"What should I wear?"
It’s one of the most common questions I get before a photo session, and for good reason! Choosing an outfit for photos can somehow feel much harder than getting dressed on any other day. You want to look good, feel comfortable, and choose something that will photograph well, all without feeling like you’re wearing something that isn’t you.
The good news? It doesn’t have to be complicated! A few simple choices can make a big difference in how your photos come together. Whether you’re planning engagement photos, senior portraits, family photos, professional headshots, or simply updating your portraits, chances are you already have something in your closet that will work beautifully.
So, before you start ordering an entirely new wardrobe or pulling everything out of your closet, let’s go over a few simple things to keep in mind when choosing what to wear for your photo session.
1. Start With Something That Feels Like You
Before we talk about colors, patterns, or anything else, this is the most important piece of advice I can give you:
Wear something you feel good in.
Your photo session should reflect you. If you would never normally wear a flowy dress, you absolutely do not need to show up to your session wearing one just because you’ve seen it in other people’s photos.
The same goes for anything that feels too tight, too formal, too revealing, too stiff, or simply not like you.
When you’re uncomfortable in an outfit, you tend to think about it. You adjust it. You tug at it. You worry about how it looks. I would much rather have you arrive in something that makes you feel comfortable and confident so we can focus on creating beautiful images together.
These are guidelines, not rules. Your personality and personal style should always come first. That’s one of the biggest things I emphasize when helping clients prepare for their sessions.
2. Keep Your Colors Simple
Color can have a surprisingly big impact on a photograph.
In general, neutral, muted, earthy, and softer colors photograph beautifully because they complement the people in the image rather than competing for attention.
Think about colors like cream, ivory, tan, camel, warm browns, sage, dusty blues, blush, mauve, navy, charcoal, burgundy, and forest green.
That doesn’t mean you can never wear a brighter color. If a bold color is part of your personality and you love yourself in it, that matters! But in general, I recommend being cautious with neon colors or extremely bright, saturated shades because they can quickly become the first thing your eye notices in the photograph.
Your clothing should complement the photo, not become the entire photo.
There’s also much more that can go into choosing the right colors, including your skin tone, the season, your session location, and what everyone else in the photos is wearing. I could write an entire blog about color alone!
That’s actually one of the reasons I created a much more detailed Session Style Guide for my clients. Once you book with Cardinal Creek Portrait Co., you’ll receive the full guide to help with all of those little decisions as you plan your session.
3. Coordinate, Don’t Match
If more than one person will be in your photos, you do not need matching outfits.
In fact, coordinating usually looks much more natural than everyone wearing the same thing.
Start by choosing two or three colors that work nicely together, then build everyone’s outfits around those colors. Your clothing should look like it belongs together without looking like everyone went shopping for the exact same shirt.
For example, one person might wear cream, another camel, and another warm brown. Or you could combine sage green with cream and warm tan.
This works especially well for couples, engagement sessions, and families because it gives the finished gallery a cohesive look while still allowing everyone to have their own style.
4. Be Careful With Logos, Graphics, and Busy Patterns
You don’t necessarily have to avoid patterns altogether, but simpler usually photographs better.
Large logos, words across a shirt, bold graphics, and extremely busy patterns can pull attention away from your face. Some very small, repetitive patterns can also cause an odd ripple or shimmer effect when photographed.
Texture, on the other hand, can be beautiful.
Linen, cable-knit sweaters, lace, embroidery, and other subtle textures can add visual interest without overwhelming the image.
If you’re deciding between something simple and something extremely busy, I’ll almost always recommend the simpler option.
And before your session, give everything a quick once-over. Wrinkles, lint, stains, pet hair, missing buttons, and worn-out shoes have a funny way of becoming much more noticeable once they’re photographed!
5. Think About Where Your Photos Are Being Taken
Your location should play a role in choosing your outfit.
Here in Ithaca and throughout the Finger Lakes, we have everything from waterfalls and wooded trails to parks, open fields, lakes, and more urban settings. An outfit that looks great in one environment may feel completely different in another.
For a wooded location, earthy colors like sage, cream, camel, and warm brown can complement the natural surroundings beautifully.
For an open field or meadow, softer colors and flowy fabrics can work especially well. A little wind can actually be a good thing when your clothing has some movement to it.
If we’re shooting near the water, lighter colors and fabrics can create a relaxed look, and depending on the location, you might even end up barefoot!
And please think about your shoes. Some of my favorite Finger Lakes photo locations require a little walking. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing comfortable shoes to get there and bringing the shoes you actually want in your photos with you.
6. Dress for the Finger Lakes Season
If you’ve spent any amount of time in Upstate New York, you already know that our seasons can make wardrobe planning interesting.
For spring, soft colors and light layers work beautifully. Layers are especially helpful when the temperature can change throughout the day.
During summer, breathable fabrics like linen and cotton can help keep you comfortable. Lighter colors and flowy fabrics are also beautiful for outdoor sessions.
Fall is perfect for texture and layering. Sweaters, boots, flannel, knits, and rich earth tones work beautifully with fall foliage.
And yes, we can absolutely take beautiful photos in winter! Coats, scarves, cable knits, boots, and intentional layering can become part of the look instead of something you’re trying to hide.
Whatever the season, comfort still matters. If you’re freezing, overheating, or miserable in what you’re wearing, it’s going to be much harder to relax and enjoy your session.
7. Don’t Forget the Little Things
Once you’ve figured out the main outfit, take a minute to look at the entire picture.
Shoes matter. Accessories matter. Wrinkles matter.
You don’t need to obsess over every tiny detail, but it’s worth laying everything out ahead of time and looking at it together.
Are your shoes clean? Does your jewelry complement the outfit without overpowering it? Does everything fit comfortably? Does anything need to be steamed? Is there lint or pet hair hiding somewhere?
If you normally wear glasses, wear your glasses! They’re part of you. Just make sure the lenses are nice and clean before your session. If you wear transition lenses, keep in mind that they may darken during an outdoor session.
Taking care of those little details ahead of time means there’s one less thing to think about once you’re in front of the camera.
8. When in Doubt, Bring Options
Can’t decide between two shirts?
Bring them.
Not sure whether the dress or the jeans will look better at the location?
Bring both.
Having another option available can be helpful if something doesn’t look quite the way you expected once we’re at the location.
Just keep in mind that not every session includes time for multiple outfit changes, so if your session includes one outfit, arrive in your primary choice and ready to go.
Still Not Sure What to Wear? I’ve Got You.
If you’ve made it this far and you’re still staring at your closet thinking, “Okay...but what should I wear?” don’t worry.
This blog is meant to give you a starting point. There’s a lot more that can go into planning what to wear depending on you, your session, the location, the season, and who will be joining you.
That’s why every Cardinal Creek Portrait Co. client receives my complete Session Style Guide before their session. It goes much deeper into colors, coordinating outfits, skin tones, seasons and locations, patterns and fabrics, different types of sessions, and even how to prepare the day before and day of your photos.
But the guide isn’t where my help ends.
Send me photos of the outfits you’re considering. If you’re stuck between two options, ask me what I think. If you’re shopping specifically for your session and aren’t sure what to look for, reach out. You can even send me a Pinterest board if that’s the easiest way to show me the look and feel you have in mind.
You don’t need to become an expert at styling yourself for photos before your session. That’s part of what I’m here to help with.
At the end of the day, the goal isn’t to make you look like someone else or put you into an outfit that doesn’t feel natural.
The goal is to create photos that feel like you, in this season of your life, and that you’ll still love looking at years from now.