An anxiety-free guide on planning what to wear to your brand session
As if it isn’t hard enough to dress yourself for family pictures, the thought of “what to wear” for a lifestyle brand photography session that is representing your business can be, let’s say, more than a little anxiety provoking for many.
So let’s take the mystery out of it and break it down into the elements that can help you decide what to – and just as importantly, what not to wear!
When we think about wardrobe choices for a brand shoot, especially in lifestyle brand photography, we want to have certain key elements front of mind. For the purposes of this post I’m going to keep it to 3 primary considerations.
1.
Keep your brand voice and aesthetic in mind when making wardrobe choices
You want your wardrobe to reflect your brand’s colors, style and message.
Is your brand aesthetic more polished, casual, edgy, or artistic? Your choice of clothing says a lot about you – so think about what you want to convey…authority? Approachability? Creativity?
There can be overlap in these, and of course we want to also show your personality so it’s ok to show a range of who you are. You just want to be intentional about how the brand photos are being used and what message(s) they’re trying to deliver.
2
Who is the audience you’re speaking to?
Think about how you want to be perceived by your ideal client. What kind of first impression do you want to make? Often striking a balance between being aspirational yet also approachable is a great place to start. Is the outfit speaking in a visual language that will resonate with them while also aligning with your own style and personality?
If you feel your closet no longer really has anything to say about who you are and what you aspire to, then you might want to invest in a couple of key pieces that do just that. This could be essential for a successful lifestyle brand photography session.
3
Fit and comfort
Choose clothing that allows you to move naturally and feel confident during the shoot.
It’s important that you feel comfortable in what you’re wearing – even if you’re stretching yourself into a bit of new territory from your emotional comfort zone. In fact, you want to feel great – like your best self, and how you see yourself as your business and influence expands.
Opting for well fitting (but not restrictive) clothing will be far more flattering than wearing overly loose, baggy clothes that you may be trying to hide in. Likewise, make sure items are not pilling, stretched out, wrinkled or faded. These types of things show up much more in a photograph than in real life! So be discerning to ensure the best brand photography session outcome.
As a general rule, avoid logos, busy patterns, and fabrics that wrinkle easily. These can be very distracting in an image. Make camera friendly choices. But, like so many things, there’s an exception! If your personality (or brand personality) is big and bold and colorful and you looove patterns then absolutely bring a couple of options for that. But make sure to bring some solids as well. It’s also great to bring a few options that work together to maximize variety with minimal effort.
Having a range of outfits that showcase both the business side of your life as well as the personal side offers more opportunity to create more connection points with your viewer. A great way to expand your wardrobe without depleting your wallet is to rent a few pieces through services like Armoire in Seattle (where you can actually go in and get a consult with a stylist), or online with companies like Nuuly, or Rent the Runway
If you follow these general guidelines you’ll end up with images that both speak to your clients and reflect who you – and your brand, are.
P.S. If you have it in the budget, read this post on reasons to hire a personal stylist, and if you’re attempting some DIY brand photos check out these tips for success! Also, for lots of great style tips for real life women go visit Poplin Style’s blog (so much great, helpful info here – and if it’s in the budget, hire her!!)
