A Real Guide for Girls
If there is one thing that can make or break your senior portraits before the session even starts, it is what you wear. I have been photographing seniors in Fort Collins for over 30 years, and I promise you this is not the thing to wing. Outfits have a huge impact on how your photos feel, how many truly different looks you walk away with, and whether you look back at your images in ten years and feel like they actually captured you.
The good news is that getting this right is not complicated. You just need to know what works on camera and what does not, and those two things are not always what you would expect.
Here is what I tell every senior before their session.
Start With Who You Are, Not What Is Trending
Your senior portraits are not a fashion shoot for a magazine. They are a document of who you are at this exact moment in your life, and that is way more interesting than whatever trend is on everyone’s Pinterest board right now.
Before you go shopping, think about five words you would use to describe your personal style. Confident. Chill. Edgy. Girly. Adventurous. Romantic. Write them down. Then use those words to guide every outfit choice. If one of those words is “chill” and you are standing in the dressing room in a formal gown that feels nothing like you, put it back.
The best senior portraits I have ever taken are the ones where the senior looks completely at home in what she is wearing. That comfort shows up in every single frame.
The Variety Principle: Why It Matters More Than Any Single Outfit
Here is the thing most seniors do not think about until they are editing their gallery. Variety is not just about having more looks. It is about having looks that feel genuinely different from each other.
Wearing four dresses of similar length and color family is not variety, even if the styles are different. Variety means mixing categories: something formal or dressy, something casual, something that shows your personality. Maybe that is a flowy maxi dress, a great pair of jeans with a cropped top, and something a little more edgy or boho. Three looks that feel like three different versions of you.
We also want to have outfits that match the session location. You do not want to be in a natural setting in an edgy look that should have been photographed in an Urban environment. Stiletto heels in a field, that’s not the right vibe.
A few ways to add variety without starting from scratch: change up your colors between looks. Swap textures. Use accessories to shift the whole vibe of an outfit. Throw a denim jacket over a floral dress and it reads completely differently than without it. A hat, a belt, a scarf over the shoulders. These details matter on camera more than people expect.
The secret weapon for variety that most people never think about: dress in different seasonal vibes within the same session. One look that feels like summer, one that leans into fall textures. Your photos will look like they were taken at different times of year, which makes your gallery feel much richer.
What Actually Photographs Well
Some things look great in real life and strange on camera. Some things are the opposite. Here is what works.
Colors:
- Rich, saturated colors tend to photograph beautifully, especially jewel tones like deep teal, burgundy, emerald, and eggplant – these work on almost every skin tone.
- For warm-toned skin: Warm tones like rust, terracotta, mustard, and olive are gorgeous
- For cooler complexion skin: You will love the way blues, soft greens, and berry shades photograph.
- Neutrals are always a safe bet.
- The one thing to be careful with is neon, which tends to cast a strange color on your skin in photos.
Fit and function:
- Your outfits need to work for movement. We are going to be sitting, squatting, standing on things, leaning, twisting. If a skirt is too short to sit in comfortably, it is going to limit what we can do.
- Functional clothing lets me put you in more interesting poses and get more variety out of each look.
- Wear clothes that fit your actual body well, not too tight and not so loose that they look shapeless, almost always photograph better than something that does not quite fit.
Layers:
- Layers are one of the easiest ways to get more out of a single outfit – layers add dimension to photos and give us something to play with during the shoot.
- Examples:
- An open flannel over a tank
- A cardigan
- A denim or leather jacket
- A kimono
Texture:
- Mix your textures across looks and even within a single outfit – texture is interesting to photograph, and it adds a richness to images that solid, flat fabrics alone cannot.
- Examples:
- Leather and denim
- Knit and lace
- Suede and silk
What to Avoid
Below are a few pieces of clothing that we have found consistently cause problems.
Avoid busy patterns and logos:
- Large prints, camo, thick stripes, and graphic tees with text or logos tend to be visually distracting.
- They pull attention away from your face, which is the point.
- Small prints can be beautiful, but bold, all-over patterns are tricky.
- When in doubt, lean toward solid colors or subtle textures.
Avoid wrinkled or faded clothing:
- This sounds obvious, but it comes up constantly.
- Steam or iron everything before your session, including casual pieces – even your favorite tee.
- Wrinkles photograph much more intensely than they look in person.
Avoid very short hemlines:
- Skirts and dresses that are borderline in length become a problem as soon as you sit, crouch, or lean.
