The proper choice of clothing is very important in making your senior portraits look really great.
Here are some simple guidelines to help you make the best choices:
Keep it simple . . .
While you should certainly pick clothes that you like, remember that the center of attention in the portrait should be you, not your clothes. Solid tone and muted colors will definitely look the best. Really try to avoid busy distracting patterns and loud prints. Avoid large bold brand names or words on clothing. They may look great in person, but in your portraits they'll fight for your attention.
The best clothing selections consist of either all light or all dark, solid colors.
If one piece of clothing is dark and one piece is light, the light clothing will appear much more prominent than the dark clothing. The same rule applies for the brightest clothing;
the brightest clothing attracts the eye and appears larger. Subtle shades of color look best.
Be careful of baggy clothes that might make you look larger than you are. Make sure your clothing flatters you.
If you think you have large arms, be careful of sleeveless styles, they can make your arms look fuller.
We'll often pick a color in your clothes and repeat it in the background. This helps to focus attention on you and makes the portrait look "coordinated".
The best portraits are ones in which one dominant color or color scheme is selected and repeated throughout.
- White or pastel colors are perfect for lighter backgrounds.
- Middle tones or deeper shades (with long sleeves) are ideal for darker backgrounds
- Solid, earthy colors are best for outdoor portraits. This would include blues, (forest) greens, and browns.
How much to bring. . .
How much to bring? Bring about eight to ten outfits and we will help you make the proper selections. Bring a variety of color, don't bring 5 blue outfits, even if it is your favorite color. TANK TOPS: Please limit tanks or sleeveless tops to less than half your outfits unless they will be covered by jackets, sweaters or long sleeve shirts. Again, as in all portraits, solid colors, long pants and long sleeves are always the very best choice.
Group your outfits together on hangars. It is amazing how many people come in with clothes stuffed in a plastic bag and wonder why they are wrinkled.
A few suggestions on what to bring. . .
Casual Stuff. What you like to wear every day. Your own unique style. Something dressier, something different - leather jacket, denim jacket, varsity jacket, hats, sweaters, ball caps, sports gear, cheerleading paraphernalia, musical instrument, vehicle, pets - anything that's important to you!
Best colors. . .
Blues, greens, beiges, burgundy, khaki, denim, white, black, red, navy, and pastels (pink, blue, lavender, peach).
- Black is great for something dramatic.
- Stone washed or light colored denims with a pastel or white top work well.
- Khakis with a white top, or all white (white pants with a white top) also work well.
- Guys - Bring a dark t-shirt to wear under dark shirts. A white t-shirt triangle under a dark shirt sticks out like a sore thumb, so bring a black or gray t-shirt.
- Solid, long sleeve, darker tones are best for your yearbook photograph.
- Guys - If you want a formal, and are going without a jacket, avoid a white shirt and tie. Dark is much better
A nice mix of clothing will make your session more fun and will give your finished portraits more variety.
Shoes. . .
Dark shoes with dark clothing; lighter shoes with light clothing. Avoid white shoes for outdoor portraits.
Sandals are fine outdoors and slip off easily for a barefoot summer look.
Avoid white socks with dark pants or dark shoes.
Glasses. . .
If you wear glasses-wear them for your appointment, but have the lenses removed or borrow frames from you optometrist. Glass glare is difficult to avoid and costly to remove.
Jewelry. . .
Keep jewelry to a minimum! Glare from large or flat jewelry can be a distraction and costly to fix.
Blemishes…
Not to worry. Our skillful retouching and enhancement techniques will take care of any blemishes, scratches, or scars, making sure you look your very best. Don't get sunburned! Avoid over exposure from the sun or tanning beds. There is not much we can do for sunburn.
Please. . .
Arrive with your hair ready. We have not allowed a lot of extra time for any major hair repairs such as rolling or curling. It is important to bring someone (preferably a mom) to assist.