What To Wear for Your Senior Graduate Pictures | Norman, Oklahoma and OKC Metro Photographer

Your senior pictures may seem like a very small part of this year, but you’ll be looking back on them for years to come. It’s a special opportunity to show off your personality, all while celebrating your achievements and looking forward to what’s next.

What better way to celebrate this milestone than by capturing your senior year in style?

In this blog, we’re going to look at the importance of your outfits and how to choose the best clothes for your senior photos. From picking colors, to accessories and styles, and to the best preparation practices, we’ll cover everything you need to know to look your best in your senior grad pictures.

Why your clothing choice matters

The outfits you choose for your senior pictures help create the overall feel of your images. In fact, your clothing choices, from colors to style and even the smallest details, can drastically change your photos.

Your clothes reflect not only your personality and style, but they can also show your hobbies, achievements, and even future aspirations (these might include things like an athletic or job uniform, fun props, or other creative ideas you might have).

Having the best color choice, style, and preparation will make your pictures look that much nicer and more professional. Plus, choosing two or three outfits will add more variety to your final gallery. Overall, your choices will end up giving you more to cherish for years to come.

Choosing the perfect outfits for your senior pictures may seem daunting or overwhelming, but don’t worry! As your photographer, I suggest certain colors, styles, and more to help you look your best and feel most confident.

Photographers give this advice and guidance, not to force you to wear outfits you don’t like or seem controlling, but instead to help you look amazing in your pictures. Another reason we suggest these things is to have you wear the colors and styles that work best with our photography style.

A photography style includes how a photographer edits. Some colors will work much better with the color grading and overall look/style in their portfolio. For example, softer colors lead to your pictures having a lighter, brighter, happier feel to them. Darker colors tend to be moodier or more dramatic, though that depends on the context of the pictures.

Learn more about the types of things to look for in a portrait photographer in my blog, the 5 Best Traits to Look for in a Photographer.

Throughout this blog, you will find my advice for senior clients on colors, details, and more. While my senior grads get more guidance and information before their session, I wanted to write this blog to help inspire and equip you for when you’re picking outfits for your senior session.

Choosing your outfits

Senior grads have the option of three outfits for their session! First, let’s break down the colors and styles that look best.

I suggest lighter colors, which include:

• Neutrals (like whites/off-whites, creams, beige, soft grays, and earthy tones, etc.),
• Pastels, and
• Light/soft blues and greens.

A fantastic way to add some contrast to your lighter outfit is by adding a brown belt, tan sandals, silver/gold jewelry, or other similar accessories. Some of these neutral/light colors can also be paired with a complimenting darker navy, denims, or forest greens to add contrast to your look.

Instead of blending in with the background (such as a green dress against a green field), your outfits should bring the focus back to you. I recommend trying on your outfits beforehand, and that way you’ll make sure they fit well and that the colors look nice, ultimately complimenting you.

Bright and overly-saturated colors will draw the attention away from you rather than being complimentary, so I suggest steering clear of those deep/rich tones. These also make it much harder to edit your photos.

When picking and trying on your outfits, you’ll want to add some variety between the clothes you choose. For seniors, I recommend having a more formal/dressier outfit and a more casual outfit.

For your fancier outfit, you may want to wear a dress or skirt/dress pants with a nicer blouse or sweater, heels or sandals, and some sparkly accessories. This might not be something you wear everyday, but you will look beautiful!

For your casual outfit, you might want to choose something like some nicer jeans and a blouse/sweater or top with your college’s name on it, a romper or overalls, and some platformed sandals or your favorite sneakers.

Be sure to add some personality to your outfits as well! This could be through your favorite headband, accessories (though not too many accessories), or a leather/jean jacket to add layers and more dimension to your pictures. You may even have a favorite pair of shoes you want to show off.

There are so many things to consider when choosing what clothes to wear, and these are just a few examples of outfits what will look amazing in your senior pictures. Picking clothes that you know fit well, are confident wearing, and look best on camera will help you have a more relaxed session with more natural expressions and posing. Being prepared and informed reflects in your pictures.

I also highly recommend steering clear of most trending outfit styles or brands. Though they may be popular, they might not look as good on-camera or as timeless as more classic, modest clothes do.

Modest outfits look more sophisticated on camera and bring the attention back to you, your personality, and celebrating this season of your life. They also tend to be most comfortable to wear and more fashionable than modern trends (even if it may seem old-fashioned!).

Important details

You’ll want to select outfits that look/work best with your location and are comfortable for whatever season your session is in.

City spots tend to have more neutral and stark colors, so you can choose to stand out more with pastels and more colorful clothing options (like recommended previously), or you can keep it classy with more neutrals and earthy tones. Finding shoes that are good for walking further distances is a good rule of thumb for more urban areas as well.

If you choose a location with more nature and foliage, you’ll want to go for more neutrals and softer pastel colors in your outfits. Many of these locations tend to have more muddy areas and animal droppings, so keep that in mind when choosing your shoes and clothes (especially since you may sit at some spots).

