So you hired a photographer for a personal branding session? Great! What are you going to wear? (Cue to panic and frantic Pinterest-ing and shopping)

Styling your look for your session does NOT have to be a terrifying and frustrating task, but a lot of times we make it that way simply because we let our worry and our need for comparison get the best of us!

Here are a few of my favorite tips when helping someone decide how to style their branding session:

1.) Simply put- be YOU. Wear clothing that you would normally wear when you clean up and look nice, style your hair in a way that you would consider wearing during your work day, but a bit more polished. These images are the bridge between you and your future clients BEFORE you meet! Be recognizable!

2.) Go easy on the prints and patterns! Solids allow you to be to focus of the image, rather than heavy, overly colorful prints and patterns. That being said- a nice stripe and simple pattern under a blazer or jacket ALWAYS works.

3.) Darker colors are best for portraits! Classic colors like navy blue, burgundy, dark gray, and even black never look bad! There are always exceptions to this rule, though! Go with colors that compliment your skin tone and hair color. No one wants to look washed out in their professional photos!

4.) Hair & Make Up- when in doubt, see a professional! 9 times out of 10, your photographer has a connection with at least one or two preferred make up artists and hair dressers. If you are not confident in your ability to do it yourself, let the professionals help!

and finally…

5.) Sometimes less is more! Wear elegant and slightly understated jewelry so as not to take attention away from your face. Same with your make up- if you wouldn’t wear bright red lipstick to work, maybe wearing it for the first time in your professional portraits isn’t the best time to test it out. Go with a nude/light pink natural color with a bit of shine! Keep it classic and tasteful!

The bottom line is - these images need to be genuinely and authentically YOU. Every time you look at them, you should feel good about what you are seeing and you should see a true likeness to your personality and character. Love yourself just the way you are, and let us photographers do the rest with our lenses!