What to wear to your maternity session
Figuring out what to wear to a photography session can be tricky at the best of times, but when you’ve got a bump, all those hormones wreaking havoc on your body, and a few unwanted lumps, bumps and kilos it can get tricky.
My clients often ask me what they should wear that’s flattering, but will also work in photos and I thought it might make the perfect blog post!
As always, my philosophy when it comes to everything is to keep it simple, and wear something that makes you feel good and comfortable because there’s nothing worse than wanting to fidget with your clothes.
Tip #1
Flowy or Fitted?
This is the number one question my clients ask me, and my response is to always choose what you feel most comfortable in and to choose something that makes sense for you. If you aren’t into flowy maxi-dresses than don’t wear one! I love photographing mums in both flowy and fitted options - the only right option is whatever you feel comfortable in.
Truly, I’ve had so many sessions derailed because mum was in an outfit that was too tight or kept twisting, and the constant fidgeting with it causes you to feel stressed and anxious about making sure it’s not doing it in the photos, which means you aren’t able to be fully present and enjoy the experience. It really does translate through into the photos, and everytime you look back at them you’ll remember how stressed you were (instead of how happy you were!).
I’m a huge fan of knitwear, and love when clients arrive in big cunky cardigans (as they also help frame the bump) and usually the work with both maxi dresses and more fitted options!
It’s also important to take the time of year your maternity session will be held in, as the heat (or cold) + the weather on the day will dictate what you wear too.
If you’re a fan of lush boehmian maxi-dresses but don’t want to spend a fortune on something, make sure you check out Mama Rentals (not sponsored). It’s an Australian based maternity dress rental site and holy moly they have the most beautiful dresses available to rent. They’ve got a huge range of dresses in heaps of sizes from petite to XL so pretty much everyone should be covered (I’m personally frothing over this gorgeous Fillyboo dress 😍😍😍😍.
Something else to keep in mind is that if you choose a flowy dress, these can hide your bump so you’ll need to be comfortable having at least one hand on your bump for the majority of the shoot, if it’s important to you that your bump is visible in the majority of photos.
Tip #2
Solid colours work best
While patterns might look good in real life, photographing them can be a little trickier, especially when they are bending around a bump. Solid colours make your bump stand out more, and also help bring focus to it; but some patterns can look a little funny around a bump, and also make the bump look smaller/less noticeable.
When it comes to choosing colours, stick to neutrals and earthy colours - cream, soft greys, light blues and pinks, earthy pinks, tan, khaki, sage & olive greens too, burgundy, mustard yellows (and light & pale yellow) all work really well together.
PLEASE AVOID WEARING ANYTHING DARKER THAN NAVY. I know, I know, black is the Melbourne colour of choice, but it really is a difficult colour to photograph - especially for maternity sessions. Dark colours absorb the light, and hide the shadows, which are two really important things when we’re trying to photograph your bump (especially if you don’t want/like having your hands on your bump the whole time). Dark navy, charcoal and black are best avoided if you can manage it.
Sometimes patterns can work, but simple is always better. Stripes and blocky patterns are best avoided (unless you’re confident wearing them).
Tip #3
Avoid matching - aim for complimentary.
The days of matchy matchy are behind us (thank goodness) and when it comes to dressing your partner and/or children for your maternity (or family) session then try to co-ordinate your clothes so they’re a mixup of the colours I mentioned above. Try to pick no more than 4 colours. For example blue jeans + chinos for bottoms, and then a mixup of light grey, navy, and cream for your tops works perfectly. You’ll still look like you belong together, without being copy cut versions of each other!
Picking clothes from the colours listed above in tip #2 is always an easy & winning combo, but if one of you is wearing something patterned (with multiple colours), start with that outfit and build from there.
Although my husband and I very regularly leave the house wearing the same colours without even realising it until it’s too late so I can’t talk 🤣
Would you like more information on maternity sessions?
If you’re currently expecting a baby and would like to find out some more info about prices and my availability, I’d love to hear from you! Hit the button below to send me an email and I’ll get back to you asap.
