"What should we wear?" is a question that gets asked frequently by my clients. And rightfully so. Clothes are an important part of the final product. They can either enhance your portrait or steal the show, or worse, they can make it look like a snapshot. Here is a quick comparison:
Sure, my daughter is cute, but admit it, you're trying to figure out what exactly is on her shirt, right? Now look at this handsome little man. His stare is captivating and I bet you didn't notice much else.
Here is a list of questions to ask about each clothing item you're considering:
- Is it faded?
- Has it lost its shape?
- Is it pilling?
- Is it wrinkled?
- Does is have distracting patterns or wording?
- Does it look old?
If you answered yes to any of them, don't bring it! You don't have to buy brand new outfits for your session, but one or two new pieces added to your best clothes can really pull things together and make you and your family look like a million bucks.
Now let's move onto the daunting task of coordinating your outfits. Let's face it, is a tough job. There is a reason why the industry of stylists, personal shoppers and shows about what not to wear is booming. The thing I see most often is clients giving up and everyone ends up wearing either white dress shirts or black t-shirts. There is nothing wrong with that, but here is how we can make it better.
If you want to go with the white dress shirt concept, why not have another person wear a cream sweater, and someone else a pastel coloured shirt. How about some ruffle or lace trim on a tanktop layered with a light coloured cardigan? By adding different textures and keeping the colours in white, cream and light pastels, you'll add dimension to your portraits and avoid having everyone blend into a big white blob :-)
Same idea with black. Try a dark grey t-shirt or sweater. Or perhaps navy or chocolate brown. Keeping all the colours darker will unify the clothing, yet give each person their idividual look.
Below is a clothing sample in my personal favourite colour pallete of mauve, brown and creme to give you an idea of a more stylized look. It's important to have each person coordinate with every one else, eg. dad with son, siblings together, mom and daughter, etc.
I hope you found this informative, and as always, I would be happy to answer any of your questions and help you put together your outfits when you come to your session :-)
