What Should I Wear to my Branding Shoot?
What you choose to wear to your shoot has an impact on the final images and communicates a lot about your overall brand message and how you position yourself. I get that it can feel overwhelming and can be something that holds you back from even booking a shoot in the first place. Perhaps you lack confidence, or just don’t even know where to start. I hope this post helps to alleviate some of that stress or worry!
Firstly, there are no hard and fast rules about what you should or shouldn’t wear. It’s a very personal choice and down to each individual or brand. There are however, a few things that I can suggest from experience and from a photography point of view, to help guide your choices.
Work with a Stylist
If you’re someone who struggles to put outfits together, or just generally lacks confidence in what to wear or what you look good in, then working with a stylist beforehand is helpful. I highly recommend Donna Tweedale, who enables women to understand what they need from their clothes and helps them to make considered decisions. I’ve personally taken one of her online workshops, and can genuinely say how helpful I found this. Donna’s calming and personal approach makes the process very relaxed and can help you pull together existing outfits (helping you to see them in a new light), or advises on key things that can help to elevate what you already have.
Incorporate Brand Colours
Consider your brand colours when thinking about your outfits. Dressing in brand colours helps to boost your brand recognition and creates cohesion across your website and social media.
Be Comfortable
The last thing you want is to wear an outfit that makes you feel uncomfortable. Make sure your choices are authentic to you and try outfits on beforehand. I advise taking photos on your phone to see how they translate on camera, or asking opinions from someone you know and trust. When you feel comfortable in an outfit, it’s amazing how it shows in your body language and the way you hold yourself. If you feel good, you’ll immediately walk with a little more confidence and it’ll translate in your photos.
Bring Multiple Outfits
I always encourage bringing multiple outfits along to your shoot. I want you to get the most from our session together, so the last thing you want is a gallery of images of you wearing the same outfit. And your customers will also get bored of seeing repetitive images of you! Think about variety - some relaxed/casual outfits along with more professional pieces will help you to maximise your content.
You do however, need to be aware that outfit changes obviously eat into the time we have together. So it’s important that decisions are made beforehand - knowing exactly what you want to wear and when. Also, adding simple accessories is another way of quickly changing up an outfit/look.
Things to Avoid
Avoid busy patterns, logos or heavy wording or bright/neon colours (they cast horrible colours onto skin). Not only will it date your images, it’s also a big distraction. Choose solid colours for timeless results and make your images work harder for you!
Consider the Seasons
If you’re having your shoot in the summer, it still might be worth thinking about the seasons ahead and taking some outfits that will also work for future content.
Look Polished and Professional
When planning your outfits, it’s important that whatever you choose is going to elevate your brand image. Take the time to ensure clothes are ironed and wrinkle-free, fit well and free from holes or faded. A perfect excuse to go shopping or if you’re tight on budget, clothes can be returned after the shoot (trust me, people do it all the time!).
I hope this post has helped you as you prepare for your Personal Branding shoot. If you have any questions or need further help, just send me an email.
