Good ideas:
Wearing outfits in the same color family (light blue and dark blue, etc.)
Dark, muted colors that you can find easily in nature (i.e.: greens, blues, browns)
Solids or simple patterns
That hot little black dress with bright colored high heels!
Fitted clothing – big, baggy shirts can make you look a lot larger than you are
Comfortable clothes you can sit, stand, run, and jump around in
Nice jeans, paired with a dressy top
Accessories like funky necklaces, jackets, hats, scarves, sunglasses, etc.
Bring one very dressy outfit and one very casual outfit
Bad ideas:
Bright white shirts
Wild patterns or horizontal stripes
Shirts with writing on them
Sleeveless shirts
Polo shirts on girls – for some reason, very few girls can pull this off well. If you really want to wear a polo, make sure it is fitted for a woman’s body, and not cut straight on the sides.
Shirts with short hemlines – the bottom edge of the shirt should hit at your hips or lower
Exact matching outfits – it might seem cute now to wear the exact same outfit, but in a few years, you will hit yourself for being so chees
- Try to pick outfits in the same color family (light blue and dark blue, etc.) or in two colors (girls in pink shirts, boys in brown).
- Jeans are great…whatever you normally wear is what you will be most comfortable in.
- Bold colors are fine as are earth tones. Try to stick to solids or simple patterns. Don’t be afraid of color!
- Accessories like funky ties, necklaces, jackets, hats, scarves, etc. I also LOVE props. A favorite toy, a musical instrument, a skateboard, an umbrella….anything that shows your personality.
- Bring one very dressy outfit and one very casual outfit (you can change in the car it will be fun!)
- Cowboy hats and boots are great!
- colorful funky shoes – especially on children (think Converse)
what NOT to wear
- too much white
- shirts with writing on them
- sleeveless shirts
- baseball caps
- sunglasses
- (remove pens and cell phones, pagers, pens, etc from your body before your pictures)
If you put some time in effort into planning your outfits it will make a world of difference in your photos. There are exceptions to every rule. You may look great in a pink boa or a pair of overalls. Don’t stress! Just be yourself.