Maternity Photo Outfits: How To Choose
Your pregnancy is one of the most incredible times of your life, if not, THE most incredible time. There’s so much joy, excitement, laughter, nervousness, sleepless nights, and maybe a little morning sickness. I know that your pregnancy is such a special time, and because of that, I want to make sure you look your most feminine and beautiful in your maternity photo outfits.
That’s where maternity portrait sessions come in! You might be wondering though, “what do I wear for my maternity photos?”
In this blog, we’ll look at what you should wear so that you will be relaxed, gorgeous, and in the flow.
Let’s get started…
First Things First: The Style Guide
If you book your maternity session with me, I’ll send over The Style Guide. Before you start picking out maternity clothing to wear for your photo session, and definitely before going shopping, I recommend that you read over this resource for helpful info.
This style guide includes all of the best tips for what to wear for a maternity photo session, as well as other useful best practice photography tips that will prepare you beforehand.
Avoid Strong Colors
While solid blocks of color are best, aim to choose more neutral or pastel colors. This is because strong colors like red or bright orange can take away from the focus on your beautiful growing belly!
Colors that work best to ensure you are the focal point are pastels, white, cream, and light neutrals. Again, choose a color that you like to wear and that suits you, as this is the most important.
Flowing Maxi Dresses
A beautiful, flowy maxi dress is a really popular choice with expecting mothers when they have maternity photos taken. I think this is due to the fact that the flowing style feels less revealing, yet they create ethereal, flowy, and stunning images on camera.
A maxi-style dress also lets you see your baby bump but doesn’t show too much. This means you’ll have a level of confidence that you may not have in a more tightly fitting dress.
You can combine a flowing maxi dress look with a more dressed-down, casual outfit if you would like some contrast. Equally, you could go with two maxi dress looks if that fits your style.
Rent Your Dress
Did you know you can rent a stunning, over-the-top designer dress for your photos?
This is a great idea for your maternity session especially, as you may not want to spend a lot of money on a dress that will soon not fit you again.
You don’t have to rent a maternity dress; it could just be a dress with a high enough waistband to sit right above your baby bump.
If you need more help with this, I can show you a few beautiful dress for you to choose from. Please just contact me for more details.
Choose Two Key Outfits
Having two key maternity photo outfits to wear for your session works well. A good idea is to have one casual outfit and one dressy outfit. These two options will help when it comes to choosing where you display the photos in your home, as well as giving you variety in the final gallery.
Bring along both outfits we’ll plan an outfit change during your photo session. I will assist you to find a suitable changing spot. You will be so glad when the photos are delivered to see your different outfits, especially if you later decided one of the outfits was not to your liking as you thought it was going to be.
If you have more time to spare, a third outfit could also be an option for you.
Add Interest with Accessories
Adding a few extra accessories can make your outfit more interesting and memorable. Choose a colorful scarf, hat, or piece of jewelry that carries some sentimental meaning for you.
If you want to make more of a bold statement, choose some big sunglasses, a wide hat, or even some flowers or baby items we can use as props.
Don’t forget to have fun with it too!
Remember, when choosing your accessories, to go with a color palette that will complement the style of your location choice or just a general style that will stand the test of time.
Avoid Matching Outfits or Colors with Your Partner
Just like I advise with other styles of photo sessions, you want to avoid wearing matching outfits or colors with your partner.
Coordinating your outfits is certainly a good idea, but too much of a match will result in the photos becoming drab. Matching outfits can be distracting, as the focus will not be on you and your growing baby.
A good way to choose your outfits, together with your partner, is to lay out what you would both like to wear and make sure the colors and palettes go together. Make sure there are not any distracting patterns or mismatching colors.
From there, combine colors and styles that go together but that don’t appear exactly the same! Choose accessories in the same manner, and you are pretty much all set!
Let’s Sum it Up!
Hopefully now you can confidently select your maternity photo outfits. Overall, you want to be wearing clothes and accessories that highlight your beautiful bump, and not distract from or hide it.
Choosing two key outfits is a great way to stay focused, and renting a beautiful designer dress that you may not otherwise have access to, can make you feel so confident on your photo session day.
Don’t be afraid to let yourself shine! Keep that vision in your mind of you and your glowing pregnancy wearing clothing that reflects your unique style. When it comes to maternity photos, having fun and being creative are all part of the pregnancy journey.
If you would like to discuss booking a maternity photo session, just click HERE to contact me!
I look forward to helping you achieve a memorable, and beautiful, set of pregnancy photos that you will cherish for a lifetime.
Lavender Lemonade Photography specializes in family, senior and brand photography and serves the Eugene, OR area. Follow along on Instagram for the latest booking dates and tips for your session!