- Aim for something you can move freely in without worrying about it.
Accessories: Less Is Usually More
Jewelry:
Jewelry works best when it feels like an extension of the outfit rather than something you added as an afterthought. Classic, thin-chained necklaces and simple earrings photograph beautifully and never compete with your face.
Statement pieces can absolutely work, but one statement item per outfit is a good rule. If the necklace is bold, keep the earrings minimal.
Hats:
Hats are one of my favorite accessories for senior sessions. A wide brim, a felt fedora, a casual baseball cap. They add personality and completely change the feel of a look. Just make sure the hat actually fits your head well. One that sits too low casts dark shadows over your face, which makes editing harder and the photo less flattering.
Sunglasses:
Sunglasses are a great prop and a fun accessory for a look or two. Classic frames photograph better than very trendy shapes for portraits you want to feel timeless.
One Thing Every Client Hears From Me
Prepping your items:
Pack each outfit on its own hanger with every accessory already attached to it. Shoes tucked underneath. Hat on top. This makes outfit changes faster and means nothing gets left behind or forgotten when you are in the middle of a session.
Undergarments:
Definitely pack the right undergarments, no bra straps showing or dark underwear under a light dress or skirt.
More Options > Not enough:
And bring more than you think you will need. It is so much better to have options we do not use than to wish we had packed that one extra look.
The Difference 30 Years of Being a Portrait Photographer Makes
I can tell within the first few seconds of looking at a photo whether the photographer talked to their client about clothing before the session. It is not subtle. The fit is off. The color is washing her out or fighting with her complexion. The style feels disconnected from who she actually is. And the worst part is that the girl in those photos is probably looking back at them and feeling worse about herself than she did walking in. That is the opposite of what senior portraits are supposed to do.
Clothing is not a minor detail you figure out the morning of your session. It is one of the most important conversations we have before you ever step in front of my camera. After 30 years of doing this, I know what works on camera and what does not, and sometimes those two things look completely different in the dressing room versus in a photograph.
Every client sends me photos of themselves in their outfits before the session. Every single one. I look at each outfit with fresh eyes, give honest feedback, and help guide the final wardrobe based on what I know is going to photograph well for her specific coloring, body type, and the locations we are shooting. If something she loves is going to be unflattering on camera, I will tell her. Not in a way that makes her feel bad about it, but because my job is to make sure she walks away from this experience feeling better about herself than when she walked in.
That is always the priority. Not just outfits she likes, but outfits that make her feel like herself and genuinely confident in her own skin. Those two things together are what make the difference between photos that end up on the wall and photos that end up in a folder nobody opens.
You Will Not Have to Figure This Out Alone
I want to be honest about something. What I have shared here is a starting point, not the whole picture. Your body, your coloring, your personal style, and the locations we are shooting at all factor into what is actually going to look best for your specific session.
Every client who books with me receives a full, detailed clothing guide before their session. We also do a wardrobe review together as part of your pre-session planning, so you can bring your questions, show me what you are thinking, and leave feeling completely confident about what you packed. Nobody shows up guessing.
If you are starting to think about your senior portraits and want to see what a session looks like from start to finish, I would love to chat. Book a free consultation here. Or take a look through the Senior Portrait Gallery first to get a feel for the work.
Looking for the guys version of this guide? Find it right here.
Quick Answers
What should I wear for senior pictures?
- The best senior portrait outfits are ones that actually feel like you, fit your body well, and photograph cleanly on camera.
- Rich jewel tones, layered looks, and varied textures all work beautifully. Avoid busy patterns, logos, and anything you cannot move comfortably in.
- Every client at Photography By Desirée receives a personalized clothing guide and wardrobe review before their session so nothing is left to guesswork.
How many outfits should I bring to my senior session?
- Plan for at least three looks that feel genuinely different from each other: one dressy or formal, one casual, and one that shows your personality.
- More is always better than fewer.
- You can always leave something in the car, but you cannot go back for something you left at home.
Do I need to buy new clothes for my senior pictures?
- Not necessarily. A lot of seniors already own great pieces.
- The key is knowing what photographs well and how to put looks together in a way that creates variety.
- Your pre-session wardrobe review with Desirée covers exactly this.
Photography By Desirée is a boutique portrait studio in Fort Collins, Colorado, specializing in senior portraits for the Class of 2026 and 2027. Serving Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, Timnath, and Northern Colorado.