You've booked a maternity session and now it's time to figure out what to wear!
It can be hard to choose outfits for any photo session, but when you're expecting, it can add another level of anxiety to the planning. You may not have anything that fits, you may not feel confident in what does fit, or you just don't want to buy another outfit that you won't wear for much longer, if at all. Anyone who has been pregnant has experienced some or all of these things, myself included, so I truly understand how difficult this can be! Don't worry, though, I'm here to help. Here's a little guide for you! :)
What Outfit Should You Wear?
I'm going to advocate hard for a dress, here. I'm not really a dress person in my own day-to-day life, but as a photographer, TRUST ME, a long, flowy dress is absolutely stunning and universally flattering on pregnant women. There are so many options to choose from these days, and they hug your beautiful belly and flatter your shape in just the right way. Whether you choose long and flowy, or more form fitting, you can't go wrong. Dresses can also help to convey movement in photos, which is an element that will make your images even more gorgeous. Plus, they're naturally more "dressy" (haha!) or special than a pair of jeans and a shirt, and if you're having photos taken, you probably want to look a little extra nice for them.
What Colour Should You Wear?
The reason you’re booking this maternity photo session is to show off that beautiful bump, so make sure to wear colours that will show it off. Meaning do NOT wear black or navy or any other super dark colour. It hides the bump and makes it hard to see, and that’s not what you’re going for. But at the same time, you don’t want to wear bright neon colours either. Light to medium colours will look best :)
Be Careful With Patterns
You can’t go wrong with solid colours, and dresses with some texture (like maybe some lace or crepe fabrics). But patterns can be great, too! You just want to select the right one. If you select a pattern that is too tiny, it can be too busy and really distracting, especially if there are two contrasting colours. But you can also select patterns that are too big, which isn’t all that flattering. Medium-sized patterns are what you’re going to shoot for here. You also want to make sure that the contrast between the colours in the pattern and colour of the dress aren’t too much. For example, a navy pattern on a white dress would be too much contrast. But a cream-colored pattern against a dusty rose-coloured dress would be subtle and beautiful.
Dress Tor The Season
Make sure to think about the weather when deciding what to wear for your maternity photos. If it’s going to be hot out, pick a more breathable fabric. If it’s going to be cold, look for a long-sleeved dress, or bring a chunky knit cardigan to go over the top. Chunky knits are great because you can wear them off your shoulders and it looks amazing, and then between shots, you can cuddle up and get warm.
Avoid Matching Your Partner/Family
When deciding what your partner will wear, you want to coordinate but not match. If your colours are the same, you will blend into each other and it will be hard to see the separation. The same goes for anyone in your family, we don’t want anyone blending into each other.
What To Wear Under Your Dress For Maternity Photos
Depending on the dress you choose to wear and also your comfortability level, you may want to consider some shapewear for underneath your dress. Or just get some seamless underwear so the seams aren’t creating bumps in your dress. For your bra, be sure that the straps will not show, or rather than wearing a bra, you can also get some pasties instead. That way you don’t have to worry about bra straps at all. Just make sure that what you wear makes sense for the dress you choose. And don’t forget about the colour of your underwear. Wear colours that won’t show through your dress.
Unsure Whether You Should Invest In A New Maternity Dress?
Maternity sessions usually take place when you're between 30-34 weeks along, so I totally understand it if you just can't bring yourself to spend money on something you probably won't wear again. Depending on your style, you can sometimes make a non-maternity style dress that you already own work for you!
Hopefully you have a better idea now of what to wear for your maternity photo session, but remember that I am always here to help! :)
