Spring & Summer Style Guide!


A question I most commonly get when people get ready for their photo session- What should we wear? I created this style guide to hopefully answer that question and get you excited for your session! Let's get you feeling confident and ready to go.


These are clothing tips I have learned along the way, after editing many sessions!

COLOR

When choosing color(s) for your outfits, I recommend selecting soft, light tones and muted shades. By avoiding ultra-bright, bold colors, it will help bring all the attention to your faces.

For spring and summer the camera loves soft pastels and neutral pinks, sage green, light grays, navy, creams, tans/beige, denim, and soft whites. This soft color palette fits beautifully into almost all natural outdoor environments.


**Black becomes very shapeless but makes a good contrasting color.


Think:

 

Natural

Warm

Creams

Browns

Light Blues or rich denim


"HARD" to edit COLORS:

Red

Bright purples

Orange

(The hue of red changes often with editing)

Family //

 

My number one principle for dressing a family for their photo session is "coordinating, not matching."


 1) START WITH A "THREE CORE COLOR" PALETTE OF NEUTRALS & NEARLY-NEUTRALS

Before you go unloading your whole family's dressers and drawers, you can simplify this process with a plan. And the plan is to pick a palette. Start by selecting a base plus 2-3 colors from the neutral and nearly-neutral swatches below and build most of the outfits using those 2 to 3 colors.


Note: black becomes very two-dimensional and blob-like in photos, so if you want to incorporate black, keep it to a minimum and keep it on the bottom half of the outfit if you can. 

I highly advise against red.

2) ADD ONE OR TWO ACCENT COLORS

If you want to add a bit of variety, or if you can't find a complete outfit from your 3 core colors, add in one or two accent colors, to be used less frequently than the core colors.

These colors should complement the neutrals and nearly-neutrals that you're already using. 

Finish off by adding nonessential clothing items such as wraps, sweaters, hats or statement accessories such as watches, bow ties, bracelets, hair bows, and jewelry that fits the core and accent colors. 

CUT & STYLE

​Ladies- Flowy dresses and skirts look amazing on camera because they bring extra movement to the photos, especially when juxtaposed with nature, like our dramatic Southern California beaches, canyons, and grassy hillsides. Consider a cut that allows for beautiful movement in the images.

 

Men- Nice fitting button up, long sleeve or sweater. Layering can be fun! Denim jacket or a solid color jacket could look good. 

A solid colored shoe. You can never go wrong with brown leather shoes! a simple slip on shoe would also work ok. Skip the running shoes!



FABRICS & PRINTS

Fabric selection has the power to add positive interest or negative distraction to your photos. 


A solid-colored fabric is always a winner, but if you don't want to wear (or don't have) a solid-colored dress, select a print that is minimalist and understated, rather than bold and design-forward. Think dainty florals, repetitive geometric motifs, checkered patterns.

​Another way to add visual interest is to opt for texture like lace, seersucker, linen, denim, chiffon, or tulle.