We all know that iconic scene from the Christmas movie, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, where the Grinch is invited to a party and he asks himself, “But what will I wear?!”

He comments that everything in his closet is “ugly”, “stupid”, or “outdated”. After trying a few things on, he says, “That’s it! I’m not going!!”

RAISE YOUR HAND IF THAT’S BEEN YOU A TIME OR TWO… 😉

My hand is for sure raised!

If you need a good laugh, just go ahead and watch this 2-minute scene for yourself and see if you can relate 😉

I’m sure by now you’re thinking… What does the Grinch and photography have to do with each other?!

One of the number one things people ask when booking a session with me is about their outfits. What colors are best? What about patterns? Should everyone match? Are certain clothing items more flattering for photos than others? Should I go casual or dressy?

All of these are such valid questions! And I don’t want you to feel like the Grinch when it comes to your photo session! About a year and a half ago I decided it was about time that I help my clients with this overwhelming problem of outfit decision making! I know it can be such a dread!

I love having an online blog and portfolio to help give my clients location and outfit inspiration, however I also created a Portrait Session Style Guide! My Style Guide is an online magazine-style catalog with alllll the answers to the top questions I get asked about what to wear! It explains in depth and uses photos I have taken to help illustrate how outfit choices can actually elevate your session to a whole ‘nutha level!

I wish I could share all the goodness that the Style Guide offers, but I actually reserve it as a FREE gift to all of my clients when they book! But, I wanted to share just a few practical tips that I love when it comes to choosing outfits for your photo session!

The family session shown here is one of my favorites! I wanted to share it with you because I love the outfits that the Milazzo family chose for their photos! They totally took the Style Guide and applied it beautifully!!

Also, if you’ve been on the fence, thinking about scheduling a photo session with me, visit the Portrait Session FAQ page for all the details OR send me a message!

Tips for Choosing Outfits for Your Photo Session

+ Neutrals & Muted Color Shades

Neutral colors and muted color shades tend to photograph better than bold, bright, or harsh colors. I typically recommend to lean towards light blues, whites, grays, blush pinks, olive greens, etc rather than reds, blacks, traditional blues, or yellows.

+ Dress it up!

This is my favorite tip. I think we can all agree to that fact that when you look good, you feel good! Dresses and skirts are more flattering on women than leggings or jeans, and a nice collared button-up shirt or vest looks best on the men as opposed to t-shirts!

+ It’s all in the details

Avoid clothes with distracting patterns. When you see your photos, your eye should be drawn to WHO is in the photo first, not the distracting clothing item. Patterned clothes should be subtle in order to achieve the best look! For the ladies, add a cute statement necklace or hat and some heels. For the men, add a nice watch and a dressier pair of shoes! For the kids, I love when girls wear flowers or a bow in their hair, and when the boys have a freshly ironed collared shirt!

+ Coordinate, don’t match

Pick a color scheme of about 4-5 different colors that coordinate well together. Make sure to tie in each color with variety in your outfits! Not everyone needs to wear the same color shirt and don’t be afraid to mix up the colors on the tops and bottoms! For shoes, instead of all the girls wearing sandals, one could wear booties, another heels, and another flats! Try not to be matchy-matchy, but definitely coordinate!