Are you trying to decide what to wear for personal branding sessions?
Does this feel like stress on top of stress (because nobody likes being in front of the camera!).
Trust me friend – you are not alone!
It can be nerve wracking to try and figure out what to wear – especially if you’re like me, and have a closet full of nothing to wear!
#kiddingnotkidding
We are breaking down ideas for what to wear, and how to make the most of our time taking photos together.
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What to Wear for Personal Branding Sessions
Before You Run Out to Buy New Clothes ask yourself a few questions:
- What symbolizes your personal brand?
(bright, moody, artistic, no-nonsense) - How do you want to be perceived?
(fun/playful, serious, professional?) - What showcases your features best?
(jumpsuits – to show off your long legs, muted colors to feature your stunning eyes, etc)
Can you pull outfits from your closet that you feel amazing in?
Is there something that still has the tags on that you can finally sport?
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Wear solid colors – but don’t be afraid to add in that pop of pattern or a graphic tee.
Sometimes prints can be distracting in photos, and take the attention away from how awesome you are, or clashing with the location you’re taking pictures in.
Personally, I love prints and typically incorporate them into all of my sessions – but that is on brand for my business.
Think about if it makes sense to add in pops of pattern to your outfit selection.
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Wear Clothes that Fit – there’s nothing worse than a baggy shirt, or frumpy blazer to ruin your polished persona. Plus, the last thing you want is to be self-conscious, or tugging at clothing throughout the photoshoot.
It’s a good idea to try everything on before the session and see how it looks.
If an item is too tight/too baggy, then ditch it for something you feel better in.
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What I Brought to My Personal Branding Session
Here is a list of things I brought to my personal branding session that we did at the Cavalier Hotel.
- Lilly Pulitzer Pajamas (everyone jumps on the bed, why not get some fun photos!)
- Black Tunic and Leopard Print Leggings (dressing up is awesome, but leggings are real life)
- Pink Puffy Sweater and Black Leggings (dressing up something casual)
- Holiday Sweater for Valentines Day (wore the same black leggings)
- White lace top, Orange Blazer, Jeans and Nude Heels (I absolutely swear by these heels!)
- Black Top, White Blazer, Mint Green Paisley Pattern Skirt (and those nude heels again)
- Colorful Lilly Pulitzer Romper and Sunhat
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Accessorize – no outfit is complete without all the accessories to knock your look out of the park! Think about what you will need for each outfit and put everything together beforehand.
Here are some things that you can add to elevate your look:
- Hat/beret
- Scarf
- Statement Jewelry (typically you want to choose one statement piece)
- Shoes/Heels
- Belt
- Blazer/Vest
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Infuse Your Brand with the Holidays!
If it makes sense for your business, why not infuse a little holiday cheer into your outfit selection?!
Obviously you can hit the big ones: Christmas, Valentines Day, Easter, etc.
But why not reach outside the norm, and include holidays that are outside the box?
Ones that we always make sure to incorporate are: National Cupcake Day, National Margarita Day/Cinco de Mayo (two different days!), etc.
Props for these photos don’t have to be super big or elaborate, it can be as simple as a silly headband (like what I’m wearing for St Patrick’s Day in the photo below).
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Incorporate Brand Colors
Whenever you can, make sure to include at least a few photos with your brand colors.
The images we create will be seen on your website/social media and keeping brand colors in mind when choosing outfits can help ensure nothing clashes.
My brand colors are pinks and teals (I love bright, happy colors!).
I always make sure to incorporate pink colors into my wardrobe. But I don’t just stick to pink and teal, typically I try to go for a bright/tropical color palette. So the colors that most often appear in my photos are pink, teal, green, coral, yellow.
It’s not exactly my brand colors, but in the same color family – does that make sense?
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Bring Your Whole Closet!
Okay, this may seem a little excessive, but you want to make sure to give yourself options during this personal branding photoshoot.
Bringing more wardrobe options will help us create more content for you, and doing something like a simple blouse change can give you an entirely different look.
Always plan for a few dressy looks, and a few casual looks.
Whether you lean more to one side or the other will depend on your industry, target market, etc.
For my personal branding sessions, I plan for 5-6 different outfits (complete with shoes, jewelry, accessories).
Sometimes we don’t get through all of them, or a find that something I chose didn’t work for the location I was planning – but that’s okay.
And I promise – I won’t even judge when you show up for your session with a suitcase!
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Style YOU, Just Elevated – I always recommend wearing outfits you feel great in. However, don’t feel pressured to wear something that doesn’t feel authentic to you/your brand.
The goal when we work together is to showcase what makes you amazing, so embrace the fun/goofy/serious/playful/wonderful-ness that makes you, YOU!
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Skin In the Game – when it comes to photos, bare skin will often pull the eye first. These photos will represent you and your business, so it’s typically better to dress a tiny bit more conservatively so clients view you as an authority in your field.
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Venue – The Historic Cavalier Hotel | Photographer – The Kia & Co. | Makeup and Hairstylist – Makeup By Vega |
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Book Your Own Personal Branding Session!
If you loved seeing all our ideas for what to wear for personal branding sessions – let’s schedule a time to chat!
We would LOVE to create a custom portrait session to really represent YOU and your business.
Feel free to message us by hitting the { CONTACT ME } button or by giving us a call at 757-749-5350.
Can’t wait to create some magic together!
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