What to Wear for Your Senior Photo Session | Eickhoff Photography | Shoreline Senior Photos

Your senior session is booked. Your location is set. Senior photos are intended to represent you, your personality, and your passions as you celebrate the end of high school, gain independence, and start new life adventures. What would you like to wear to represent who you are today? Your outfits can be good old favorites, creative combinations of clothes you have at home with accessories you love, or something new to celebrate this moment in your life. Keep reading for tips on how to achieve the looks you want in your senior photos. And remember, our whole goal is to highlight you. 😊

Senior girl at Discovery Park in Seattle in white tube top and jeans skirt with cowboy boots and hat standing in golden grass with golden light shining from behind her and puget sound with the Olympic mountains on the horizon.

Where to Start

With a full senior session, you have the option to change your outfit throughout the session. Keeping this in mind, consider some casual and dressier options as well as accents that highlight your H.S. interests.
Choosing items that make you feel confident and comfortable will help keep your photos looking relaxed and will truly highlight your personality. Accessorize with items that accent your style. Are you a guy who loves some good suspenders or a bowtie when you dress up? Add these to a dressier outfit. Are you in 4H or competing in equestrian competitions? Adding cowboy boots or a hat with your wranglers can capture this passion. Do you always wear Chuck Taylors? Are you on the track team or a cheerleader? Let’s find a way to incorporate your athletic pursuits. Are you more of a theater kid, chess club enthusiast, or band nerd (you’ll be in good company, former bassoonist over here ✋). Let’s figure out a way to highlight the moments that have been most important to you through your high school career.
Casual options may include cute pants/jeans/shorts with a simple shirt/sweater, a casual skirt and tank top, or a casual sun dress. Another option is jeans or shorts with a nice clean t-shirt. I generally avoid graphic tees, but if the graphics fit your personality and hobbies, this could be a great option for you as well. If you know your plans for next year, you may also consider adding a series of photos celebrating your future plans; your college gear, an Army/navy or other military shirt, or gear representing a technical profession that you are moving in to.

For dressier options, a flowy skirt, 3/4 length dress, or cocktail dress can increase the fancy feel. Also, a suit or button down shirt with nice pants or your “dressy” jeans can give a classy look.

Pick clothes that are appropriate for the weather. I want you to be comfortable throughout the session so that you have a great time. Consider if the day is likely to be hot or cold and plan accordingly. Layering can add texture and variety to your photos while allowing for wardrobe adjustments if the weather is warmer or colder than you expected.

senior boy standing framed by a garden trellis, looking off to the side while leaning on the post with golden sun in the back ground and a pathway leading away behind him in a garden in Seattle, WA

Colors

Consider the location of your photo shoot. For example, if we will be shooting outside near green trees, choose clothes that look good with the green background. Yellows and blues and neutrals can help give your photos a smooth integrated feel; where reds and violets compliment green well and provide good contrast. If we are shooting in your home or at an urban/indoor location consider the color of the walls in the room (or rooms) that we are likely to be using.
Pick colors that represent your personality and your typical wardrobe. Do you like bright bold colors? Natural colors? Subdued colors? Pastels? Choosing colors and styles that you typically love to wear will feel more like you.

Choose 2-3 colors that coordinate well and use them to accent your outfits for a cohesive look and more depth to your styling.

Putting the pieces together

Simple patterns can help add variety to outfits, but having many different patterns can be overwhelming. Using a simple pattern for one portion of your outfit can work well when coordinated with solid colored clothing to prevent a photo from looking too busy. You could pick a key patterned outfit (shirt, dress, or skirt) with more than one color in it and coordinate everything else to tie into the key outfit. (ie, a skirt with blues, greens, and yellows, coordinated with a white or blue shirt, yellow earrings, and brown boots or shoes.)

Adding accessories and layers can help bring character to your photos. A cute headband, stylish hat, cardigan, scarf, belt, colorful earrings, or fun necklace can add texture and depth to your photos.

I generally try to avoid graphic tees as they can be distracting in photos, particularly when other people are in the photos. But these photos are all about you! So, if you love a hobby or activity and have a favorite graphic tee that illustrates that part of your personality, I would love to photograph you in it. I want your senior photos to highlight all of the parts of your personality that make you who you are right now. If we are taking photos with your bestie and you bonded over that same activity, I’d love to get you both in coordinated tees showcasing what makes your friendship awesome.

Senior boy in white t-shirt and jeans sitting in golden grass in the gardens at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA

Final Details

Having clothes that fit well will help make your photos look their best. Unless it’s the vibe you are going for, outfits that are too large and baggy or too small can draw attention to the outfit instead of bringing the focus to your gorgeous face.

Don’t forget the shoes (unless barefoot is your style)! Your feet will be in some of your photos and a great outfit can be completed with a pair of shoes that fit your style of choice.
Choose clothes that make you feel AMAZING! When you feel amazing, your personality will shine and you will look amazing in your images =)

Plan ahead =) Go through your closets at home or purchase any new items to add to your outfits ahead of time to make sure that all of the pieces you want to wear are available, clean, and fitting well. This will be one less thing that you need to think about on the day of your session and will hopefully decrease your stress so you can enjoy the day more!