Baby photographer in Houston | Spring 2022 style guide

Baby photographer in Houston | Fall 2021 style guide

Deciding what to wear for your session can be overwhelming, but I’m here to help! Below are some tips on planning your outfits, colors to wear/ avoid and links to some of my favorite pieces available in stores right now.

First of all, start shopping early! Don’t wait to the last minute to shop. It may take buying and returning a few times to get everything just right so give yourself plenty of time. Also, a lot of online stores sell out quick, so if you see something you like in your size be sure to get it before it’s too late!

STEP ONE: DECIDING ON COLOR SCHEME

Before you start looking for outfits, it’s good to have a general idea of what colors you want to incorporate. I would decide on colors based on two things: (1) colors that you gravitate toward with your home decor and (2) seasonal colors. Even if your home decor has some color in it, you can’t go wrong with neutrals because they will go with anything and they are timeless. As time goes on, you may change the color scheme in your home but neutrals will go with anything. One thing to consider with neutrals is, do you prefer cooler tones (think grays and blues) or warmer tones (off white, beige, etc)? That’s something to keep in mind as I would recommend keeping your overall color palette either with cool tones or warm tones.

If you want to add a little seasonal color, you can still do that in a way that gives an overall neutral look to your photos. For example, in the spring you can add blush pink, light blue, sage green, or other light pastel colors. Keep in mind that some colors can cause a color cast because the light will bounce off the color in your outfit and will cause a color cast on your skin. (That’s another great reason to stick with light neutral colors). To keep a neutral and light and airy feel to your photos, keep most of the colors light… white. off white. light beige, light gray, and then add a little bit of the accent color if you want. Here are some examples of color schemes, using a little color and then neutrals that go with that color:

If you’re getting too overwhelmed or you’re undecided about the color scheme, then move on to Step Two: Shopping for mom’s dress. Once you find a dress you love then you can build the color scheme around it.

STEP TWO: SHOPPING FOR MOM’S DRESS

Mom’s are the hardest to shop for so I always recommend shopping for Mom’s dress first. Thankfully there are so many online stores that have great choices. A maxi dress works best for mom’s, but if you’re comfortable wearing a shorter dress that’s fine too. Just make sure that it’s not too short so that you’re comfortable when moving around and playing with your kids during the session. (Tip: When your kids are young and/ or really active I would recommend wearing a maxi dress since you’ll probably be moving around a lot during the session).

When shopping for your dress, consider what styles look most flattering for your body type. Do you prefer sleeves or no sleeves? What type of neckline looks best on you? If you’re shopping online, I would recommend purchasing at least a few options since you never know how the dresses will look on you until you try them on. Just make sure you check the store’s return policy first.

**Plus size moms, be sure to check out this blog post with some suggestions of what to wear that are just for you!

Here are some of my favorite stores to shop for mom:

Favorite places to shop for dresses for Mom:

Here are a few dresses that have some color and pattern to them would work great for the spring. Just be sure if you do a pattern, everyone else should be in solid colors.

Of course you also can’t go wrong with solid, neutral colored dresses. Off white is a great color for fall pictures…

Blue is pretty too!

STEP 3: SHOPPING FOR EVERYONE ELSE’S OUTFITS

Now that you’ve found your dress and decided on color scheme, you can shop for everyone else’s outfits. As you’re shopping, keep in mind who you’re shopping for… if they are particular about the look/style of the clothes they wear or how they feel. We want everyone to show up happy for the session so everyone needs to be happy with what they’re wearing. Young kids and toddlers especially need to be comfortable in what they’re wearing… lightweight clothes that are soft and easy to move in are ideal. Also keep in mind the weather. Typically in Houston it can still be warm throughout most of the fall so avoid heavy sweaters.

Here are some of my favorite places to shop for children and babies:

Girls Dresses and rompers work great for girls. For young toddlers and babies, I would stay away for a-line dresses and pick something a little more flowy that gives them more room to move around. Look for fabric that is lightweight (not stiff) so that it’s comfortable and photographs well. Also make sure for babies and toddlers to have them wear a light colored diaper cover.

Dads and Boys Guys are pretty easy to shop for so I typically shop for them last. The styles don’t change much each year, and most guys aren’t too particular about what they wear. (If you do have husband or son that is particular about what they wear, make sure to consult with them to find something that they like that will also go with the overall look you’re going for).

Dad’s can wear khaki or gray nondress pants with a lightweight sweater, henley shirt or collared button up.

For boys- I don’t recommend collared shirts for babies or toddlers since they tend to hide their face sometimes when they move around. For babies or young toddlers, overalls in a lightweight fabric is always cute, or a simple henley shirt with khaki pants.

Favorite stores to shop for Dad:  Gap, J Crew, Target

Favorite stores to shop for baby boy/ boys:  Zara, J Crew, Old Navy, Target

*all of the pieces below are from Zara-

STEP 4: PUTTING EVERYTHING TOGETHER

After you’ve shopped for everyone and tried the outfits on to make sure they fit, it’s time to put everything together! This can be the tricky part, so it might be helpful to have a couple of different options for everyone so that you can see what outfits work best together.

Lay out all of the outfits on the floor or your bed and play around with some different options to see what outfits look best when they’re all put together. Here are some tips to remember:

-A pattern on one outfit only, make sure it isn’t too busy of a pattern. (My favorite pattern: floral).

-Stick with either cool tones or warm tones. Don’t try to match, rather look for colors that coordinate well together. This is where it’s helpful if you have a pattern in someone’s outfit… then you can incorporate some of the colors from that outfit in other people’s outfits

-Mix in light neutral colors to keep a light and airy feel to your portraits. If at least one person is wearing white or off white, that will really help to lighten the overall look of the photos.

Need help deciding? That’s what I’m here for! E-mail me a picture of all of the outfits together and I’ll let you know what I think. For the best color and lighting please take the photo in a room that gets good natural light and turn off the lights in the room. That will give me a better picture of the color of the outfits.