What to wear to your lifestyle newborn session

Wondering what to wear to your lifestyle newborn session? I have got you covered! Whether you’d like to borrow a dress from the client closet, purchase something new or wear something you already have you’ll find loads of tips here to help you look and feel your best!

The Most Important Tip!

The first and most important tip is… Mum, choose your own outfit first! Pick something that you love wearing, that fits well and that makes you feel good. I want you to love the photos and you’re much more likely to love the photos if you’re happy with your outfit. After having a baby or two you may have gotten used to putting yourself last but this is one time to definitely put yourself first. Choose your own outfit first and coordinate your family to you- not the other way around!

Gowns in the Client Closet

Ok, now that that’s out of the way let’s look at some options. How about a dress from the client closet? Gown hire for one parent is included with the session and I’d love to help you find something special. I have a range of more casual dresses designed to flatter postpartum bodies and photograph well. Most of these are in sizes M-XL and can be clipped back to fit more petite parents. And I can often even source a new gown for you if you need a different size or would like a different style (get in touch if you’d like some more information about that).

You’re welcome to come into the studio some time before the session to try on a few dresses if you like. Or you can also try a few on at the start of your session (and maybe bring a back-up option from home just in case).

Here’s some of the casual gowns available in my collection. You can also check out my maternity client closet here

Prefer to wear something you already own or purchase something yourself for the session? No problem- here’s some tips to help you find something gorgeous.

The Basics

First, this is your photo session! I’ll give you some advice and tips for what I think works well but you don’t have to follow my advice if it doesn’t work for you and what you feel comfortable in. That said there are a few things to keep in mind no matter what you choose. Here are my top tips:

Fit

Choose clothing that fits well. Something that looks amazing, but the straps keep slipping down or the skirt keeps riding up and needs to be adjusted every few minutes is probably not a good idea. You will be moving around a little bit and we sometimes have to be opportunistic and grab a quick photo or two in the few seconds we have before your baby or older child stops cooperating. The less you need to adjust your clothing, the smoother the session will go.

Clothing that is very loose can make you look shapeless and may billow out in some positions and look unflattering.

Something that skims over your waist or is ruched can work well if you’d rather not accentuate your postpartum belly.

Keep in mind that your bust size is likely to increase after your baby is born (even if you’re not planning on breastfeeding) so clothing that was just a little low-cut previously may end up showing a lot more cleavage. That’s totally fine if you’re happy to show off your assets but if you’re feeling modest choose something with a higher cut or that has a little more room up top.

Presentation

Please iron your outfits before the session or choose something that doesn’t crease too much. Removing creases from your clothing in photoshop can be very time-consuming and isn’t part of my normal editing.

This one sounds obvious but make sure your clothing is clean. A couple of drops of coffee spilt on your shirt is not usually a problem to edit out but things like pet hair or larger stains or rips can be an issue. If you’re unsure feel free to send me some photos and/or bring along an extra outfit just in case.

The Specifics

Ok, that’s it for general tips. Here’s some tips for choosing clothing and coordinating your family.

Colours

These sessions are designed to showcase your baby’s adorable, little features and your family connections. I usually find that light or neutral colours are a safe choice to not distract from that. I also advise that your family members wear similar tones but different colours. This gives a more natural look and can help avoid you all blending together in the photos. I also ask that you avoid wearing very different tones (eg. one person in pale pink and the other person in dark green)- this helps to keep the photos more consistent.

There are much too many colour combinations to cover them all here. My top tip is to check out Pinterest! You can search Pinterest for something generic like family photo outfits or once you’ve chosen your outfit you could include that in the search (eg. if you’re wearing a navy blue dress, try “family photos navy blue dress”). If you need some assistance finding inspiration you can also get in touch with me (I’ll even make you your own Pinterest board with some ideas).

A Quick Word About “Moire”

What the heck is moire? For photographers it’s when our cameras don’t like certain patterns and tells us so by distorting them in photos. This usually happens with pin-striped or checked clothing where the lines in the pattern are narrow and close together. It can be difficult and sometimes impossible to fully correct in editing. I do ask that you avoid these patterns (they’re most common on men’s button-up shirts) if possible and as always, feel free to send me some photos of the clothing if you’re not sure and/or bring a back-up.

