What to Wear - Tips for looking your BEST!

What to wear, what to wear... 

This can certainly be one of the most time consuming and difficult parts of a family photo shoot. But don't fret, I'm here to help. Here are a few Do's and Do NOT's to help you coordinate your clothing choices. 

Let's start with the Do NOT's 

Don't 
1-Match! Gone are the days of everyone wearing khaki pants and a white shirt.  It's best to let your individual personalities shine through in your photographs. 

Don't 
 2-Wear colors or patterns that clash or compete against one another.  

Don't 
3. Wear sunglasses on the way to your photo shoot.  The indents that glasses leave on the nose, take at least 30 minutes to go away.  

And now for the DO's ...

DO 
1- Coordinate with pop's of color. Establish a base color, like grey, and then accent with 1 or 2 splashes of color, like yellow or turquoise. Not everyone needs to wear the accent color. For example, the Dad and son might opt to wear grey and black while the girls in the family bring in the color splashes in their outfits. See examples here

DO
 2-Layer your clothing. During the summer months this may be difficult but doing it in the other seasons brings more visual appeal and interest to your photo's. This will give you a variety of looks in your photos.  For example you can take a few photos with your sweater or jacket on, and then remove them for a more casual look. 

DO
 3-Combine colors and patterns. This is another way to gain more visual appeal. Throw in some patterns that coordinate with your color splashes. For example, a cool plaid shirt on a guy or a polk-a-dot dress for a girl will compliment solid color clothing choices. 

DO
 4-Bring your own personality in with accessories...hat's, scarves, necklaces, etc. Adding these trinkets helps to bring in your own family style and personality. For senior pictures, consider items that will help personalize your shots such as a lettermen's jacket, skateboard, musical instrument, cheer outfit or basketball if you're on the basketball team.   

DO
 5- Wear something that is flattering on you. Be mindful of clothing that highlights areas you may be self-conscious about. If you feel uncomfortable, chances are you will look uncomfortable in the photo's.

DO
6- Dress from head-to-toe (consider shoes, nail polish, etc.), and make sure your clothing is free of wrinkles. 

DO
7 - Have Fun!!!

I hope you find these tips useful. If you are still having trouble deciding what to wear, please check out some of my other posts.  In them you will find What to Wear visual guides.  It's like having your own personal shopper! Sorta...