Can you believe it is time to schedule your senior portraits? This is a time that you will look back on in many years down the road.
What to wear for your senior portraits is an important decision. Here are a few tips to help you narrow down your final wardrobe.
The Most Important Thing About Senior Portraits
The most important thing is to be authentic. It is important to wear something that is comfortable to you, reflecting who you really are. If you never wear dresses in real life, maybe a dress isn’t the right way to go for this picture. Or, perhaps that little black dress in your closet makes you feel more like yourself than anything you’ve ever worn. In that case, throw it on, and let’s have a photoshoot!
The Second Most Important Thing About Senior Portraits
Location, location, location! Chances are, you’ve already talked about this at length before your session. Check out our senior gallery to get some more ideas. Most of our seniors do what we call “combo” sessions. We shoot in the studio for the more formal outfits. Then we pick a location to shoot the more casual outfits.
We wrote another blog all about our favorite Houston locations…you can check that out here.
It’s important because you want to make sure you’re matching your clothing to your environment. So, for example, being in your band gear might not make sense if you’re going to the beach. And being in a bathing suit only makes sense if you’re on the swim team and we’re shooting at the pool.
Senior portraits are meant to be a freeze-frame of who you are this year. Ask yourself:
Where are the 2-5 places I spent the most time?
Where’s my happy place?
Where am I comfortable?
What location might look amazing?
Of course we can help you by making some suggestions during our consultation. These questions will help you narrow down locations to choose outfits to go with them.
So what should I wear?
When we take senior portraits, we take a wide variety of them to ensure we get a great picture of who you are. We recommend 3 or 4 diverse outfits. This gives you a nice range to choose from. Remember that we want to show who you are.
If you’re overwhelmed by options, a good rule of thumb for your senior portraits outfits is the rule of 4:
- A casual outfit. (Maybe your favorite jeans and sweater. Something comfortable and stylish. Think of something you would wear on a date.)
- A formal outfit. (Homecoming or prom attire, if you have it already. We want to show you looking your best and capture another essential moment from this vital year)
- An extra-curricular outfit. (Were you in a band? On the swim team? Maybe you did dance or football? Whatever your extra-curricular, bring along the outfit for it. This was a big part of the year and should be memorialized.)
- Your cap and gown. (If you have it. You might not have it yet, and if you don’t, you can bring an extra outfit or just stick with 3)
Try these outfits on ahead of time to make sure they fit with the vibe you are going for. Then, play around with them and make sure you’re comfortable being photographed in them. This dress rehearsal helps make sure you’re ready.
Should I bring anything with me?
The last thing to bring is props. Things that show who you are and what you did this year. Doing this provides an opportunity to have fun and showcase who you are in your senior portraits.
A few senior portraits ideas are:
- An instrument you play.
- Favorite book or textbook from this year.
- Your pet
- Sporting equipment.
How to Make Senior Portraits Memorable
Senior portraits go up on the Mom Wall of Fame. Every house has a wall covered with framed photos of each member of the family at different points in their life. Senior portraits are usually prominently featured here. Choosing comfortable outfits and reflecting your personality is a great way to make sure those pictures shine.
Are you ready to schedule a consultation to discuss your big photo shoot? We can’t wait to hear from you!