5 Tips for What to Wear: Maternity Session
You have scheduled your pregnancy photos and are ready to show off your growing little one. One of the first questions you may have when preparing for your session is: What do I wear?!
Here I will cover 5 tips for what to wear to get the best pregnancy pictures:
Decide on 2 outfits.
Wear comfortable shoes.
Choose clothes that show off your baby.
Showing a bare belly? Keep it mind when choosing your outfits.
Add personal touches.
1. Decide on 2 outfits.
We often get questions about outfit changes for portrait session: do we do them, and if so how many are included per booking? First, yes we do and how many is up to you. However to maximize your time, my recommendation is to select two outfits: one causal and one dressy. To define dressy; I do not mean ballgown nor business professional attire, simply something other than your "playground" clothes. You can give yourself a few more fun options through layering, however you only need bring two outfits.
Some ideas:
Before I go into some of the samples, I want to give you just two more tips in selecting your outfits that I think are important. First, as a general rule, avoid wearing busy patterns. These can distract from the purpose of showing off your baby bump and can also clash with your background if it is busy. Do not get me wrong, there are exceptions to this rule but unless there is an outfit you simply HAVE wear for sentimental reasons (in which case let your photographer know so he or she can plan for it), avoid busy patterns.
Second, let your personality shine! If you like bright colors, wear them; if you are more sporty don't change your style for your shoot. A lot of times women think they need to dress up to stereotype when they get photographed, but these are your photos to remind you of a special time in your life. You want to be sure you are yourself in them.
CAUSAL: I call this your "playground" clothes: jeans and a shirt are the most common, however as you can see this awesome couple had fun highlighting their fitness side in cute workout clothes.
DRESSY: As I said before, here you want to pick out something a little nicer than your playground clothes.
LAYERING: Layering is a great way to dress up an outfit, to add personality, and/or to increase the variety of your outfits for the shoot without increasing the quantity of outfits. By bringing some layering options (i.e. cardigans, jackets, hats, sunglasses, scarfs, jewelry, parasols, or handbags), you can add or remove these articles to change up your look.
2. Wear comfortable shoes
This one is pretty self explanatory. A photo shoot can take a while and will include a lot of standing or walking depending on your location and photographer. You want to wear shoes you will be comfortable in and will be able to walk around in if you have an outdoor shoot.
3. Choose clothes that show off your baby.
This is one time you WANT to show your round tummy. The entire purpose of maternity photography is to show off that little one inside you, so wear cloth that are tighter fit around your tummy and then trust your photographer. A popular go-to piece for a mom-to-be is a Maxi dress.
4. Showing a bare belly? Keep it mind when choosing your outfits.
Bare belly photos are popular among a large percent of expecting mothers, however this is a personal choice the mother to be will make. If you decide you want bare belly photos, keep that in mind when selecting your outfits. You can either select a short top or a dress that opens up to show off your baby. You will want to be sure that the outfits you select will not leave elastic marks on your belly - so think ahead which outfit you will wear first.
5. Adding Personal Touches
Looking for a ways to add personal touches, consider bringing some items of significance to you and your family. This can be a great way to connect and include family members who are no longer with us, pass on a generational traditions, or start new ones of your own.
Considering props? Different form personal touches, when it comes to props, my view is less is more. Simple and classic photographs stand the test of time, past trends that tend to fade.
I hope this give you all some great ideas about #WhatToWear to your #maternity session. Looking for more information about your upcoming session, check out: How to Prepare - Maternity Session
