Repeat after me, “I will dress myself in something that I feel beautiful in before I even consider what the rest of my family is wearing for photos.”
There, I gave you all the knowledge you need in the very first line of the blog post about what to wear for a newborn session. Ha!
Okay, there IS a bit more to that statement that I will let you in on it soon but truly, if you take away anything from this post, let it be that first line.
Now, that I have hopefully gotten that point across, I can move on to a few more suggestions of what to wear for your newborn session…
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Wear something flowy… You just had a baby and not only is flowy flattering, it is also so beautiful to photograph. I love to see clients in long skirts, maxi dresses, or even just a flowy tunic over leggings.
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Choose casual over formal… Your newborn session is at home and unless you wear super formal clothes on the regular, casual clothing looks much more natural in photos. Plus it is more comfortable. And when you are comfortable, it shows in the photos.
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Opt-out of shoes… Don’t worry about getting a perfect pedicure. Or your spouse’s feet looking gross. Just trust me that being barefoot at home is much more natural than seeing everyone in dress shoes. And if you absolutely refuse to be barefoot, opt for a casual house shoe instead of something more formal.
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Mix it up… Please oh please do not have everyone dressed completely matchy-matchy. That is super boring and it definitely doesn’t show off the personalities of your people. Coordinating the colors and patterns in outfits is a great idea, just steer clear of being too perfectly matched.
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Try on first… Postpartum bodies are super different than anything you have ever experienced so don’t just order a dress and then assume it will work on picture day. PLEASE make sure to try it in advance so that you have time for some emergency shopping at the last minute if you need it.
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Feel beautiful… I want you to do anything you need to do in order to feel beautiful on the day of your newborn session. If that means hiring a makeup artist or getting a blowout, then do that. If it means splurging on a new dress that makes you feel exquisite than do that. Trust me when I say this, how you feel about yourself will make a big difference in how you see the final images from your gallery. If you don’t feel confident and beautiful then you won’t like the images. Period. End of story.
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Check for wardrobe malfunctions… Especially with, ahem, the ladies. Again, postpartum bodies are no joke and if you are nursing, you probably have a chest like you have never known before. Make sure your blouse or dress will cover the ladies and stay buttoned. It will frustrate you to no end if you have to keep adjusting and re-adjusting during your newborn session.
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Consider your home… Yes, I want you to feel beautiful. And yes, I want you to be coordinate with your spouse and children. When making these decisions, I also want you to consider your home decor. These images are (hopefully) going to end up on your walls and you want things to look good together. Imagine, for example, that your home is done in all shades of blue. But for your newborn session, your family is all in shades of red and pink. You might be more hesitant to print your photos and put them up on the wall because they don’t “go” with your decor. Depending on your home decor style, this may not be an issue, but I always want to mention it just in case.
I hope that you have found these tips eye-opening and helpful. And more than that, I hope you now have a confident strategy for choosing the wardrobe for your newborn session. If you are interested in potentially having me capture your newborn session, I would love to chat. I have been photographing newborns for more than 10 years and they really are my most favorite thing in the world. Send me an email so we can start the conversation.
