What every senior girl (and moms of senior boys) wants to know about choosing the perfect senior portrait wardrobe!
I want to discuss one of the finer points to photoshoot prep that comes up for me time and again: outfits! More than any other question, mothers ask what their high school senior should wear to their portrait session. Most seniors, especially girls, have trouble deciding what to wear, or they just don’t know how to put together a cohesive look that works well for their photos. To help make your senior portraits successful a little planning goes a long way. The first and most important decision is to make sure that the senior feels beautiful and confident in their outfit. Whatever makes them feel good is the easy answer! Above all, if they feel good, they will look good! Choose clothing that gives them freedom of movement, keeps them warm/cool, and won’t require a lot of maintenance throughout the photo shoot. Stay away from fabrics that are prone to wrinkling or cling to them in unflattering ways..Jewelry, sunglasses, scarves and hats, oh my! Throwing in a weather-appropriate accessory or two for a few shots is always fun and adds some more variety!
A lot of seniors enjoy having at least one look that is a little dressier than they would normally wear, one on the casual side and one that really shows off their personality in uniqueness. I provide a changing tent during sessions to make outfits transitions as quick and easy as possible, especially if we aren’t anywhere near a public restroom.
1.) For the casual look jeans are almost always the go-to. If you go with skinny ripped jeans, having a looser top balances the look. Off-the-shoulder blouses are a great pairing with ripped jeans.
2.) For the dressier look rompers have been the go-to choice this year, but a word of caution: rompers aren’t for everybody. Most rompers have a gathered waist band that falls at your natural waist. Often, even with thin clients, this can create a bit of a poofing out around the lower stomach area. So if you have a romper that you absolutely love, do a reality check in front of the mirror standing in a bunch of different ways to see if you like how it looks. The other tricky thing about rompers is that they can be super short. I want my clients to have tons of variety in their gallery— if you aren’t able to sit down without exposing your underwear in the romper, that’s going to cut down on a lot of poses for your shoot. Just keep that in mind. Things that are in style do not necessarily always photograph well. Find clothing items that you can move around and sit comfortably in. A cotton sundress, a maxi-dress or a formal cocktail dress are also great options. I personally think maxi-dresses look good on just about everyone. Maxi dresses and skirts are oh-so beautiful in the spring and summer! They’re light and breezy and do a wonderful job of naturally elongating the body in photos!
For my senior portrait clients this big poofy adjustable skirt is always available to be borrowed. All you have to do is ask!
3.) The third look is what stumps the most clients: casual, dressy, and then what? Often this is the opportunity to bring in one of your passions and design the look around it. A lot of seniors enjoy showing off their sports or hobbies with Letterman Jackets, Team Uniforms, College T's and more. One word of caution- if you plan to wear your letterman bring a lint brush to the shoot! Those fuzzy jackets pick up all kinds of stuff, especially if you have a dog. Another idea, if you wear a uniform from your sports team, don’t forget any additional props like the lacrosse stick, golf club, track or ballet shoes, color guard flag, rifle or saber, sports ball, or poms. Seniors who already know where they are going to college sometimes bring a t-shirt or sweatshirt with their new school logo on it for their third look. Or, if your life revolves around music, you can select an outfit that you wear when performing. And, remember, to bring a microphone or whichever musical instrument you play.
Solid colors are generally best: small patterns in clothing (even a small herring-bone or checkered pattern) can cause terrible distortions to appear in the portrait that were not originally there. Lighter shirts on top give the pictures a more casual and bright look, pastels are also usually appealing because they enhance natural skin tones, while black or other dark shirts on top give the portraits a more serious and thoughtful feel (not to mention that black is slimming). White shirts and/or blouses under a dark jacket are perfect. Traditional blue, black, and white are the most popular color session-wide, but other popular colors tend to change more on the season the portrait session is happening. I LOVE bright colors for winter and spring senior sessions! Whether you choose a bright top or colorful sundress, your brightly colored outfit will most likely compliment the new spring blooms beautifully or really pop against the white snow! A classic white or black dress is a classic choice and pretty much never go out of style! Earthy tones such as mustard, pumpkin, plum, chocolate and the entire spectrum of greens are very popular in the fall.
For senior boys a plain cotton button-down, or polo shirt with jeans or casual trousers is a great combination. Try to stick to shirts designed to be worn untucked. Button-downs with sleeves rolled up to elbows still look nice, but give a more casual look. In cooler weather sweaters layered over collared shirts, especially if they’re textured (think chunky knits) are a nice touch. Lightweight cotton T-shirts don’t photograph well and shorts are also best avoided unless it’s a scorching day, as they can be quite distracting in photographs and affect where a photograph can be cropped. For boys, look for jeans and a t-shirt, something a little nicer, like a button-down, and then a suit or a blazer with slacks. Letterman / Varsity Jackets, Team Uniforms and College T's are also big with the guys. Feel free to let their passions show though on portrait day.
Teens have their OWN sense of style – I love to let them express it however they wish. Especially if your teen is nervous, letting them express themselves through their clothing will let them feel like they had control over something. If there’s an outfit that you know is going to be a stunner, save that one for last. That way, your senior will be super-comfortable and the photos will come out more natural. Regardless of what you wear to your senior portrait photoshoot make sure that you love it, that it fits you well, and that the look is complete. Put each look together-- head to toe-- with plenty of time in advance so that if you need to run out and get something, you can. Paying special attention to having the right bra to go with each look, and having the perfect shoes will play a huge part in helping create an amazing gallery where you will love every single shot.
Last but not least, do not forget that the traditional cap and gown is always a nice addition to add variety to your senior photo gallery. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me before your portrait session. See you at your session!
This blog is written by Jessica Butterworth, a senior and family photographer at Behind the Shutter LLC in Grand Blanc, Michigan.