The first steps…
By taking who you are, and adding in your location ideas, we build a step by step guide to creating your perfect senior photo session wardrobe Don’t feel overwhelmed, grab your fave pen, and notebook, and take some basic notes… you will be brainstorming in no time.
Ok, so your booked, and you can mark that off you to do list. Or maybe you are just getting started, and thinking about what you want for senior photos, and found your way to this magical blog post. Either way, I get it planning your session wardrobe is the absolute hardest part! But don’t worry, we are here to help! Let’s start with a few things..
- I am going to base this on how advise my clients to plan for a session. Does that mean its the ONLY way, of course not, just skip the parts that may not apply to you!
- Planning- nothing works well without a plan. How much you plan is up to each person, but having a road map will make this process a lot easier, and way less stressful!
- start early- coming up with ideas takes time! Sometimes things come to us as we are shopping, and sometimes things come while we are laying out our initial plan, but giving yourself time to get it all together will help with stress.
- Read what you have on your session… all of it. Now, for my clients, you have years of blogs, and loads of info in your client portal {please read it… did I mention that}. But any info you are given is helpful, so take the time to go over it… or at least skim it 🙂
Let’s get this party started!
What are the 3 questions to ask before you start?
what should you do first? think about who YOU are! Now, again, at KHP we do a questionnaire that gets down to the nitty gritty with some of this, but you have to have an idea of who you are, and what you want to showcase! What does that mean? Read on…
- what is your overall style? are you BOHO, or TRENDY? PREPPY or ATHLETIC? Do you love long dresses with flowers? or jeans and cropped tops? Would you spend every last penny at J crew, or would you rather buy loads of vinyls {records that is}. is the latest fashion your fave thing… or would you only dress in sweats {side note, you can’t only dress in sweats for your shoot}. The most important part of this process is really tapping in to who you are, and what you want to showcase! Head on over to our pinterest for some of these ideas as a curated series of idea boards, or take our interactive style quiz!
- Where do you want to shoot? This is just as important as your style. If you are a soft romantic style, and love all things boho, then shooting in an Urban location may not be the best fit. Now, when we plan locations, we look for areas with lots of variety, and places that are a short drive from each other. But, we still want to have a general “VIBE” for your shoot. If you envision your shoot in a big grassy field, that’s great but you may also want something with some texture to offset that, and give you some variety. So, by curating a variety of locations that coordinate with your style, you will be well on your way to your desired shoot! The biggest thing I suggest is keeping in mind where you plan to shoot. If you dont live near the mountains {and dont plan to travel for your photoshoot} don’t even tempt yourself with that style! Remember these photos are about YOU, not just the background, so by keeping the locations true to you, you will feel that your photos are more authentic!
- Add on the extras… what does this mean? Thing about all the things that make you YOU! What do you love to do in your free time? Reading? Surfing? Shopping? Cooking? Do you do sports? are you involved in the yearbook? do you love photos? or the beach? The list is endless! Love country music, and want to highlight that, then grab your fave boots, and skirt, and plan an outfit around that! Love to cook your way through the world? Then lets grab a chefs hat, some jeans and an apron, and design that right up! The sky is the limit! But, by thinking of all the things that you enjoy, and tying that to you locations and then your outfits, you will have a plan to start working on!
Making that plan… putting it all together! The step by step guide
Ok, so because I think everything makes more sense with an example, we are going to create a client, her name is Becky {and yes, my pretend client is always Becky… and no ties to any Becky I have ever met or known 🙂
So, Becky is a bit of a tomboy… but loves the occasional dress up moment. She loves the water, and the sun {I mean, I cant help it, I do live in Florida} and loves to read. She is a bit of a romantic at times, and she also loves sports. You may say Becky is a bit of everything right? Wrong! Becky does NOT like Preppy {sadly, because Becky’s mom does} and she does not have a sport she does. But, Becky loves to shop, and she loves a bit of a vintage vibe. So what would you suggest Becky do? Well, since we have all the above info, we know Becky has thought about her overall style, and has some ideas on locations. Becky has dark hair, and beautiful fair skin. Her eyes are blue/green and her skin tone is cool {Becky knows this because she took our skin tone test}.
