfit ideas is to - keep it simple! Don't get too many busy, complex patterns contrasting against one another and no large distracting graphics. Subtle patterns or solid colours will show up much better in your photos and be timeless compared to, big graphics, distracting patterns, etc. A maxi dress or a solid button down with khakis can be worn time and time again for photos, on top of as a guest at weddings, date days, etc.
it doesn't have to be a huge investment
Do NOT feel like you have to invest a lot in your outfits either. Some of my favourite outfits for my family photos have been found in the clearance section from Old Navy, Gap or at stores like Winners. You don't have to buy new fancy clothes for your photos either, you can make it work with what's in your closet or budgeting. Buying your man a solid coloured tee at Walmart for $8 with a pair of jeans he already has in his closet, only costs you $8. Buying your kids a bowtie on Amazon that they can wear for 4 years after your photos, might be worth the $15. It's all subject to how you want to invest in the experience.
LAY EVERYTHING OUT TOGETHER
Don't forget to lay everything out together at least a week before your session. Do this on your couch, bed or floor - it doesn't matter where as long as it's a large flat space. You should put everyone included in the sessions clothing together and lay them out flat so that you can confirm that you have everything you need for each person and that they all coordinate together well. The floral dress you picked out may look great with your kids outfits but if you lay it out beside your husbands clothes and it has too much contrast or there is too many different patterns going on you may want to rethink either your dress or his shirt.
ALWAYS HAVE A BACK UP
Never put all your eggs in one basket by choosing just 1 single outfit for your photos. You should have at least 2 equally liked outfit choices that you can choose between on the day of your photos. You may feel super cute when you try it on in the store but it may not fit you as nicely on the day of your photos if you feel bloated, or if you get your kids dressed early and they decide to roll around on the grass and get covered in stains you don't want to be in this situation without a back up. The back ups should be similar in style, match your palette and also check all the boxes to keep you comfortable with your surroundings.
Head over to my pinterest board here to find more outfit inspiration.
https://www.pinterest.ca/abmh/photography/clothing-inspiration/