Growing up in my house, picture day was pretty notorious. Notoriously awful. Because… really mom… you want me to wear what?! One year, not joking, my mom put me in a *handmade* green and red plaid taffeta Christmas dress. Yes, that’s right… taffeta. And plaid. Together. Don’t believe me?
Boom.
Okay, now that I have just discredited myself from being involved in any form of styling… let’s talk about your engagement session wardrobe.
I’ve come a long way since 4th grade. Trust me.
The most important factor in regards to planning your wardrobe is fit. Even the most adorable dress will not look good if it doesn’t fit you. Same goes for the guys. Some guys prefer to wear clothes a little bit on the “more comfortable” end of the spectrum, but in a photo… comfortable reads as baggy… which reads as frumpy. So, go a size smaller on your jeans, fellas.
Another important factor is quality. Now, I’m not saying that you can’t wear something affordable in your photos, but a flimsy top from Forever 21 probably ain’t gonna cut it if you want to look polished and tailored. So shop for something with structure that shows off your figure. You’ve been working hard to get into wedding shape, so your engagement photo day is not the day to feel like you need to wear a belted moo moo in order to cover up the big lunch you had earlier in the day.
And just like your burrito from Cafe Rio that you had for lunch has a ton of layered flavors… you need to have layers to your clothing as well. I often equate this idea to the layers of coloring in a painting. The layers are what gives a piece of art texture and richness. The same holds true for your engagement photos. If you wear an adorable dress and heels, then you need to accentuate with one piece of statement jewelry. You could also have a thin belt, cute tights, a scarf, a blazer/cardigan, or other layers to play with. Please don’t forget that professional hair and makeup is part of this layering. Schedule your hair and makeup trial on the day of your engagement shoot. This way you get to kill two birds with one stone. For the fellas… always always always have on at least two shirts. If you wear a collared shirt, an undershirt is needed. If you wear a tshirt, a blazer or a cardigan is needed. Also, guys, don’t forget your watch, belt, rad socks, and some killer shoes.
If you need even further inspiration, pull a j. crew catalog and see how their models are styled… peruse Pinterest… or even click around on Banana Republic’s website.
And if all of those things fail… please do not resort to calling my mother for fashion advice.
Here’s a style board that might help.
