start by choosing a casual outfit and a dressy outfit
I always recommend at least one casual and one dressy outfit for your session! When you start off with this goal in mind, picking out your outfits is a loooot easier! For your casual outfit, think about wearing jeans or shorts with a cute top! You could wear your favorite pair of jeans/shorts, some jeans that have a design embroidered on them, jeans that have patches, ripped jeans, or jeans that have two different washes on them! Then you can pair your jeans or shorts with a babydoll tank top, a cute blouse, a peplum top, or really any top that you want! You can even bring a cute jean jacket, cardigan, or anything else to put over your top to spice up the outfit a little bit and add another layer! For your dressy outfit, think about wearing a dress, skirt, or romper! Dresses are always a super easy option because you don’t have to worry about finding a shirt to go with it! Flowy dresses are alwaaays a perfect option! Free People always has the most amazing dresses ever! Having both a casual and dressy outfit will give you a great variety of different photos!

earthy colors. that’s it. that’s all you need to know.
No, really… if you take any advice from this, please let it be wearing earthy colors!! Earthy and neutral tones are PERFECT for photos because they don’t take away from you or the background. Wearing super bright neon colors is extremely distracting and honestly it takes away from the overall photo. Do you want the attention to be on you or your outfit? For the focus to truly be on you, earthy/neutral tones are great. When I say earthy and neutral tones I’m not saying you can only wear whites, grays, and blacks! There are earthy variations of every single color! Instead of wearing highlighter yellow, wear mustard yellow. Instead of wearing Barney purple, wear an eggplant color. Instead of red, wear maroon. I could go on forever! If you go on Pinterest and search “earthy tones” you’ll find a ton of great colors. I also have a color palette Pinterest board (that can be found here) that’s filled with colors that look great together. Also, if you wear bright red or pink and you have a fair skin tone, sometimes that color can reflect onto your skin and create an unflattering color cast. Long story short, stick to earthy colors!!

Stick to your own style
I feel like there’s sort of some pressure to wear clothes that aren’t truly who you are. You see what your friends are wearing or you may think that your style is a little “out there” but trust me, what your friends wear doesn’t apply to you and your style is perfect because it makes you who you are! If you loooove vintage clothing, please wear that!! If you hate dresses, don’t wear one! For some reason choosing outfits seems to be overcomplicated but really, you could wear what you already have in your own closet! Sticking to your style and what you love will ensure that you feel comfortable, that you love your photos, and that your photos will represent exactly who you are!

options, options, and more options!
Just because you plan on only wearing two outfits to your session doesn’t mean you can’t bring more than two outfits! If you’re stuck on what top to wear with what pants, or you’re stuck deciding between two different dresses, always bring them along! When you bring multiple options, your photographer can help piece together what will look best with the location and lighting! Now I’m not saying don’t put any thought into your outfits and bring your whole closet along… I’m just saying bring a few options so that your photographer can help you! Photographers will always know what photographs the best, so letting them help choose your outfits will take some stress off of you and you’ll know it’ll look good in photos!

if you try something on and dance in it, bring it
I think all girls can relate to this: You’re in the dressing room, you try on something new, and suddenly you’re having a dance party by yourself to whatever music is coming from the store’s speakers. When you start dancing in something that means you feel great and confident in it! When you feel confident in what you’re wearing your personality will really shine through! Plus, if you’re dancing in something that means it’s comfortable, which is always a plus!!

think about adding layers and accessories
Adding layers can mean throwing on a jean jacket, a cardigan, a leather jacket, a jacket with some fringe, literally any type of outerwear! Mixing textures is also super fun and makes the photo more interesting! For example, you can layer cotton and denim or silk and leather! When you layer, make sure the colors compliment each other by limiting the colors to one or two color families. Accessories can also be SO fun to add into your photos! I love when seniors incorporate cute hats into their photos because there’s so much you can do with them and they’re easy to take on and off! You can also wear a cute belt, rings, layered necklaces, a bracelet, a hair scarf, or cute earrings! These little details can make your outfit look more thought out and put together.

bring along one fun outfit
Your fun outfit can be your letterman jacket, your college t-shirt, your team uniform, a super fun dress, or something that is suuuper trendy. Since you’re going to wear a casual and more formal outfit, throwing in a fun outfit can shake up your session and allow you to do some more fun poses! Showing off your school spirit is a great thing to incorporate in your senior pictures because you’re only a high school senior once!! This is such a fun time in your life, you should live it up! Also, wearing a super trendy outfit can be lively, especially if you’re really into fashion! Your trendy outfit could be a cute jumpsuit, something that’s cheetah print, a graphic t-shirt with a leather jacket, boyfriend jeans, really anything you want! Throwing in a fun outfit just mixes things up and you can truly show off your personality, all while still getting those classic casual/formal outfit photos.