What to Wear for Your Next Brand Photography Session: Wardrobe Level 2
After you learn the types of clothing that work for your shape and photograph well, to make your photos truly pop you need to know the next-level tricks that will help you stand out.
In my last post on What to Wear (read it here), I covered wardrobe basics for your first brand photo sesh—things like the most common mistake people make (which ends up making them look heavier), and the kinds of patterns that look best on camera.
The steps I shared there are the foundation for next-level #girlboss or influencer style—the first things you need to know before you advance to the measures you can take not only to ensure you like your photos, but to increase your odds that others take notice of them, pin them, re-gram them, and more.
Now, for most women, our first instinct when it comes to style is to blend in. We might not realize that’s what we’re trying to do, but in trying to wear the “right” clothes, the trendiest accessories and outfits and makeup, we’re doing just that: Striving to be what everyone else seems to think is acceptable or current.
Next-level dressing has to do with wanting to be unique among many others who all look approximately the same. It has to do with discovering our own personal brand, and the statement we want to make in the world.
While much of that is a highly personal journey, you can start thinking about what that means with the 3 strategies outlined below!
PIECES THAT ADD MOTION TO YOUR PHOTOS
When you see someone standing on a street corner, say, waiting for the “walk” signal to light up, does that inspire action within you? Of course not. You’re likely even confused by the question.
But if the same person standing on that street corner turned and waved to you, that little bit of motion absolutely would inspire a reaction: You’d wave back, or check over your shoulder to see if the person meant to wave to someone behind you, or you’d call out a friendly greeting.
Motion inspires action within us. Photographs that contain motion do, too. We’ll all usually pause to look a little longer at a prolonged-exposure image in which a train or taxi is racing by so fast that it blurs into the background, or a photo of a brave human being diving headlong off a cliff into the blue waters of Santorini.
Your photos don’t have to be as dramatic as those, though, to have motion in them. In fact, you can add a lot of motion for the onlooker’s eye to follow simply in what you wear.
Long V-necklaces that end in a heavy pendant or tassel create leading lines that can draw a person’s eye to the center of an image. Large, swooping hats can also tell a viewer where to look. Draping pant legs, swirling skirts, knee-high boots, flowing hair kerchiefs and so many other pieces can give you the opportunity to add movement to your photos, whether by your moving in them or their natural shape creating the kinds of lines and curves that compel the eye to move.
In an era in which human beings are inundated with thousands of marketing images and graphics and videos each day, leveraging motion can help your images stand out among the masses.
Check out how other influencers have added motion to their photos on this Pinterest board!
PATTERNS THAT PLAY WELL TOGETHER
Can an influencer who must be photographed almost on the daily really get away with a capsule wardrobe? My vote is yes; in fact, perhaps influencers have a better chance of making the most of a capsule wardrobe than the average person.*
The concept of a capsule wardrobe is to own less, but overall to choose items that all pair well together. This doesn’t limit you to only solid-colored clothing; but it does help if you limit your choices to a narrow color palette.
As the owner of a brand, you probably want to choose colors, patterns, and shapes that support the values of your brand and the aesthetic that either you or a professional created to appeal to your ideal clientele.
For instance, in the above image, which includes a handful of pieces from my own wardrobe which I might throw into a weekender bag, you see warm colors—red-orange, mustard-yellow—as well as different patterns of the classic black and white combo. These are colors that you see on my website, Instagram, and Pinterest accounts often, as they embody aspects of my brand values and the experience that I want to create for my blog readers and photography clients: Energy plus chic.
When your color palette coordinate, it becomes easier to pair patterns together, such as stripes and florals, stripes and stripes, or abstract patterns and geometric ones. Generally you want the two patterns to complement each other, such as a bold pattern with a more delicate and demure one, or a darker base pattern with one that’s much lighter.
If you experiment for just a week or so before your shoot, with 10 extra minutes in front of the mirror each day, you’ll be able to feel out what patterns work together, and you can leverage those in your shoot.
For inspiration, follow this board on Pinterest!
BOLD ACCENTS THAT COMMUNICATE CONFIDENCE.
In a sea of influencers who’ve found the precise level of blond that complements their skin tone, tressed their long locks into beach waves, learned the foal-pose that seems to elongate their already slender legs, and made the whole thing look casual and effortless by throwing on a pair of sunglasses, adding jean shorts and swinging a Starbucks iced coffee in the air—standing out shouldn’t be all that difficult.
It’s amazing what a pair of thick-rimmed librarian glasses, red lips or nails, knee-high socks, or a bold haircut can do to make others take notice.
Of course, you have to make these decisions based on what will be aligned with and meaningful for your brand. If your brand is all about mountain living, bright red lips might not be right for you; and if your brand isn’t sassy, then choosing to style your hair in the high pony shown in the second photo in the slideshow above might be too ostentatious. But if your brand is elevated and elite, Audrey Hepburn shades might be an awesome addition to a brand shoot!
For an index of Instagram accounts that are characterized by bold choices, follow this Pinterest board of IG influencers!
Was this helpful? If so, be sure to pin the article so you can come back to it! Then I’d love to hear from you. What was your favorite tip, and how will you apply it to your next photo shoot? Leave me a comment below and tell me!
HELLO! MY NAME IS ALEXIS.
Coffee lover, day dreamer, foodie, and creative. I believe in doing what you can with what you have where you are. I blog to help you do more with what you have. I hope you love it here!
