Welcome to our clothing guide for your boudoir portrait session! Clothing is the foundation of your portrait session, so let us help you choose outfits you will love on camera!
A fine art boudoir portrait has a timeless air to it. A good choice is very elegant, classy lingerie. It will never be dated, nor will it ever cheapen your boudoir portrait. It will be what helps take it to the next level…making your portrait a timeless work of art.
Nice lingerie will help set your portrait apart. It will complement everything I do as the photographer and never detract from you. An outfit should never overwhelm the beauty of a woman. It is meant to complement and accent and bring out your beauty in a sensual and elegant way.
Lingerie is the wrapping, the presentation. The right lingerie will make you look like a goddess. The wrong lingerie can make you look like you walked out of a cheap porn.
When choosing an outfit, think of your best feature and your worst feature and make sure the outfit is not showing something in way that is not flattering. All women are beautiful and sexy, but just as with our everyday clothing, some outfits look better on us than others. When you try on that lingerie, it should make you stand back and go, “Wow, I look great!” Do not ever settle on lingerie. You will know when it is right. If you try it on and can live without it, it is not the right outfit for you. It needs to be something that makes you feel great when you are wearing it.
Some problem areas on our body are real problems, but many are perceived problems. They are things that bother us, but most other people do not notice them or perhaps even like that. But we want you to be happy and feel good about your portraits, so we want you in an outfit that makes you both look and feel good.
For instance, if you do not like your arms, try an outfit where you can incorporate a light robe or jacket.
If you do not like your stomach, again, you could go with a light jacket or robe or an outfit that covers your stomach without accentuating it. Corsettes are always a good choice, too. You mainly will want to avoid something that accentuates the stomach, something that draws attention to it and makes it stand out over everything else.
Lingerie should be well fitting. There will be a lot of moving and posing, so you will want something fitted that moves well with you, and not something that you have to worry about the whole time. Be sure it fits well, and works well with your body type. This is key in choosing your lingerie.
Special Note: You will also want to avoid wearing tight fitting clothing to your session. It will leave marks on your body that will show up in your portrait. Maybe a loose fitting dress or sweats with a draw string. Avoid elastic waist bands and zippers.
Things to bring to personalize your session:
- hats
- gloves
- high heels
- stockings
- pearls
- boas
- husband’s shirt/tie
- fur type coat
- any coat with a fur hood (some will work, and some will not – if you would like to email a picture of the coat to me before you bring it, I will be glad to look at it for you and let you know)
Some of our favorite lingerie places:
- Frederick’s – Northwoods Mall or online
- Attitudes Salon & Boutiqe – 1580G Old Trolley Road, Summerville SC
- Lingerie Diva – online
Here are few examples of lingerie possibilities for you:
