One of the most frequently asked questions we receive from our clients at Blü Studio is “What should I wear for my portrait session?”.

The answer to that largely depends on the type of shoot you will be experiencing with us. If you’re a wedding photography client, you will most likely be wearing a traditional wedding dress or tuxedo/suit. From there, it’s quite easy to put together a colour scheme and style for your bridesmaids/groomsmen, and so photographer input is not much of an issue.

It’s a slightly different story though if you are a portrait client, and picking out the perfect outfit can be quite a daunting and critical task…

So, what should you wear for a portrait session with Blü Studio?

The best thing to do is be yourself and don’t rush out to buy and outfit that you normally wouldn’t wear. A portrait isn’t just a pretty picture of yourself, it’s supposed to capture your personality and individuality too!

There are a few different types of portrait we offer at Blü Studio and depending on which one you’re booked in for, you will likely think about your clothing from a slightly different angle. For instance, if you’re coming in for an executive portrait you will probably want to be photographed in your normal business attire, maybe a suit or something a little more formal. In some cases, your portrait will be going on your website so clothing that complements the colour scheme of the site is a good idea. See the image at the top of the page on www.rolandlewis.com for an example. If you’re having a family portrait taken you might like to dress you and your family in something a little more casual. For a headshot, it might depend on the type of role you are going for or specific studio requirements.

Each of these circumstances can hold very specific requirements or personal preference but there are some simple guidelines that can be followed in each case…

First of all, solid colours are best. Stripes and patterns tend to be a bit distracting and take the focus away from your face. In a family portrait, it always looks best if each person is wearing similar outfits. Blue jeans and black shirts look great! White shirts are also nice but try to avoid bolder colours like red and green as they can sometimes take away from your normal skin tone.

Long sleeves are also a good idea. If you show the skin of your arms it can draw attention away from the face. Turtlenecks can help to accentuate a women’s figure as can a nice v-neck. Round collars don’t have quite the same effect and are not as flattering.

It’s nice to dress up for your photos if you feel jeans are a little too casual. As long as you think about the coordination you should be okay. If your shoot is an outdoor one, earth tones tend to work quite well. Black and white, as previously mentioned, go with just about any setting so if you’re looking to play it safe, that might be the way to go…

Your clothing choice is really key to determining the final outcome of your portrait. It can help to set the mood or atmosphere as fun and casual or elegant and formal. Try not to detract from your facial features with bold, overwhelming patterns and just relax… enjoy your session and have fun.

If you have any questions about dressing for a portrait please let us know and we’ll do our best to answer them for you…