Senior Style Guide- Girls
Choosing your clothing on a normal day is difficult, but when you want to look your best for senior portraits, it’s even more so! This handy guide will walk you through the important things to consider when planning your outfits include flattering your body type, choosing your style (or styles), selecting complementary accessories, makeup and hairstyling tips, and a shopping guide.
Wearing fitted clothing is important, but wear your size, not the size you wish you were. Tight clothing that shows rolls, bulges, and cellulite is never flattering. The key is to be COMFORTABLE so you feel good about yourself and it projects in your images. Consider where you want your images to be taken and plan your outfits accordingly.
Bring multiple outfits so we have choices and can pick the best ones for the scene- something light, something dark, something glamorous, and something fun! If you need more ideas than what I’ve got below, check out my Pinterest board.
Flatter Your Body Type
If you don’t know what your body type is, here is a handy site to check out. A rule of thumb when choosing clothing colors is that light colors will attract the eyes and darker colors will make areas recede. So if you like your bust and not your bottom, a bright top with dark pants will be perfect on you. Similarly, if you love your hips and want to hide a smaller chest, a ruffled top and fitted pants will be ideal. If you love every inch of yourself, congrats and wear whatever you love!
Apple bodies- If you’re bigger on top, you’re likely an apple shape. The key to dressing for an apple body is to avoid clothing that draws attention to your shoulders, arms, and waist. V-necks and scoop necklines will flatter you. A-line skirts and dresses are your friends. Bootcut jeans and wide leg pants are perfect on you. Avoid spaghetti straps, closed/high necklines, narrow skirts, ruffles on the bust area, off-shoulder tops, large belts around your middle, and wide sleeves.
Pear shapes- If you have a smaller chest area and larger hips/bottom, you fit this model. Cinched waists, A-line skirts, short sleeves, strong shoulders, and eye-catching necklines flatter this body type. Go for bootcut and flare pants. Avoid voluminous skirts, drop waists, and bold prints on the bottom portion of your body.
Hourglass- These lucky gals can wear more variety than most. Your waist should be your focal point so cinched waistlines, belts, and sometimes crop-tops will suit you. Open necklines and skirts that fall straight from the hip are your friends. Avoid high necklines, ruffles at the bust, shapeless looks, and wide or voluminous sleeves. Beware of showing too much cleavage, as you don’t want to overpower your waist.
Straight- If you’re more interstate highway than country backroads, you might have a straight frame. Cinched waistlines can add curve so grab a large belt for the smallest area of your waist. Ruffles and frills can bring out a feminine look. Think ruffled tops, fluttery sleeves, and off-shoulder tops and dresses. Fitted pants are great as are shorter skirts and colorful leggings. Steer clear of baggy clothing, menswear and all over tight clothing (either tighter on top or bottom, but not both).
Extra in the middle- If your curves are in your midsection, look for V-necks, fit and flare dresses, blocks of color, and ruching at the waistline. Skinny jeans/pants show your curves and don’t add bulk like loose jeans/pants, but be sure they fit your midsection and don’t create bulges. Consider wearing shapewear to smooth your waist. Avoid super clingy fabrics (silk, knits, some rayon), baggy clothing which makes you look larger, small belts, and high necklines which can make your neck disappear. Large earrings will draw attention to your face rather than your middle.
Go For Classic Style
Ask your mom or grandma to show you their high school portraits. I’ll bet you find giant bangs, blue eyeshadow, or a bouffant hairdo. Trends come and go so it’s always best to choose classic looks over trendy styles that will be outdated in a few years. Do you want your kids and grandkids to cringe at your senior portraits?! At the same time, you want to look and feel like YOU, not some fake version of your best self.
Be sure to choose solid colors for at least a couple outfits, as patterns distract from your face and that’s what we really want to see! Busy prints and large prints are very distracting so avoid them. Jeans are always a good idea and very classic. Dress them up with a girly top and heels or go casual with a tee and sandals.
Accessories
Sunglasses, hats, jewelry, shoes, purses, vests, and scarves can make great accessories! These add dimension to your look and can accentuate your favorite body parts. Charming Charlie is my favorite store for accessories. They sort everything by color so it’s easy to match your outfit.
If you play a sport or are involved in extracurriculars, bring your uniform from HEAD TO TOE! Don’t forget the important items like shoes, bat/ball, pom poms, instrument, trophies and ribbons, puck, hats, books, et cetera.
A note on glasses: If you normally wear glasses, please bring a spare set wth the lenses removed. It is very difficult to edit out glare.
Where To Shop
When choosing your senior outfits, it’s best to try everything on well before your session to be sure it fits and that you have all accessories. I’ve listed some of my favorite places below. For last minute items, I recommend Amazon Prime since you can usually get 1-2 day shipping and return items that don’t fit or look good.
Amazon, Kohl’s, Lulu’s, Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, Gap, H & M, Rue 21, Apricot Lane, Bohme Boutique, Macy’s, Dillard’s, Maurices, Francesca’s, Dress Barn, Mindy Mae’s Market, Nordstrom Rack, One Loved Babe, Saved by the Dress, Dress Up
Hair and Makeup
It’s important to look your best in your photos which includes your hair and makeup. You’ll want to get your nails done a day or two before your session, including a pedicure if you’re wearing sandals or planning to go barefoot for any images. Neutral polish works best- light pinks, nudes, and French manis are perfect.
Eyelash extensions are super popular these days, but they may not be in a few years. Choose a style that is natural and doesn’t look so thick that you can’t see your eyes. Nobody wants to look back on their senior portraits and see spiders on their eyes.
Hair should be cut and styled 2 weeks out from your session date to allow for any changes if you don’t love it. Choose a look that is a little nicer than your everyday school look- think Homecoming dance, not prom or study hall. Again, it’s important to avoid a trendy look unless you want your portraits to look dated in a few years.
Healthy looking skin is essential to making you feel and look good. Drink a couple large glasses of water 24 hours before your session to help your skin glow and avoid drinking pop and eating fried and sugary foods, as these can create bloat and greasy skin. I can edit acne, but you’ll make it easier on both of us if you use lotion to remove dead skin including chapped lips. If you choose to get a facial, please do this about a week out from your session date, as skin can become irritated and look red or splotchy. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don’t spray or bottle tan and avoid the sun for a few days prior to your session so we don’t have tan lines or sunburn. It will make your skin look orange and it’s very difficult for me to edit. I charge an extra fee to make orange skin look natural. I can’t stress how important it is to have a natural color to your skin.
A Final Note…
Don’t stress too much- this is supposed to be fun! I’m here to support you so if you have questions or need more ideas, check out my Senior Portraits Pinterest board, my Senior Portrait Style Guide for girls, my Amazon ideas board, and feel free to message me!