The season of your photo shoot will also determine what outfits you wear. Springtime means shorter sleeves, flowy dresses/skirts, and lighter fabrics, while autumn is better suited for longer sleeves, sweaters, jackets, and boots. For both seasons, having extra layers will add a nice touch of variety to your pictures.

For accessories, keep it classy and minimal. A simple necklace, watch (not digital), earrings, and a couple of bracelets will compliment most outfits. A scarf or favorite hat are also great additions, but they are best used sparingly. The trick is to not overdo (or even overthink) your accessories so they aren’t distracting.

Try on your outfits with all your accessories and layers beforehand to make sure they fit nicely, don’t have any strange stains or holes, and that you feel great wearing them. You will also want to make sure lighter tones aren’t see-through in the sunlight (and consider wearing neutral undergarments, too).

Preparation and confidence

Being well-prepared for your senior session will lead to more natural expressions and relaxed, flattering posing in your final pictures! While it’s your photographer’s job to pick the best camera angles, lighting, and poses/prompts that will help you look great in your pictures, there are a few things you can do to prepare and know beforehand that will make your session stress-free and even more fun.

As I mentioned earlier, try on your outfits to make sure you love them. Instead of rushing to pick your outfits an hour before your photo shoot starts, choosing your outfits and knowing they look good in advance is a game-changer.

If you’re not confident in your outfit before your session, or if you don’t like the way you look in the outfits you choose, there’s nothing that will make you like them or how you look wearing them in your final pictures.

This comes back to modesty. Clothes that are more modest will make it easier for you to feel confident because you don’t have to worry about showing yourself off or revealing more skin just because it’s trendy. Your beauty is not from how revealing or “sexy” your outfits are. Read more about this is my blog, Comparison and Beauty.

You’ll also feel more confident in clothes that you’re comfortable in and show your personality and style. If you feel great and know your clothes best represent and compliment you, you will be glowing in your photos.

Something else to consider is any insecurities you might have. Everyone has them, and you can choose outfits that will help you not feel as insecure during your session. A generic example of this is if you don’t like a tan line, try to wear something that will cover it. This logic applies to other common insecurities as well.

Bring items like a brush and something to touch up your makeup, too. Having these will be very helpful to have during your session and keep your confidence up knowing you can fix your hair and makeup if need be.

Don’t feel like you have to choose certain outfits or styles just because they’re trendy or in-style. These are your senior pictures, not someone else’s!

Frequently asked questions about senior grad outfits

1. How many outfits should I bring for my senior session?

Senior grads have the option of three outfits for their pictures! I recommend having at least two outfits: a nicer formal outfit and a more casual outfit.

Having a third outfit can give you more variety as well, but you’ll also want to consider the amount of time it’ll take to change between outfits and/or locations. A third outfit may be suitable as a back-up option, too, since lighter/softer colors tend to stain easier.

2. What should I avoid when picking my outfits?

Here are a few things I suggest avoiding for senior portraits:

• Overly baggy and puffy outfits,
• Extremely tight/immodest clothes,
• Athletic wear (especially with big logos),
• Blue light glasses and Apple Watches, and
• Bright neon colors.

3. Should I have an outfit that matches with my cap and gown?

You’ll want to avoid completely matching your cap and gown. Coordinating and complimenting is key!

I recommend having at least one outfit that compliments your cap and gown. Most neutrals will look nice with any color cap and gown. Dresses also tend to look best with a cap and gown, so keep that in mind when choosing a complimenting color.

4. What should I carry my other outfits (or cap and gown) in?

The easiest way to carry your outfits around is in a tote bag of some sort. You can also keep any accessories, shoes, or personal belongings in the same tote bag as well to maximize its efficiency.

If you want to avoid wrinkling or messing up an outfit, I suggest choosing a location that has easy access to your car, or a place with less walking so you don’t have to carry your clothes and gown on a hanger for a long distance.

5. Should I wear makeup for my senior pictures?

Yes, I highly recommend wearing makeup for your senior session. Even if it’s something as simple as some mascara, lipstick, and blush, it will make all the difference in-camera.

Professional pictures are highly detailed, and wearing makeup that highlights your features will stand out wonderfully in your pictures. So, I encourage wearing makeup, because it works to bring the attention back to you and best accentuates your features!

6. Can I bring props to my session?

Yes! Props are a great addition to your senior session.

I would, however, advise against bringing too many props or accessories, as they can become distracting. Keep in mind how you’ll want to carry them around or where you’ll want to keep them until they’re needed.

A musical instrument, lettered sign or college banner, and flowers are a few great examples of props you can bring for your senior pictures—you can find some inspiration for these below.

What to do next

Your senior graduate pictures will celebrate you, and your outfits are a huge part of that! Choosing clothes that show your personality and look great on camera will help make your senior pictures look even more amazing. And being prepared and knowledgeable about picking the best outfits will make your photo session relaxed and even more fun.

Senior grads, are you ready to shine? Book your senior session today!