After many years of seeing my clients stress over wardrobe, I started to implement wardrobe consultations with every client who books with me. I offer this service because I want every client to feel like their experience with me was stress-free and FUN from start to finish! This service is one of the many services that I offer to ensure a great experience.
Your wardrobe consultation is included in your session fee and allows us to meet up (in-person or by zoom) as we get closer to your session date to make a game plan for the perfect outfits.
In addition to wardrobe consultations, I also offer a client wardrobe closet full of options for the whole family. Some clients will opt to borrow from the client closet, while others will opt for using the online styling program that I offer to help get us started with a plan! As you can see, there are endless ways to help make wardrobe planning stress-free and fun!
To make things easier for you, I have created a plan below to follow when putting together the perfect wardrobe for your own family’s next professional portrait session.
GETTING STARTED
For my own clients, I start by having them answer a few questions so I can get a feel for the perfect wardrobe for them. While some of these answers are not VITAL, they are all worth considering when choosing your wardrobe!
- How would you like to display your images? This is an important question because this will determine if we need to consider your home decor when choosing the color palette for your wardrobe. For example, if your home is warm tones and you plan to display images in your living room, we will want to make sure your outfits will coordinate with the warm colors within your living room decor.
- Where will your session take place? Consider where your session will take place and if the clothing style makes sense for that location. For example, if your session takes place at the beach, you’ll want to choose clothing that is light-colored. If your session is a fresh 48 hospital session, you wouldn’t want to choose a fancy wardrobe, as that would not make sense in a hospital environment. If your session will take place in your home, your will want to consider the style of your home decor. If your home has a boho vibe, you might consider dressing in the same vibe!
- When will your session take place? If you are doing a fall session surrounded by the fall leaves, consider adding layers (for warmth and texture) and choose colors that make sense for the fall season. This rings true for any season that your session takes place. You wouldn’t want to wear shorts for photos in the snow.
- What is your style? I want my clients to feel like themselves when they come to their session. If they choose an outfit that is completely out of their comfort zone, it will certainly come across that way in the images. Many clients have no idea what their style is, and that’s ok! Some have a great idea of their wardrobe style. There are three main styles we really talk about: Romantic/Dressy, Boho, and Traditional/Casual.
CHOOSING YOUR COLOR PALETTE
KEEP IT SIMPLE – GoNeutral (this is my favorite)
The easiest route to take is the neutral color route! You cannot make a mistake with a neutral color palette. Neutral colors are guaranteed to go with anything and will always give a timeless look to your images. I suggest using mostly neutral colors of varying shades and adding in a small pop of muted color.
TAKE IT ONE STEP FARTHER – Color Theory
If you want to mix things up a bit and make it more interesting, take a look at the color wheel and choose colors based on color theory. This will help you choose colors that can be combined to look great together. My advice would be to choose one main color and then use these color relationships to help determine the small pops of color that you can add in. Here is a great article to help breakdown Color Theory – https://lifehacker.com/learn-
MOMS FIRST
After I get a feel for the client’s vision for the session, their style, and the color palette, we will get started with the most important wardrobe selection, mom’s outfit. I always suggest that we start with mom’s wardrobe because it can often be the most challenging! I suggest to moms that they choose an outfit that makes them feel confident and beautiful. Then we plan everyone else’s outfits from there.
SHOES
Don’t forget about your shoes! There’s nothing worse than spending hours searching for perfectly coordinated outfits and forgetting about the shoes. You don’t want to end up with dirty tennis shoes that stick out in the images! They will show in the images, so be sure to choose something that looks clean and doesn’t clash with your outfit. For example, grey shoes are great for cool colors, and brown shoes are great for warm colors. Moms – don’t wear heels to outdoor sessions! If we are in the studio, it can be a great option because we can slip them on and off and you won’t be getting stuck in the ground as you walk across the grass!
GENERAL RULES TO FOLLOW
Things To Avoid: matching outfits, logos, large text, neon colors, clothing that doesn’t fit (too baggy or too tight), too many competing patterns (i.e., stripes and plaid together), tennis shoes, and apple watches or hair ties on your wrist. Finally, (DADS!!!) be sure to take your phone and keys out of your pockets. You can toss them in my camera bag until we finish.
Things to Do: Coordinate rather than match— instead of mixing too many colors and patterns, add interest by mixing up the texture of the clothing. Limit patterns to one person and coordinate everyone else around that pattern.
WHERE TO SHOP
Some of my favorite shops offer beautiful neutral-colored or muted-colored options, which can sometimes be difficult to find when shopping. These also offer subtle patterns and texture, which can be a great way to add interest!
MOMS: Vici, Free People, Nothing Fits But, Morning Lavender, etc.
DADS & TEEN BOYS: Henley Tees or sweaters from Target or Old Navy
BABIES: Zara, Jamie Kay, Noralee
BOYS: Zara, H&M
GIRLS: Joyfolie, Noralee
TEEN GIRLS: Joyfolie, Altar’d State, Francesca’s, Anthropologie
BOOK YOUR NEXT PORTRAIT SESSION AND SCHEDULE A WARDROBE CONSULTATION WITH ME!
Looking for a professional photographer in the St. Louis area for your next portrait session? I specialize in Maternity, Newborn, Baby, and Family portraits in-studio and on-location. Take a look at my portfolio – St. Louis Family Photographer, and contact me to request booking details. Let’s plan the perfect wardrobe for the perfect session!!!
Kelly is a mom to five little ones and a professional portrait photographer specializing in Maternity, Newborn, and Baby Milestone portraits. Her services are unique and provide a custom portrait experience that handles every detail to ensure a stress-free and custom experience.
Kelly offers wardrobe styling services and a client wardrobe closet full of styling options. She works with the best professional hair and makeup artists in St Louis to pamper her clients before their portrait session. Lastly, she offers custom design services to bring you timeless wall art and heirloom albums.
Kelly’s ultimate goal is to bring you stunning artwork that will last the test of time and can be held and cherished by future generations.
www.kellylaramore.com
