I don’t know about you but wearing something I feel good in can impact my entire day and so aside from looking good for your photo shoot, the right clothes have the power to make you FEEL good for your shoot which trust me, makes a huge difference!
I was very lucky last year to work with Hannah Shaw Styling, not just a fantastic stylist but a genuinely lovely human being. Hannah booked a shoot with me to get some shots for her new website and we very quickly became good friends. Since then I’ve also had a colour & style consultation with Hannah, which as well as being a lot of fun, did genuinely help me get my ‘vibe’ back with clothes, something I’d lost since having my daughter. Suffice to say, there’s a bit of mutual appreciation thing going on between the two of us, so when I started work on my new website I knew I wanted Hannah to write a piece offering advice to people before a shoot. Thankfully she obliged, big time, and here it is, Hannah’s top tips to help you feel confident for your shoot!
Tip 1 - Dress for your personality
A woman’s wardrobe personality says who she is, and it's expressed by her style. Most of us lean toward one particular type of style personality, although we may sometimes wear styles that are more closely related to another. This is a great starting point to help you develop a clear image and description of your style and If you can confidently describe your style you’re sure to make purchases that are 100% you and reflect your style perfectly.
There are 6 types of style personalities listed below, which one do you relate to and think about how you can bring this out in your photos.
Relaxed Style Personality
You have a relaxed, easy-going approach to your wardrobe and have little interest in fashion. In fact, you will rarely sacrifice comfort for chic! Feeling comfortable in your clothes is most important to you, and your easygoing nature tends towards more casual outfits. Simple lines and designs are your preferred choices over anything too detailed or fussy. In keeping with this carefree attitude, you tend to buy only easy, wash and wear garments. You prefer fabrics such as denim, cotton jersey, and lightweight knits. Your jewellery choices reflect your minimal look, and you tend to wear basic and durable accessories with footwear also focused on comfort.
Classic Style Personality
You have effortless elegance, preferring an understated, timeless look with quality more important than quantity. You prefer simple styles that won’t date too quickly in neutrals or soft blended shades rather than bright colours and bold designs. You have a rather formal wardrobe and always look polished and put together. Your jewellery and accessory choices are not overbearing and are complimentary to your outfits without being the focal point.
Creative Style Personalty
Your way of dressing is innovative and individualistic, and you aren’t overly influenced by current trends or traditional rules. You use your clothing choices to reflect your personality and put together unique and interesting outfits with items purchased from varied sources. Different colours, textures, and prints fill your wardrobe, and your jewellery collection is bold.
Dramatic Style Personalty
Wearing the latest fashion takes precedence over comfort, and you are willing to give most new trends a go. This means your wardrobe consists of many different styles and one-off pieces ready to make a statement. Your look is striking and well thought out with added details providing the finishing touch to your look whether it be a bold lip colour or eye-catching shoe. You compliment your statement-making looks with jewellery and accessories in shiny metal finishes or bold one of a kind wearable art pieces.
Romantic Style Personality
You have a soft appearance and generally prefer flowing silhouettes and muted colours. Your clothing choices are pretty, and you love feminine details such as bows, ruffles, pleats, and lace. Even with simpler styles, you will most likely choose them in pretty colours or with decorative details, and you can never go past a floral print. Your footwear and accessory choices are delicate and minimal with fine necklaces and ballet flats among your staples.
City Chic Style Personality
You put time and effort into the way you look, and you love accessories, sometimes spending more on bags and shoes than anything else in your wardrobe. You’ve likely experimented with most key styles, and while you follow trends, you generally shop with care and won’t buy into a trend that doesn’t compliment your existing wardrobe. You tend to avoid bright colours and go for a tone on tone look. Your jewellery choices reflect this minimal approach, either making a statement with a single accessory or balancing some more subtle pieces.
Tip 2 - The Colour Scheme
For the photoshoot, consider how you wish to be perceived using colour psychology (listed below). Think about what colours your wear when you know you feel good.
Red: Powerful, dynamic, assertive, successful, aggressive, demanding.
Blue: Intelligent, professional, trustworthy, conservative, credible, aloof, cold.
Green: Harmonious, approachable, empathetic, trustworthy, boring, bland.
Purple: Creative, innovative, confident, good quality, authentic, successful.
Orange: Youthful, dynamic, fun, energetic, abundant, immature, frivolous.
Pink: Youthful, empathetic, approachable, innovative, feminine. When combined with a deep shade: authoritative, assertive, powerful. When worn on its own: empathetic, approachable, pure.
Black: Authoritative, assertive, powerful, sophisticated, oppressive, menacing.
Grey: Reliable, respectable, efficient, lacking energy and confidence.
Brown: Serious, respectable, supportive, empathetic, approachable, creative.
As an Image expert part of my services is to advise my clients the best shades of colours to help boost self confidence, give them clarity on what to wear and save them money. It’s a great tool for anyone starting their own personal brand, as wearing the colours that suit us best helps to create an awareness of the impact that colour has on how we feel about ourselves and how we are perceived by others. If you would like a colour consultation see my packages listed below.
Tip 3 - Select outfits that fit and flatter you
When it comes to choosing outfits for your photoshoot consider the following:
Decide which features you would like to emphasize. You can use outfits to make aspects of your appearance look bigger, smaller, more obvious, or less noticeable.
Patterns – Clothes with vertical lines will usually make the part of the body they're worn on look thinner. Meanwhile, horizontal stripes will often make that space look wider. Bright, attention grabbing patterns will draw the eye to where they're worn, so if you'd like to emphasize your bust, a patterned shirt is a good strategy. The opposite is also true; dark, solid pieces can de-emphasize certain areas of your body, especially when paired with bright patterns.
Waist styles – Low-waisted paints can make your body look curvier with a more well-defined waist. Empire waists can help to emphasize your bust.
Structured tailoring – Clothing with structured tailoring can be used to emphasize and give shape to any part of your body. Boxy outerwear can make your upper body look bulkier, while shoulder pads can specifically make your shoulders appear wider. Pleated trousers can also make legs look thicker.
Types of hemlines – A-line skirts are great for adding curves and making your bottom half look wider. Straight skirts are also good for doing the latter. Tapered skirts have the opposite effect; wear these when trying to de-emphasize your lower body.
Fit – In general, baggy clothing will hide definition, while tighter fits will accentuate it. The clothes which flatter you best will depend on your body shape. Today the choice of clothes is so varied that theres something for everyone no matter what colouring, scale, height, proportion or body shape you are.
A HUGE thank you from me to Hannah for writing this piece which is beyond helpful!