What To Wear - Spring 2011

"Amy, what should we wear for our portraits?"
This is the single most common question that I get. I've often tried explaining to my clients that their wardrobe should mesh well and be similar but not identical. Colors should be complimentary and vibrant but not overly loud. And most importantly, your clothing should reflect who you are.
Clothing is such a large part of your portraits. They help set the mood of your portraits and aid in portraying who you are. What we wear says a lot about us, and don't we all want to be perceived in the best way? Clothing can also bring energy into a picture with it's color. Dull photos often have a lackluster feel to them, but images with vibrance stir emotion and leave lasting impressions. Not to mention they look great hanging on a wall!
I've put together some examples of what would look great in your family portraits, or even as an individual portrait.
Now for what I've noticed that does NOT work well for photos.
At the top of my list is stripes! Unless you are trying to look like you've put on some weight, I highly suggest avoiding stripes - especially horizontal ones! Even the skinniest of people rarely look good in stripes. There is one exception to this rule though - the pen striped suit!
Next on my list is polka dots! Good for kids (in moderation) bad for adults. Do I really need to elaborate on this one?
And of course there are colors that should be avoided at all costs. The obvious - anything neon! Unless you are trying to dress like you're in a bad music video from the 80s, biking/walking at night or are hunting with Dick Cheney, I would avoid neon colors all together. Orange is another color to avoid. It may look good in your clothing, but on camera not so much. It's best to just stir clear of this color.
Now that you have an idea of what to look for and what to avoid, there is one more step that should be taken. Iron your clothes! I realize how ironic this statement is, as my examples show wrinkled pants, but nonetheless this is an important step that is frequently overlooked. You would be amazed at how dominant wrinkles look in a picture. So please, save yourself and your photographer the headache and just iron your clothes. On a side note, removing the lint and hair from your clothes is a great idea too!
I've said my peace. Hopefully you've found all this information useful and will be able to pick the right outfit(s) for your portraits.
Happy Shopping!