You are super pumped because you booked your branding session! You are ready to show up in your business and absolutely kill it. But, wait, what are you going to wear?! I have been there. Literally every time I have a session done, I panic and think that I have no clothes in my closet. (Seriously, what do I even wear on a daily basis?!) But, that is simply not the case. While I do love buying a new top or accessory, I mostly use the clothes I already have in my closet. So, here are my tips on how to plan your outfits for your brand photo shoot.
Number of Outfits
This will depend largely on how long your branding session is. For a full day session (4 – 8 hours), I usually suggest my client have 3 – 5 complete outfits for their session. You will want to create a variety of looks with these outfits so that you have a lot of variety in your photos.
Outfit Colors and Using Your Brand Colors and Patterns
I suggest sticking to a mostly neutral color palette with pops of color. This is the most classic look and will allow you to use the photos for a longer period of time. It will also allow your photographer to play with more interesting and colorful backgrounds. The neutrals I suggest are whites, greys, blacks, tans, navy blues and jeans. Think black pants or jeans with a colorful top.
You do not have to use your brand colors in every outfit, but I suggest using complementary colors. If your brand uses a lot of bold pinks, yellows, and navy, then I suggest wearing navy vs and all back outfit. If your brand uses a lot of earthy browns and greens, a fushia top is not the best option. You can pop your brand colors in a few outfits with a brand colored top or accessories. For example, if your colors are hues of blue, try a navy or charcoal suit and pop your main brand color with your tie.
Brand patterns is another fun one to play with. If you have patterns or themes you use a lot in you brand, you can translate this into your outfits too. For example, if you use florals in your logo, you can wear a floral print top.
Consider Your Brand Personality/Feel
What is the personality or feel of your brand. Does your brand have a laid-back outdoorsy vibe? Would your customers expect you to wear hiking boots, coffee in your hand, and wind in your hair? Or does your brand have a more professional/luxury feel? Maybe your clients would expect you to wear a tailored suit with a cappuccino in your hand and a rolex on your wrist? Whatever your brand personality is, make sure that your outfits are inline with that feel.
Vary the Formality of Your Outfits
Regardless of what your brand personality is, your should have outfits with different levels of formality. These outfits will just look different depending on your brand. For example, I have a very casual personal brand, so my more formal outfit for photos is black pants and a blouse with cute tennis shoes. Here are the outfits I suggest including:
- Client Meeting Outfit/Business Casual – This should be an outfit you would meet a client for. Whether that is in a coffee shop, your office, or over Skype.
- Working From Home/Casual Outfit – This would be an outfit you would wear when working from home or out to brunch on the weekend.
- On the Job/Formal Outfit – This would be what you would wear while working in the office or at a client’s event. This may be as simple as black pants with a button up shirt or as formal as a fitted suit.
How to Maximize Your Outfit Choices
This is my favorite secret tip. There are two main secrets to maximizing your outfit choices: layering and accessories.
Layering – Simply taking off a blazer and rolling up your sleeves can give your outfit a whole new look. So think about layering with blazers, jackets, cardigans, dusters, ect.
Accessories – Just like layering, changing your accessories can give your outfit an entirely new look. Changing from simple earrings to statement earrings and a statement necklace will give your outfit a fresh look. Or changing from a neutral black tie to a bold red tie with matching pocket square.
Accessories
Don’t forget to finish off your outfit with accessories. Here is a list of some different accessories to get your juices flowing:
- Statement necklaces
- Watches
- Bracelets
- Rings
- Earrings
- Scarfs
- Ties
- Hats
- Laptop Bag
- Purse
- Socks
- Shoes
- Glasses
Put it all together, and you have some bomb outfits for your branding photo shoot! I would suggest starting to put all your outfits together about 3 weeks before your session, so you have plenty of time to find any new/missing items for your outfits. Then, about one week before your session, try everything on one last time! Make sure that everything fits well and that you feel great in what you are wearing. Go all high school sleepover mode and have a fashion show for a friend if you want! Or post about it on your Instagram/Facebook stories to build hype for your new photos to come! Whatever you do, remember to have fun with it.
