CLOTHING SUGGESTIONS FOR BEAUTIFUL PORTRAITS
THE STYLE GUIDE
I'm so honored to be your photographer! As I have stated many times before, nothing is more beautiful to me than family and I want to create portraits that you cherish forever. While this guide covers clothing and colors, keep in mind there's an important purpose: these portraits are about YOU, not your clothes! Since my work is so light, your eye will naturally be drawn to the darkest part of the image. As an artist, I want this to be your hair and eyes (not a pair of navy pants). By dressing in light colors, we keep the focus on your faces. This guide covers everything, from where to shop to what patterns to incorporate. Ultimately, these portraits will hang in your home, not mine and the final decision about your family's wardrobe is yours. Make yourself a cup of tea and pull up a chair! We're going to make sure everyone looks great and feels confident. That's a promise.
dress for success
PINTEREST BOARDS
If you're looking for a little more outfit inspiration, I recommend heading over to my Pinterest boards to browse outfit ideas for the entire family.
FIND INSPIRATION
PINTEREST BOARDS
With the growth of online shops, shopping for your littles is more fun than ever! I recommend choosing color families (neutrals, pale blues, etc) over perfectly matching outfits. If you're looking for some inspiration or some of our favorite shops for kids, check out the link to my Pinterest boards below!
For the Littles
When picking outfits I recommend keeping in mind the word “complement” rather than “match.” For example, if Dad is wearing a blue pastel shirt, Mom may want to choose a long, soft neutral dress. It can also be a great idea to choose “color-families,” such as soft pastels or light neutrals.
WHAT TO WEAR
WARDROBE STYLING
I probably sound like a broken record at this point. Light colored clothing is essential to my photography style. Not only does it keep the focus on you, it reflects flattering light upon your face. For outdoor sessions, I enjoy shooting in strong light. If you were to wear bright colors in harsh sunlight it would reflect that color upon your skin. Did you ever play the "who likes butter" game with dandelions as a child? That's the concept! Light colors will help us avoid unnatural color casts in your portraits.
LIGHT COLORS
helpful tips
click through for more tips
I advise avoiding stripes, plaid, and polka-dot prints. When fabric is draped around a subject, these symmetrical prints often create an odd appearance called a moire effect. It's not visible to our eyes, but it is very obvious in photos. I recommend the "squint test". Squint at the clothing from a distance of ten feet, if the item appears to be a solid color it should work! The exception to this is tiny checkered prints on mens shirts. Tiny checks LOVE to create awful moire patterns. Always a winner: soft floral prints. These prints typically look great even when fabric is draped and can really help create a theme for your portraits.
KEEP PATTERNS SIMPLE
helpful tips
It's no secret, I love beautiful dresses. However, the reason why might surprise you! Flowing dresses add movement, light, and softness to your photos. They help to tell the story in your portraits and are as functional as they are pretty. Simple is the name of the game while we plan your session and nothing elaborate needs to be purchased. I'm proud to offer a client closet of ladies dresses that you may borrow for your session.
FLOWING DRESSES
helpful tips
I love denim and navy... trust me. But I strongly advise against wearing it for your session. Dark or bright blues don't work well particularly well with my editing style. Remember how we talked about avoiding distracting dark colors? I suggest wearing light khaki colored pants or light gray. For ladies who wish to wear pants, pastel colored khakis photograph very well! If you have any questions about how a certain color might photograph don't hesitate to ask!
KEEP IT KHAKI (OR GRAY)
helpful tips
If you don't feel comfortable in a dress I completely understand. If you prefer to wear pants, I suggest wearing a top with a flowing fit or with puffed or flowing sleeves. This will still add a bit of movement and interest in your images.
STATEMENT SLEEVES
helpful tips
I'm here to help! Make sure to schedule a consultation with me via Zoom to ask any questions about what to wear. I'm also happy to show you my selection of client closet dresses during our call. If you would like to borrow one, we will make arrangements for pickup in Schaumburg.
CONFUSED? HAVE AN IDEA?
helpful tips
Brands I recommend are: Zara, Jamie Kay, Noralee, Rylee + Cru, H&M, Blue Daisy, City Mouse Studio, Ele Story, and Cat and Jack. For local shops I recommend Sugar Cup Trading in Oak Park and Boutique Baby in St. Charles. I've also had good luck on Mercari and Facebook Marketplace!
