What to Wear to a Boudoir Shoot
This is the question I am asked more than any other, and it is the one that keeps women awake the night before. Here is the whole answer.
The short version: whatever feels like you. Bring more than you think you need. We will work it out together once you are here.
Bring more than you think you need
Four to six outfits is a good number. I only photograph one woman a day, so nothing is rushed and we are not watching a clock. If you cannot decide between two sets, bring both. Deciding is easier here, with the lights on and a mirror in front of you, than it is at home the night before.
Bring the thing you are not sure about. It is almost always the one we end up loving.
What photographs beautifully
- A bodysuit or a one pieceThese flatter nearly every body, and they give a long clean line through the middle.
- A set that fits properlyFit matters far more than price. A thirty dollar set that sits right will photograph better than an expensive one that digs in.
- Black, white, deep red, emeraldSolid colours hold up best. Busy prints and neon pull the eye away from your face.
- Lace, mesh, anything with textureTexture catches light. It is what gives an image depth instead of a flat block of fabric.
- Stockings, a garter belt, fishnetsClassic for a reason. They shape the leg and they give your hands something to do.
- An oversized white shirtYours, or his. One of the most requested looks I shoot, and it suits everyone.
- A blazer, a denim jacket, a chunky knitCovered up can be the sexiest frame on the card. Not every photo has to be lingerie.
- A robe or a silk kimonoWonderful for movement, and lovely for the softer frames at the start while you settle in.
What to leave at home
- Anything that does not fit right nowNot the size you are working towards. The size you are today. This shoot is about the woman who walks in the door.
- Brand new shoesThey pinch, and it shows in your face.
- Anything with a tight elastic waist worn on the daySocks, leggings, a tight bra. The marks take up to an hour to fade and we lose that hour.
- Busy patterns and logosThey date the photos and they fight with your skin.
The things that are not clothes
Heels. Even when they never appear in the frame, they change how you stand and they lengthen the whole leg.
Simple jewellery. A fine chain, small earrings, your own rings. A body chain if you have one.
Something that is his, if this is a gift. A shirt, a tie, a rugby jersey. It makes the photos personal in a way lingerie cannot.
Your own perfume and your own music. You relax faster when the room smells and sounds like you.
If you want to shoot nude
Plenty of women do, and plenty decide on the day rather than before. There is no pressure either way, and nothing happens that you have not agreed to. You can change your mind at any point, including halfway through.
If you think you might, bring a robe for in between. And know that a nude frame is often less exposing than people expect. A lot of them are shape and light and shadow, not detail.
Bridal boudoir
Bring white or ivory, and bring the veil. A veil moves, and moving fabric photographs like nothing else. The shoes count too, and the garter if you are wearing one.
Then bring something with nothing to do with the wedding at all. Most brides book this as a gift to open before the day, and end up keeping the album for themselves.
Book early. Wedding planning fills up fast and you want the images in your hands well before the week of the wedding.
The day before, and the morning of
- Shave or wax two days aheadNot the morning of. Skin needs a day to settle.
- Loose clothes on the way hereA dress, a jumper, anything without a waistband. Come as comfortable as you like.
- Drink water and eat somethingTwo hours on your feet under lights is more work than it sounds.
- Neutral nails, hands and feetThey end up in more frames than you would think.
- Bring your outfits on hangersCreases photograph. A folded set at the bottom of a bag arrives looking like it.
Still not sure?
You do not have to arrive with it sorted. Once you get in touch I will ask whether you would like a call, and we can talk the whole thing through before you buy a single piece.
More answers on the questions and answers page, what each session includes on pricing, and what other women said on the reviews page.