Becky’s Plan-
Since we are near St Augustine, which embodies vintage, we are definitely using that area to start. In our style consult, Becky and I will dive into the exact locations {and for basic outfit planning, none of that matters}. We will then move to the beach, because Becky loves the water. When Becky and I first start our consult, she has three outfits, her fave white dress, a pair of jeans, and a shorts outfit.
Why do I start with those three outfits? Because for most seniors, its the easiest place. White is a generally flattering color no matter what your skin tone is. You wear jeans often… and if not jeans, then shorts. But, it doesn’t tell us much about Becky, does it? So here do we go from here?
- First Becky has dark hair with blue eyes I would start by Suggesting Becky add in blue- whether that’s a floral dress {remember she is romantic} or a soft chunky blue sweater to wear with shorts {perfect in FL bc its never TOO cold}, both will accent the area, and set off her coloring. And if I do say so, we now have two outfits right there!
- Continuing with Becky’s coloring, corals. and purples are good. So, I would love to see her add that. Again, she likes vintage- can we add a vintage T, some jeans, and boots? Or how about a vintage dress over a T-shirt, with a chunk necklace, and a hat? Two more styles, just like that!
- Vintage Preppy… ahh the one Becky is the least sure of…. Becky doesn’t love Preppy… but her momma does, so together they find a fun vintage preppy look. Maybe its a 80’s preppy vibe {think 16 candles} or maybe its classic Lilly, but it makes them both happy… well mostly Becky’s mom but in the end, Becky will love it too!
- A current trend Becky loves… with tiktok, and influencers, every senior has someone’s look they really love. Duplicate that! This is the one spot I really say let your teen take the reigns {and let Jesus hold the wheel} because it may not be a parental fave. But, they want something that screams 2020’s, and this is that spot! whatever that might mean to them! Do they love a beach influence, then a billabong dress, over their fave beach suit is perfect! There are so many ways to go with this… you just want something that will endure the test of time, and something you can both live with. Remember Becky likes a Tomboy look, so she grabs her fave influencer idea, and does a fun grunge tomboy look {because whats old, is new again}. But, to make it feminine, Becky adds some lavender accents, and wears her fave doc martens, so it screams HER!
- The beach…. my fave! The white dress is a no brainer! But, it doesn’t have to be white! I do find it a nice blend on all skin types, and if you can do their graduation dress and make it extra special. I also suggest something DRESSY at sunset. What this means depends on each senior, but I can help with that in the style closet or they can bring their prom dress, or a vintage dress they love. The biggest thing is if they plan to get wet, and how they feel about sand on it. But we cover all that in the style and location consult!
And just like that Becky is done, but has a million other things she could do! by adding accessories, and mementos, and some of her fave things, she can change all these up for extra ideas. What about her vintage rocker T at a record store, or a short leather dress with a fun printed shirt over it, Dressy sued shorts and a button up tied over one of those vintage T-s, or a long denim skirt and a slim crop top. Add her grandmothers fave costume jewelry necklace and she has a memorable look, and a memory of someone special together! The sky is the limit, but make sure you do a deep dive on who YOU are, and what you want to showcase in your photos.
When I say I could literally take this plan 1000 ways, I truly mean it! There are so many different style combinations, and colors, and ways to add variety to a session, but by starting with the basics, WHO YOU ARE, and WHERE YOU WANT TO SHOOT, you start to formulate a plan. This plan works as your basic roadmap! Can you add something that catches your eye… like that sparkly jacket that looks divine with your leather jeans? You sure can! This is your chance to stretch you ideas, and try new things! The cusp of adulthood is there perfect place to add some style and pizazz to your look. I find so many of my seniors love color {which they seldom wear normally} and love to add variety with a look totally outside their comfort zone. This is the place to do all those things! Take it up a notch! Trust me, you will be so glad you did! I am betting I say I told you say when you view your photos! Now, if only writing that college essay was so easy….
And because every post is better with photos…The fabulous 2024 senior Abbey Muller! Who has no relation to any Becky I know 🙂