WHERE TO SHOP
Many of the same rules apply, but don't be afraid to choose longer dresses for girls or soft colored suit jackets for boys. I do feel it's best to mix up the outfits a little. Especially for boys. I suggest varying shirt styles or colors slightly instead of dressing everyone the same. Henleys, sweaters, and button downs are perfect! Bare feet always look nice, but neutral colored shoes (tan sandals) are also perfect. If your kiddos live in Spiderman sneakers, you could possibly try looking at Once Upon a Child for a pair of affordably priced shoes.
OLDER CHILDREN
Since these are our tiniest subjects, it's best to dress them in an outfit that isn't overwhelming. Bubble rompers, little overalls, sweet little dresses, and onesies with bloomers always work perfectly. Patterns that don't overwhelm are also important, but don't be afraid of subtle patterns! I usually recommend bare feet, but neutral colored shoes work well too.
BABIES
FOR THE LITTLES
Brands I recommend are: Baltic Born, Red Dress, Nothing Fits But, ASOS, Rachel Pally, Pink Blush, Morning Lavender, Böhme, Fehrnvi, Ivy City, and Jessa Kae.
WHERE TO SHOP
Maternity dresses have never been more beautiful! What's better: many dressmakers are now making dresses to be bump friendly. Gone are the days of exclusively shopping at Motherhood Maternity. My favorite maternity dresses are from Pink Blush and Baltic Born. These dresses often have elastic waists that look great during any point of pregnancy and beyond.
MATERNITY
One of my favorite subjects: DRESSES! Dresses are really having a moment right now and it makes this photographer SO happy. Can we all agree to keep the puff sleeve trend going? Joking aside, there are so many dresses currently available in timeless, classic styles. You're bound to find something beautiful and you're always welcome to borrow from my client closet.
DRESSES
DRESSES AND MATERNITY
Brands I recommend are: Target, Kohl's, Banana Republic, Gap, Old Navy, and Zara.
WHERE TO SHOP
Ditch the denim and cargo pockets. Lighter colored khakis, and soft gray pants are perfect. These colors work, plain and simple.
pants
I promise to make this one simple. Solid colors are best and not all blues are created equal. I love light blue but suggest keeping it very soft (as pictured on the right). Aqua and sky blue shades often create unflattering color casts. Off white and cream is always preferable to bright white which often photographs with a blue tint. Other soft pastels such as gray and pale green also work well. Buttoned down oxfords, sweaters, and henleys all look great.
SHIRTS
SHIRTS AND PANTS
Unless you've modeled professionally, you're probably going to feel a little shy in front of the camera. I know what it's like to feel like a deer in the headlights during photos and I assure you with my gentle direction, fun prompts, and tricks to flatter, you're going to feel great during your session. No more awkward family photos. That's a promise.
You're going to feel hesitant at first, but as the session goes on and I coach you through images, I think you'll find that being photographed can actually be fun. And don't worry about your kids. I'm well versed in capturing even the busiest of little ones.
Pro tip: don't discipline your kids during your session. I'm not here to tell you how to parent, but your kids will likely be more cooperative during your session!
We're Awkward and my kids don't sit still.
The sooner the better! My weekends tend to fill up pretty quickly - especially during the spring and fall, so the sooner you reach out to me, the more likely you are to get
your desired date!
To reserve your date, I'll need a contract as well as a deposit. And if something comes up and you need to change your date, just let me know!
HOW FAR IN ADVANCE SHOULD WE BOOK?
No one wants to get dressed up just to stand in the rain. If it looks like it's going to rain, snow, hail or some other weather catastrophe, I'll be in touch via email or phone to reschedule. Rarely, if it's not raining, but it's too overcast outside, we will find another date.
WHAT IF IT RAINS?
Within a few weeks of your session, you'll receive a link to a digital gallery that will allow you to download high resolution images.
The gallery is also set up to make ordering prints, canvases and other keepsakes as easy as turning on a Roomba to clean your floors. No worrying about tricky things like color correction, DPI and image format.
