Style Your Look to Look Your Best and Feel Your Best
When people ask me what to wear, they’re usually hoping for a magic formula.
There isn’t one.
But there are a few simple guidelines that make a big difference in how your photos feel and how beautifully they translate on camera.
1. Stay in the Same Tonal Family
Think of your outfits as instruments in a small band. When they are in the same key, everything harmonizes.
Instead of one person in bright cobalt and another in deep burgundy, choose colors that live in the same tonal range. Soft creams, warm tans, muted greens, dusty blues. This creates cohesion without looking matchy.
A little insider secret: black and white together, ironically, is one of the trickiest combinations to photograph well. The contrast is strong, and one can overpower the other in certain lighting. If you love black, soften it with charcoal or cream. If you love white, pair it with beige, tan, or soft gray instead of jet black.
2. Neutrals Are Your Best Friend
Beige. Gold. Tan. Cream. Soft white.
In the Great Smoky Mountains, neutrals are poetry. They echo the grasses, the tree bark, the mountain haze. They also minimize color cast on the skin. Bright colors can reflect onto your face and shift skin tones. Neutrals keep your complexion clean and luminous.
This is especially beautiful for:
- Smoky Mountain maternity photos
- Engagement sessions at sunset
- Family sessions in open fields
Neutrals do not mean boring. They mean timeless.
3. Solids First, Patterns with Intention
I recommend mostly solids. They photograph cleanly and keep the focus on you.
But yes, rules are meant to be gently bent.
A small pattern can add texture and personality. The key is balance. If one person wears a subtle floral, plaid, or texture, keep everyone else in solids. In a larger group, maybe two people can wear soft patterns as long as they do not compete.
Think accent, not headline.
4. Fit and Comfort Matter More Than Trends
This one is the most important.
If you feel self conscious, constantly adjusting a strap, tugging a hemline, or worrying about how something fits, it will show. Your nervous system knows. Your body language knows.
Wear something that makes you feel beautiful, confident, relaxed. When you feel good in your body, it translates through the lens. That glow is real. I cannot Photoshop comfort.
5. Jewelry and Details
For women, especially during engagement sessions, I suggest keeping jewelry minimal. Let your ring be the star. Delicate pieces are lovely. Statement pieces can sometimes compete or distract from connection and emotion.
For men, I generally recommend pants over shorts. Even lightweight trousers or well fitted jeans elevate the look and photograph more polished. Layers such as a jacket, button down, or textured sweater add depth without feeling formal.
And a gentle reminder: clean shoes matter. They show up more than you think.
6. Texture Is Magic
Even within neutrals, texture brings life.
Flowing dresses, linen, knit sweaters, suede boots, structured jackets. Movement and layering create dimension. A long dress catching a Smoky Mountain breeze is cinematic in a way that stiff fabric simply is not.
7. Coordinate, Do Not Clone
Please do not feel pressure to match exactly.
Instead of everyone in identical white shirts and jeans, think one or two colors in a variety of hues and tones.
8. And Finally… Break the Rules If It Feels Right
If you are a bold red dress kind of woman, wear the red dress. If you love black, we will make it work. If your personality or relationship is playful and colorful, we can reflect that too.
These guidelines exist to serve you, not confine you.
The most beautiful images happen when you feel aligned with what you are wearing. When you are comfortable. When you are connected. When you are not thinking about your outfit at all because you are too busy laughing, holding hands, or breathing in mountain air.
That is the real style.
If you are ever unsure, send me photos of what you are considering or even bring options to the shoot. I am happy to help you refine and coordinate so you show up feeling confident and radiant.
