School pictures are on the horizon an you may be thinking, “Why does it matter what my kid wears for their pictures?” It might matter more than you think!
Let me be vulnerable with you for a moment and share some of my old school pictures. Do you have any of these? Photos of yourself as a child that you wonder, “What was I thinking?” Or, better yet, “What was my mom thinking letting me out of the house in that?” They’re a mess of bad outfits, bad backgrounds and, even worse, bad hair choices.
If you’d like to keep this from happening to your child, these tips may help you keep them from enduring the same problem when they get older, and help create a really classic school portrait.
On picture day you should avoid clothes that have neon colors, large logos, hoodies or anything bulky around the neck, athletic fabrics, items with too much pattern (hello crazy flower shirt with matching scrunchie), and the colors orange or brown.
Not only should you avoid certain types of clothes, but consider hair choices too. Keep it natural. Avoid cutting your child’s hair in the few days before pictures take place. If they need a haircut, consider having it cut one to two weeks before picture day. That way it’s neither too short, nor too long. Don’t style their hair differently than they would normally wear it, otherwise it could be distracting and take away from what you’re really trying to capture (um, can you say big bangs?!)
If your male child is old enough to be shaving, then have them shave their face that morning. Stubble does not photograph well. They’ll thank you later! If your female child is old enough to wear makeup, make sure that stays natural too. And if jewelry and hair accessories need to be worn, keep those simple as well. Again, we’re focusing on who your child is, not their new shade of lipstick or giant hair bow.
Ok, so what should my child wear? Look for items with bright, bold colors. Preferably in earth tones. Keep it simple and classic. Look for styles that stand the test of time. Things that they might already have in their closet that just look good on them!
If you’re looking for some great places to shop for clothes, some of my favorite retailers are Target, H&M, Old Navy and Gap. These places typically have great clothes at great prices. You can check out my “Schools – What To Wear” board on Pinterest as a great starting point for ideas.
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Oh, and if you have multiple children being photographed, maybe think about coordinating colors. Especially if you’re going to be hanging their photos together on the wall. Just think of some colors that look great together and then go through their closet to see what they have. Super simple and easy!
Rest assured, I’m going to do my best to make sure your child looks good no matter what they’re wearing. But, the bottom line is, when your child feels comfortable in what they’re wearing, then they feel comfortable being themselves in front of my lens. School portrait day can be great, when we’re focused on who your child is and not what they’re wearing!
