What do I wear?

Clothing can make or break a photo-shoot. No matter the photographers portrait photography skills, if the outfits aren’t right, the images will just feel…off. I know this from experience.

That’s why you must take steps to ensure the clothe you wear fit with the photo-shoot theme, the environment, your personality, and more.


In this article, I share several key tips for choosing the right clothes for photo-shoots. I also offer a handful of ideas and examples; that way, if you’re struggling to pick the perfect clothing, you can always refer back to my list for inspiration.


Note: You plays the most important role in any photo-shoot – so while I offer advice on what to wear, I like to ensure the outfits match your preferences. I always ask to send me some of your outfit ideas before the big day, and I’ll offer comments and suggestions. But Ill never force you to dress in a way that makes you uncomfortable!

How to choose photo-shoot clothing: quick tips

In this section, I offer my best tips for advising clients on clothing choices.


1. Tailor the clothing to the type of photo-shoot


Every type of photo-shoot is different. And different photo-shoots call for different outfits! A corporate photo-shoot may require formal clothing, but an engagement photo-shoot is often far more informal, and a sibling photo-shoot is more casual still.

Once you book your session and determine the type of photo-shoot you are seeking, it can help to do some Googling. Look at images taken by other photographers, and ask yourself: How does the clothing affect the mood? How does it fit with my goals?


And if you’re not completely sure what you wants, ask your photographer – or at least have a discussion about it. Are you interested in a formal session? Or do you want the images to look more informal? You can have different ideas about the seriousness of a portrait session, so it’s best to clarify any confusion from the get-go.

2. Think about the type of Photo-shoot

In my experience, clients generally fall into one of two categories: styled or casual.

Styled clients like to think about every detail of their shoot, including:

  • The look and feel they want
  • The color scheme, location, and props they want to use
  • Makeup and accessories
  • The final outcome of their shoot (i.e., products and prints)

Casual clients, on the other hand, just want to capture some memories. They generally hope to wear their standard outfits and showcase what they do as a family. They’re not too worried about location or clothing; they just want lovely photos of their family or themselves, and they plan to simply take the digital files and store them safely (so they can print them as needed).

And while casual you may wish to wear their everyday clothing. If the photoshoot includes multiple people, you don’t want them all to clash. And if you’re doing a solo photoshoot, the clothing should complement you and the environment (and definitely shouldn’t distract!).

3. Pick a specific theme

Some clients like doing themed photo-shoots, whereas others don’t – but if you are hoping to keep things themed, then you should make sure it’s specific, then tailor your outfit suggestions accordingly.


I always encourage my clients to keep the theme detailed. A “glamour” theme is pretty broad, whereas “moody forest” is a lot more workable. It’s also important to keep things simple within the chosen theme; don’t go overboard with complex clothing and makeup, elaborate settings, props, and so on.

For me, a theme just provides context. The focus of the photo-shoot is still about ensuring you look good, look natural, and love the way you look.

Keeping it simple is best!

4. Consider the location

When you’re choosing photo-shoot clothing, it’s important to think about the location – because different locations offer different colors, textures, and lighting that can complement (or clash with) your outfits.


If you have serious outfit preferences, it’s best to pick the outfits first, then choose the location afterward. When you’re dealing with more complex clothing choices, a location that provides a simple but effective background will work best.


However, if you are less interested in picking outfits, it can make sense to start with a location and only then determine outfit options.


If you’re shooting in a busy location (e.g., a city or a market) where you can’t avoid being surrounded by people, I’d suggest choosing plain, non-printed outfits. This will help you stand out despite the busy setting. (When I shoot in these locations, I sometimes use a wide aperture or drag the shutter to blur everything but the client.)

On the other hand, if the location is a park where you can find a quiet spot with trees, foliage, or sky as the background, then you can wear florals and even busy patterns.


Here are some other locations that can work well as backgrounds:

  • A brick wall (or any textured surface)
  • Large murals
  • Alcoves
  • Corners
  • An old building
  • Orchard

And remember: It’s important to maximize contrast between the outfits and the location. In other words, plain clothing in busy locations and busy clothing in plain locations. Make sense?

5. Don’t forget the time of year

This tip is pretty obvious: Make sure that the photo-shoot clothing matches the season! You don’t want to spend the entire session shivering (or, conversely, sweating!).


I do encourage my clients to bring a change of outfits in case they want a different look. Some take me up on the offer, while others don’t. Depending on your location, the weather can change quite dramatically. In autumn and spring, you can sometimes have all four seasons in one day, so it can be helpful to have several clothing options on hand.


I also encourage my clients to dress in layers. If the sun comes out, they may want to take a layer off, and if it becomes windy, they may want to put some layers back on. You can also bring handy props in case of interesting weather such as rain or snow; photos under an umbrella pretty much always look great!


6. Consider your Photographers style

Do they have a consistent style? For instance, do they capture dark, moody portraits? Bright, airy photos? Glamorous, bold shots?


What to wear: general outfit advice

Now that you’re familiar with the various elements to consider on outfits, here is my general advice:

  • Classic is good. It’s tough to go wrong with timeless outfits and colors: chinos, khakis, beige and blues, nature hues, pastels, shirts, and simple dresses.
  • Floral and prints are nice. If you’re working with a simple background, try going for just floral or even an eclectic mix of prints and patterns. Pairing prints with stripes can also work sometimes.
  • Use a mix of matching colors. Keep the colors harmonious, but avoid perfect matches from subject to subject (i.e., don’t have an entire family dress in white shirts and blue jeans). Avoid stark contrasts such as green and red or yellow and purple. Instead, aim to put warm tones (yellows, oranges, pinks, red, and even warm greens) together and cool tones (blues, purples, and standard greens) together. An explosion of bright colors could also work, although you should shoot it against a plain background or setting.
  • Keep clothing consistent. If shooting couples or group portraits, avoid extreme differences from subject to subject. You don’t want to capture one person with a casual knitted sweater and the other with a silky dress. Such significant contrast can be jarring! Black and white is another combination that’s intense unless done intentionally.
  • Combine dark and lights. If photographing adults and kids, make sure the adults wear dark clothes while the kids dress in light or bright clothing. Do it the other way around and the adults will dominate the scene while the kids will disappear.