8 tips on what to wear for a portrait session


Have you ever been so excited about your portrait session that you have no idea what to wear? Well, let me give you some tips!


  1. Solid Colors are better -These put more of the focus on you & in all honesty, easier to edit. When picking out your outfits, keep in mind that darker solid colors will make you appear more slender on the camera & if you're wanting to stand out, pick a vibrant primary piece to go with your outfit such as a scarf, or jacket.
  2. Avoid Patterns, Logos & Graphics- These types of clothing are extremely distractive and are very hard to edit out if such need arises. They draw the attention away from you.
  3. Sometimes the more simple, the better- a t-shirt with jeans, a dress, slacks, jackets. You will feel way more comfortable! If you wear a more complex outfit, then you may find yourself always checking to make sure it looks okay.
  4. Remove the lenses from your glasses- This sounds crazy, I know. However the lenses on your glasses can leave a weird glare on the camera lens and have your images looking foggy. Take out the lenses during your session or throw in some contacts!
  5. Wear clothes that give you confidence! If you have a specific shirt that you just love, then incorporate it into your session! During a session, when you wear clothes that you feel comfortable and confident in , it reflects your emotions and body language in your images!
  6. For family & group sessions- wear clothing in with a similar color palette- This is to show that you are a group and belong together. You wouldn't want to dress your children in bright orange and then you and your significant other are in dark blues. All the attention would go to your children instead of the family as a whole.
  7. Minimize Jewelry- jewelry can be a huge distraction from you! I recommended if wearing jewelry, keep it to small and minimalist pieces.
  8. Dress for the weather! Do not make yourself uncomfortable! If it's cold, bring a cute hat & set of gloves that match your outfit! it's hard to get great emotion from you when your miserable and uncomfortable! If you don't want to wear a hat or gloves, etc. for your photos, still bring them and wear them in between poses & locations!


There are multiple other tips and tricks on what to wear and what not to wear for your portrait sessions! The above 8 are the main ones I stick to. Most of all, I tell my clients to make sure they are comfortable!