2026 What To Wear For Senior Photos
Choosing what to wear for senior photos is an incredibly personal decision, for each senior and family.
Not only do you need to take into account personal preferences, you have to factor in the location, time of year…..
Some seniors choose to buy all new outfits for their session, while prefer to stick with their favorites. Some parents like to be involved in the outfit choosing process, while others leave it entirely up to their senior. I’ve seen casual, fancy, comfy and trendy – it all works, as long as it’s something your senior is comfortable (and happy!) wearing.
Tips for Choosing Outfits
1) You don’t have to have the maximum number of outfits.
My Deluxe and Classic Senior Sessions include up to 5 outfits (Deluxe) or up to 3 outfits (Classic). Notice how that says “up to”? It’s absolutely fine if your senior only has one or two outfits they really love! Less time changing = more time for photos
Even though I include up to 5 outfits in my Deluxe package, it can be really tough to get all five outfits photographed in one session. I almost always ask my seniors to rank their outfits, just in case we can’t fit everything in. I would rather you get the gorgeous sunset photos you were hoping for, rather than watching the sun set with your mom while you frantically change in the car!
2) Dress for the weather you have, not the weather you want.
September and October can be a wild time for temperature swings in Wyoming, and it can be COLD. Or hot. Or both!
If you have a fall session, I recommend planning outfits for both warm and cool evenings, or at least planning on adding layers if the weather is colder than expected.
Don’t try and tough it out. I can photoshop a lot of things, but I can’t make someone who is cold look warm! Red nose, goosebump-y skin, blue fingers, white cheeks…not only does it not look great in photos, It’s not fun to be cold for 2-3 hours outside.
3) Try everything on ahead of time.
And I mean everything – shoes, bras, socks, all of it. Make sure the bra you have works with the strappy sundress. Make sure you have an undershirt for the button-up shirt (especially any white ones).
This is VERY true for anything from Amazon/Shein! Dresses gap, or aren’t the right color. Shoulder straps won’t stay up, or it’s WAY shorter than you planned on. Every senior I’ve photographed that has gone through Amazon has tried on at least a dozen dresses before (hopefully) finding one that works.
4) Choose variety. Or not!
As I said at the start of this guide, choosing clothes for your senior session is a very personal decision. Do you have a senior who will wear jeans and a flannel for 8.5 months of their senior year? Then it’s okay if they choose two different flannels for photos and call it good. Are they super into shoes? Switch it up with three different pairs of shoes and three coordinating shirts, keeping the same jeans throughout.
If you do want variety, I suggest mixing formality (suit/long dress vs t-shirt/sundress) or types of clothes (dress vs pants, athletic wear vs jeans and t-shirt).
5) You may need to change in the car.
When choosing outfits, keep in mind that you will most likely need to change in the car. Most of the time it isn’t an issue, but it can be tricky to switch into complicated outfits in busy locations.
Note: if your senior doesn’t feel comfortable changing in the car, or needs more room than a car can provide, that’s totally fine. Let me know that they would like a bathroom for changing when we’re choosing locations, and I can make recommendations for locations with bathrooms. Amazon also sell pop up changing tents ( https://amzn.to/44AlWtw), which you’re welcome to bring!
6) Overwhelmed? Need help?
I’m here to help! Feel free to text me photos of your outfits at any stage in the process, and I will let you know what will photograph well in your chosen location. I’m also happy to provide suggestions or examples, based on your senior’s style.
Colors
For family sessions, I typically recommend sticking with colors found in nature, in the time of year you have your session planned. But I don’t adhere as closely to that rule of thumb for senior sessions – if it’s fall and your senior loves purple? Bring it on!
That said, avoid neon colors, especially in clothing that will be near your face. Neons don’t photograph well, dominate the whole photo, and can cause unflattering (and unexpected) color casts on your skin.
If would like specific color advice, feel free to reach out, and I’m happy to recommend colors based on your session location and time of year.
Shoes
Anything goes! (Sensing the theme here?)
If your senior chooses shoes that aren’t great for walking in, they’re welcome to bring a pair of Crocs/flip flops to throw on while we move from location to location. If you’ve chosen a mountain location, we will most likely be on loose gravel, grass, and uneven ground.
If you have a senior who does not want to get their Nikes dirty, bring an additional pair of shoes, and we’ll switch when we get to where we’re taking photos.
Hair and Makeup
Most of my seniors do their own hair and makeup. I prefer keeping hair and makeup in line with their everyday look – don’t try something wild and new for your photo session. Heavy makeup doesn’t necessarily photograph better, so if you’re someone who normally wears light (or no) makeup, that’s totally fine!
If you do decide to go with professional hair and/or makeup, make sure your stylist is okay with a reschedule should we run into issues with the weather.
Uniforms
Your senior has a couple options when wanting to incorporate uniforms into their senior session. They’re welcome to wear the full uniform (including helmets, shoes, ball). Or they can also keep it simple, with a jersey and jeans.
If they do want to do a full set of pads and uniform for football photos, let me know ahead of time! We’ll want to factor in an extended changing time (and I have all daughters, so you’ll have to let me know how much time that might be!).
I don’t count letterman jackets towards the final number of outfits, since they can be thrown on over an existing outfit. I also don’t count props (football, wrestling shoes, ball, instrument, etc) towards the outfit total, assuming you use them with an existing outfit.
Final Outfits
Before your session, I will have you (parent or senior) text me photos of your final outfits (or at least the finalists, if you’re still narrowing things down). I will let you know which outfit to arrive in, and will make a plan for which outfits I’ll have your senior wear at each point in the session. If your senior has a favorite outfit, let me know!
Can’t narrow it down? Feel free to bring extra outfits to your session, and we can narrow it down together once we get to your location.
More Information
For more information on my senior sessions, including booking and pricing, head to this page.
