What to Wear to Your Senior Picture Session – The Ultimate Guide
Table of Contents:
Things to Think About When Choosing Outfits
Things to Think About When Choosing Outfits
When thinking about what you to wear to your senior picture session, there are a few very important things that you should keep in mind that we will talk about in this senior session outfit guide.
- Patterns should be small and not distracting. Large patterns will take away from your pictures and distract from your beautiful face
- Comfort is key, you should be comfortable in everything that you wear
- Movement is important, so think of things that you can wear that will add movement
- Pick Outfits that are true to you. I suggest a casual outfit, a “formal” outfit, and a school-related outfit if you have one
- Hair and Makeup should look like YOU, you shouldn’t be looking back at your pictures in a year and say, “that doesn’t even look like me”
- Accessories should be used sparingly, I don’t recommend big statement necklaces, large scarves, or anything that is going to take away from your beautiful face
- Shoes are super important. Make sure you talk to me before we go to our session to see if there’s any hiking. You can always bring your shoes to change into and wear tennis shoes for the hiking part.
- Props can add a lot of personality to your session. Let me know of any props that you want in your photos, so I know if there’s any planning that I need to do.
- Leave the watch and hair ties at home. No reason to have those in your photos
Amount of Outfits
The first thing that you should be thinking about is, how many outfits you are going to be wearing during your session. My senior packages go up to two outfits in a session. This gives us plenty of time in each outfit and allows you to get a variety of different photos for you to choose from. So, let’s say that you want to wear a “formal” outfit, a casual outfit, AND get some photos in a uniform for school. Well, the best way to get all of the outfits that you want is; either book two sessions with me, or book a mini session that we can completely dedicate to one of your outfit choices. If you are wanting to take photos in a uniform for a school sport, I would suggest doing that outfit in your bigger senior session. This allows the possibility of going to your school and getting photos taken there with all of your gear and your uniform.
Confidence is Key
The number one, most important, thing to consider when you are choosing outfits is CONFIDENCE. Do you feel confident in this outfit? Do you like the way you look in this outfit? Do you feel 100% authentically you in this outfit? If you answered no to any of those questions, pick a new outfit. You need to feel like you in these outfits. These are going to be photos that you show your kids. These are photos that your parents will have hanging on the wall. These photos are important and it’s even more important that you look and feel like you in them!
All About Comfort
Another super important thing to think about when you are choosing outfits is comfortability. Is there a tag on this outfit that bothers you? Is the fabric itchy? Are you going to be worrying about your cleavage in this outfit? Is your skirt short enough that you’re going to be worried about it? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time to find something else to wear. You want to have a bomb time at your senior session, so you don’t want to have to worry about pulling your shirt up, pulling your skirt down, or itching your arm because of the fabric. You want to be as comfortable as possible. If you’re not comfortable in a dress, don’t wear a dress. If you’re not comfortable in jeans, don’t wear jeans. If you’re not comfortable with your hair down, don’t wear your hair down. It’s that simple. Make yourself comfortable and your photos will show it.
Movement Movement Movement
If you’ve seen any of my photos, you know that I LOVE movement!!! I love capturing those natural expressions and your clothes can show movement too. A flowy skirt is so fun to play with during your session. Moving it around can really add to your photos. Your hair is a great tool for movement as well. Another great piece for movement is a cardigan, you can spin with it, or you can cuddle up in it like a blanket. Even a fun top with flowy sleeves can be so fun and add so much to your photos.
Casual Outfit Tips
What is a casual outfit? That’s a great question, so let’s answer it. To me, a casual outfit is something that you would be completely okay going to school in and no one would question it. You know when you dress up a tad for school and all your friends are like “OOOOOHHH, why are you dressed so nice?”, so basically the opposite of that. Think jeans, leggings, joggers, t-shirts, hoodies, etc. and yes, it is completely okay to wear any of those things to your senior pictures. If you love to wear hoodies and joggers, why wouldn’t you wear that for your senior photos?
What to Think About
Run all of your outfits through this lens, would I wear this in real life? Your casual outfit, specifically, should be one thousand percent you! So think about a few pieces that really describe you and try to pair them together. Here are some great pairings that I absolutely love!
- Straight-leg jeans, t-shirt, Converse
- Wide-leg jeans, tighter top, boots
- Leggings, crewneck, flannel, sneakers
- Joggers, hoodie, sneakers
- Flannel, leggings, Birks
- Skinny jeans, over-sized t-shirt, flannel tied at the waist, sneakers
There are lots more, but those are my favorites for casual outfits.
My Favorite Pieces
Here are some of my absolute favorite casual pieces for senior sessions AND all of them are under $50!
The best leggings of all time from Amazon! Buttery soft AND squat-proof!!! ($25)
Great non-athletic joggers from Target ($27)
These super cute graphic tees from Target ($17-$20)
The comfiest sweaters EVER from Old Navy!!!! ($45)
Formal Outfit Tips
Now that we’ve discussed casual outfits and what they are, let’s talk about formal ones. Now, I use the term formal pretty loosely. When I’m talking about formal outfits, I mostly just mean nicer than your day-to-day. Now, I’m a substitute teacher, so my day-to-day is a little bit nicer than most high schoolers, but you can really take formal to mean whatever you want. Maybe you want to do something a little more styled for your senior pictures and you want to wear a prom dress and get some super cool shots in it. I am 100% down for that anytime, anywhere!!! For most people, though, formal is going to be a sundress, a nice top with jeans, some loose fabric pants with a cute top, a romper, or a jumpsuit, it can look different for everyone.
