A lot of my clients want to book a shoot but they are overwhelmed by what to wear!
Just talk with us, we walk you through your wardrobe selection!
Overwise,
Here are some quick wardrobe tips:
STYLE/CUT
- BODYSUITS/ONE-PIECE
I HIGHLY recommend bringing at least one bodysuit/one-piece because these pieces are THE most flattering item to be photographed in and always end up being my clients’ favorite outfits when they see their finished images. Bodysuit/one-piece are so camera friendly and look amazing on all body types, so it is a no brainer for me to say that this is the number one go-to for outfit recommendations.
- BRA & PANTY SETS
Bring at least one killer bra and panty set! For the bra, make sure it has good support, and, the more coverage on the backside/armpit area, the better. For the panties, thongs/g-strings are ok but I recommend ‘cheeky’ and high waisted panties, since these are the most flattering to your booty, but more than that, these have more coverage on the lower tummy area so you will feel more comfortable during the shoot; plus, I just think they look fabulous in pics! But the most critical thing about the panties you bring is that they FIT you! A lot of ladies will bring in something that is a bit too small or too big, and, instead of looking sexy, will just look like you are wearing someone else’s underwear! I guarantee, if you wear undies that are too small for you, all you will be thinking about when you see your images is the bits that are squeezing over the edges.
WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE GARTER BELT...
To continue with the high waisted theme to increase the appearance of your hourglass- Garter belts can increase the hourglass affect on your body and show off your curves more, but also gives a 'finished' look to the panty and stocking combo while bringing a little more attention to your thigh and butt area. And, garters can REALLY help keep the tops of your thigh highs from rolling down during the shoot since we are moving around and changing positions a lot.
So, remember thigh highs and a garter belt! These are classic and oh so fun to play with!
Something to keep in mind, most folks go for the black thigh high/garter belt combo but this can actually make your legs look cut off and super short- especially if the images are dark. Since we are aiming to lengthen and elongate, we want to avoid anything that will make you look shorter or disproportionate. I highly recommend nude thigh highs/garter belts, they look very “Marilyn” and classy!
- SHAPE WEAR
Shape wear is often overlooked, but it is actually such a GREAT option! It is SUPER flattering and looks incredible in images! Shape wear is pretty PERFECT, really. I know, I know… you are thinking…
“shape wear? really?”
... but it looks vintage and classy, plus fitted things will actually be more flattering! Loose items will just make you look bigger than you are, and we want to show your curves! You just have to find the right ones!
Here are my top 3 tips for shape wear:
- Go with either a regular panty-line cut for the bottom part, or, a skirt bottom. Just stay away from those down-to-knee shorts for the bottom, this just doesn't come off as sexy. Even the full length pants bottoms are better than the shorts. The shorts bottoms are good for under a dress at a function but they just don't work for a boudoir shoot.
- Go with a sweetheart neckline if possible, but a simple V-neck is great too. As for the straps- Halters look great and flatter your shoulders more than other straps, cross back straps are fine, and straight on straps are fine, but stay away from necklines/straps that go from your armpit and become more narrow as they taper up to your neck just in the front in a small but solid panel (this is different from halter!) because this makes shoulders look bigger.
- Go with the pattern of 'leading lines', that flatters you by leading inward, towards your middle/ waist line, and giving you more of an hourglass appearance.
SIDE NOTE: Lace and layers look great. But I would stay away from stripes when possible.
Intricate lingerie photographs beautifully! So don’t be afraid to try layering a few items that go together. BUT! There IS a point where it might just be too much, so during your session when you are getting your outfit together we will look at how you look with what you have to decide if we will use everything or not at the time.
The other thing, about stripes, wearing tight items with stripes tends to 'giveaway' the tiniest of bumps and from the angles of my camera and with the angles you are in the stripes just accentuate those tiny areas and the strips won't appear straight- this WILL bug you. And I'm not going to edit all your stripes straight, I guarantee you it will not look right even if I did.
- Corsets
Here are my top 3 tips for corsets:
- When choosing corsets, stick with corsets with a sweetheart neckline. When corsets are straight in the bust area it will ‘flatten’ your girls instead of ‘flattering’ them!
- Keep in mind that because a corset is squeezing the crap out of your waist area, like a tube of toothpaste, your lower tummy area will (for lack of a better word) squish out the very bottom of the corset a bit, so, I A) recommend you get a corset that comes down a bit longer in the front right over your pelvic region, or, B) which is also my 3rd tip, below-
- I recommend wearing high wasted panties so it covers that lower tummy area regardless of if the corset covers that lower tummy area or not. Wearing high wasted panties instead of low rise with your corset will also prevent you having to constantly fix the top line of your underwear because the corset will be pinning down the top of your panties; and I mean constantly fixing it; moving around as much as you will be causes the need for constant adjustments during the photo shoot, just a fact of life.
YOUR SHOES-
For the style/cut of your shoes, I recommend keeping your shoes classic and simple because I would rather have the focus stay on YOU during the shoot.
BUT! I DO have to admit, I feel a bit of excitement when I see the fun shoes that my clients have brought to their photo shoot! And I have photographed some seriously fun shoes!
COLOR PALETTE
Let's start with the color palette you choose- you should CHOOSE muted/matte/pastel colors or rich/dark/dramatic colors, but colors that are too bright or neon will take over the pictures and steal the show from you, so make sure to bring items that won’t.
Here is an example of a pastel and a darker color from the same red spectrum:
However, we will work with what you bring so I don’t want you to feel discouraged AT ALL by me saying this or items that you are more drawn to that may be in your closet and on our list of things not to bring- these are just suggestions! In the end these are pictures for YOU and you should look how you envision yourself when you imagine how you will look in your photos.
Here is an example of some bright/neon colors:
If you are getting married, a great idea is to pick some lingerie that will be the colors of your wedding!
Mostly though, you should keep in mind WHAT you will be doing with the images. For instance, when designing your album, if you choose images with lingerie that clash with the cover material you want, instead of your album telling a cohesive story, it will look like a mess. Or, if you choose images for wall art and the lingerie in those clash with the color scheme of the room you are going to hang them in, it can really mess up the 'vibe' of the whole room. We want everything to flow, match, and be cohesive with each other.
Your Shoes-
For the color palette of your shoes, I recommend bringing SKIN TONE and BLACK heels. The higher/skinnier the heels the better. The right heels can lengthen and slim your legs!
BUT!
I do think you should also bring a pair of statement shoes for a few funs images to play with. Like, a pair of red shoes- classic!
I hope these tips help you navigate the shopping scene
for your upcoming boudoir photo shoot!
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XOXO
~Elise
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