What to wear for a portrait.
My advice and many other photographers – but not all – would be to wear what you completely feel comfortable in. If you feel comfortable then the chances are we will get a great shot.
The logic is, if you’re happy and relaxed then the shots will be more of a natural you. This said i must admit that it does depend on the look we are going for, so I always advice clients to bring a few tops and bottoms to change into. What I can sometimes do is get you to change until we can get a more relaxed you. I also ask clients to bring something that will fit the style they are looking for. This may not necessarily be the clothing they are comfortable with, but again the clothing can identify who you are, giving you a more authoritative appearance.
If the shots are your standard life style then maybe some casual, loose and vibrant items of clothing are called for.
If you’re looking to have a ” classic Monochrome ” shoot then the clothing needs to be kept dark and if possible logo free. This helps to create a better portrait with the main emphasis on the face.
If you really are not sure what makes you comfortable then jeans and a long sleeve top should do the trick for you. Try to have all the same in a group shoot IE: if the majority will be wearing light clothing, then no point in one person in dark, because they will just stand out and this will not look best for the overall group portrait and vice-versa
If the shoot is a group shoot then the best advice would be to try to all wear a similar shade. If dark tones have been selected: greys, deep purple, and navy then try to have all guest wear this variant of hues. Short sleeves are not the most flattering if you are conscious about your build. If you do wear short sleeves then please try to make them to the elbow where they will flatter more easily.
Try to match your hair style to your attire. No point having your hair all up for a dinner dance and then coming to a life style shoot in jeans and sandals is there?