What to Think About
Again, run all of your outfits through this lens, would I wear this in real life? Your formal outfit should still be one thousand percent you! I get it, it can be a little bit harder to put together a formal outfit if that is not normally your go-to. So, I like to pick silhouettes that I know look really good on me and go from there. Here are some of my favorite pairings.
- Sundress, flat-brimmed hat, sandals
- Satin skirt, boots, crop top
- Midi skirt, boots, graphic tee
- Maxi skirt, crop top, sandals
- Sweater, midi skirt, boots
- Leggings, cardigan, riding boots
- Summer mini dress
There are lots more, but those are my favorites for casual outfits.
My Favorite Pieces
Here are some of my absolute favorite formal pieces for senior sessions AND all of them are under $50!
This super cute summer dress from Amazon ($40)
Super cute satin slip skirt from Target ($25)
Adorable mini dress from American Eagle that is so flowy and will look perfect in photos! ($40)
Perfect overall mini dress from Amazon that pairs perfectly with a white tee! ($15)
Beautiful swing midi dress from Old Navy with the perfect color choices ($40)
Long-sleeved midi dress that is perfect for fall sessions ($45)
The classic sundress from Target ($35)
School Outfit Tips
What to Think About
So, you have something from your high school career that you want to include in your photos? Oh girly, I am all about that life!!! Maybe it’s cheerleading, basketball, swimming (that was me), marching band, FFA, tennis, or anything that you did in high school that you want to commemorate. I am all about it, so let’s freaking do it! My biggest piece of advice when it comes to school outfits is to bring more than you think you need. Let’s say you’re a cheerleader and you have four uniforms, three sets of poms, bows, shoes, and maybe even some state champion rings. BRING THEM ALL!!!!! The worst thing that will happen is we won’t use them all. The best thing that could happen is that we are able to fully photograph this special moment in your life. You always want to be overprepared!
Hair and Makeup
This is the thing that my seniors dread the most when it comes to their senior sessions. It’s the dreaded question, “How will I do my hair and makeup?”. Did that question just give you a little bit of anxiety? I know I’m feeling a tad anxious even thinking it through. So, here is the most significant way I can help with hair and makeup, do what you want. Who cares what anyone else thinks, they’re your pictures. Still struggling? Well, how do you wear your hair 90% of the time? Is it down? Is it curled? Straight? Natural? Wavy? I’d say, 99.99% of my girls wear their hair down for their sessions. For my personal senior pictures, I wore my hair down and straight because that’s what I felt confident in. I didn’t love my natural hair as much as I do now, so looking back at the photos, I still feel like me.
The biggest thing that you want to consider is, what are you going to think when you look back at these photos in five years. Are you going to think that they really capture your authentic self at 18? Or are you going to wonder who that person even is? You should be able to look back at your senior pictures in 1, 5, or even 10 years and be able to say, “yep, that’s me.”.
It’s the same when it comes to makeup. Wear your makeup the way that you normally would. I am not a big makeup person and never have been, I’m honestly just too lazy 😂 For my senior pictures, I did a very natural look because if I did anything more, it wouldn’t be me. Now, my sister, on the other hand, is a big makeup person. She spent hours deciding how to do her makeup for her pictures and it still felt like her because she wears a lot of makeup. If you’re really not feeling confident in your makeup abilities, I would suggest getting it professionally done. It’s a great way to pamper yourself for your pictures and make sure that you are getting exactly what you want 🙂
Accessories
Hats
Not going to lie, I have a love-hate relationship with hats. I love a good wide-brimmed hat. They can add so much fun to a session, but you have to account for the fact that as soon as you take it off, your hair is going to be all messed up. I think hats are super fun, but for us ladies, we just have to realize that our hair is going to be messed up as soon as we take it off. Keep that in mind when trying to decide if you’re going to be wearing a hat or not.
Jewelry
Jewelry is such a fun way to show off your personality and add some gorgeous little touches to your senior photo outfit. There are a few pieces of jewelry that I wear every single day and I couldn’t imagine not wearing them. 1. My wedding ring (for obvious reasons, I never take it off). 2. My beautiful ring for my pets (it has a silhouette of a dog and a cat with their initials on them and I love it so much!). 3. A bar necklace with 3 dots (it symbolizes that even in the waiting, God is there for me). All of these pieces are small, dainty, and won’t be too distracting in a photo. You can play around with some bigger pieces, but try to keep your jewelry small and dainty.
Shoes
Y’all, I freaking LOVE shoes. If I could wear a different pair of shoes every day, I probably would. But that’s not sustainable, so we won’t do that. I’m all about switching up shoes in between outfits, but the big thing to think about is your location. Are you going to be getting in the water? Maybe bring a different pair of shoes to wear in the water instead of having to ruin your Birks. Are you going to be hiking? Maybe wear tennis shoes and bring your heels to change into once we get to the shooting location. Are you going to be getting dirty? Maybe don’t wear your favorite shoes. Are you not a fan of showing your feet? Maybe wear closed-toed shoes. Just think about the situation and the best shoes that are going to work for you.
Props
Oh, props, I hate them and I love them. Now, the things that I hate; not eco-friendly glitter and confetti, the cheesy picture frame that frames your face, and lots of other cheesy early 2000s photo props that just need to go away. The props that I love, anything that helps to show your personality and make your senior session extra special. Things that are great for photos; sports equipment, cap and gown, eco-friendly glitter and confetti, pets, your car, books, and honestly anything that you love to do. Do you collect an item? Bring them. Do you love to read? Read your book during your session. Is your fur friend your bestie? Bring them. Are you big into sports? Bring your equipment. Are you a big car person and have done things to your car? Bring it and we’ll get all the photos. Props can be so fun and help to show your personality so well.
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