Style

This is another area where there are so many different options! I find most of my clients prefer to go with a ‘smart casual’ look for these photos, which tends to work well. For mums a dress, or blouse and skirt or jeans usually works well- just keep in mind the advice from above to make sure it fits comfortably and lets you move around a bit. For dads, dress trousers or jeans and a polo shirt, fitted t-shirt or button up shirt is usually fine. You can view a Pinterest board here with some ideas for styles of shirts that usually photograph well.

You can also go with a more formal look if you prefer (many of the gowns in the client closet work well for this) and dad can wear a more formal shirt and trousers to match. Or you can go the opposite! The lifestyle set-up is designed to look like a bedroom so why not wear some stylish loungewear or even pyjamas?

Other Children

If your newborn is lucky enough to have older siblings they can generally just dress in a similar style and colour palette to their parents. Here’s a few ‘child-specific’ tips:

Depending on their age and how active they’re feeling on the day, they may be moving around a lot. Clothing that needs to be adjusted frequently should be avoided to prevent any ‘wardrobe malfunctions’. If your little one is going to be wearing a skirt/dress, I’d suggest a longer length and/or some matching bloomers/nappy cover. If your child is going to be held by a parent in some/many of the photos (age ~4 and under), their clothes may bunch up so check that they won’t need too much adjusting in that position.

With smaller children they often sit so that the soles of their feet are visible. You’re welcome to be barefoot for these sessions. However, if your little one is wearing shoes, choose ones with dark soles that don’t show dirt or new ones that haven’t gotten dirty yet.

Your Newborn

I’ve left this till last because most of my clients choose something from my client closet for their little one. We usually start the session with your baby in a romper/nappy cover from my studio collection and then also do some wrapped photos in the second half. I’ll have some options set out for you when you arrive based on your colour and style preferences and your baby’s size.

If you would like to bring your own outfit for baby, here’s a few tips:

-Choose something that fits well (ie. not baggy). For an average sized newborn you’ll probably need size 00000 to get a snug fit. We want to accentuate how sweet and tiny your newborn is- a snug fit will definitely help.

-Choose something simple. Again we want to focus on your connection with baby and their little features and not be distracted by their outfit. Also, something with lots of parts that needs a lot of adjustment can be difficult to photograph.

-I suggest a simple onesie or bodysuit in a colour that coordinates with the family

Final tips

Footwear (or not)

I usually photograph some full length photos during lifestyle sessions so your feet will be visible in some images. I find bare feet usually work pretty well for these sessions. If you’d rather wear shoes just choose something that coordinates with your outfit and that is comfortable and safe- there are some trip hazards in the studio so please choose something that isn’t too difficult to walk in.

Hands

I usually get a few close-up’s of baby in your hands. You may all like to touch up your nails before the session (just a quick clip or file if needed and fixing chipped nail polish is all that is usually required).

Hair & Make-Up

If you have long hair and are wearing it open I suggest using some product to help keep it in place and prevent flyaways. If you’re happy to pin it back a little to prevent hair falling into your face that can be helpful. Wearing it up can also look very neat and feminine.

If (like me) you’re not super savvy with make-up, whatever you’d normally wear to go out should be fine. I suggest choosing matte products over glossy ones. You don’t have to wear make-up to the session if you don’t normally. Light skin re-touching, including removing blemishes and spots and skin smoothing is part of my normal editing so please don’t stress about pimples, etc. It’s often easier to edit these out then to edit out too much concealer.

And of course, I do offer a hair and make-up service to my clients. I can organise a HMUA to meet you at the studio before your session or you can head to her salon in Leeming if that’s easier. Please get in touch for more details.

See You Soon!

Thanks for reading- I hope that’s helped give you some ideas for your lifestyle session. Please do get in contact if you’d like to clarify anything or run any ideas past me. I want you to absolutely love your photos and I’m very happy to help. I can’t wait to see you at your lifestyle session!

Check out a previous lifestyle session here