Today’s Fashion post comes from our guest fashion blogger Mandy Evans of Mandy Evans Photo. She shares how meeting with your seniors to discuss all the different aspects of their style can result in the perfect wardrobe for their senior session.

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Fashion.

It’s one of those things that a lot of us secretly have a love/hate relationship with. Who doesn’t love seeing the hottest trend, classic styles, and well put together outfits. Most of us are guilty of a ridiculous amount of pin boards based just on this. I spend hours a week with my clients helping them choose not only outfits that they love, fit their personal style(s), and pieces that I know will photograph lovely. But, when it comes time to plan outfits for my own family to wear in front of the camera, I break out in a cold sweat and get a not so pretty rash across my neck. I love a chic look, boho makes my heart flutter, country charm is a staple here in the Midwest and as much as I wish I could pull it off, a well put together hipster look can be killer!

I’m reaching out, hoping that I am not the only one! Here is a dilemma that I’m guessing is more wide spread than we may think. I love TOO many different types of fashion. If someone were to ask me what my style is, I’d be in big trouble! Some days I love a clean classic PIKO and yoga pants, other days I’ll rock out a long floral duster, jeans and heels boots. Don’t even get me started on what I wear to a photo session. I love a mix of girly, comfy casual, trendy and classic. Color makes me smile (like big time) but I’m also very fair skinned, so sometimes it just doesn’t work. I have to choose wisely and aim for the colors that look best on me, but not always the colors I love. Luckily, one of my favorite lines BuddyLove came out with a maxi that I fell in love with at first sight. Here’s a peak at what it looks like, and it happens to be the right cool color palette for me!

I recently met with a class of 2015 senior, yes we were just a few weeks away from graduation so we were on a bit of a time crunch, but with spending a little bit of time planning out her outfits a choices and accessories, we were able to meet all of her expectations on capturing different looks and styles. From urban grunge, to a more formal look to her mom’s favorite of a more innocent look in a natural setting. So here is a take on how to make “not having 1 set style” work for a senior portrait session.

For Jordan’s first look we wanted to go for a more casual look. We were able to achieve this by selecting some really great denim shorts, a graphic t and flannel paired with clean chucks. To add a bit more to this style, I selected a more urban look for the location. Pops of color were added to compliment the various colors in her pieces by incorporating different environmental backgrounds. I spent some time looking for those colored areas (a great tip I learned from my girl Brittney Kluse) prior to her session, and YES! That vibrant blue is actually a dumpster, which made her crack up laughing and added even more fun to our time together.

Jordan’s second look was our modern take on the more formal portrait. She went with a great traditional little black dress, you can’t ever go wrong there! Jordan choose to keep her accessories at a minimum with a long statement necklace. Not only does this add an additional visual element but also more depth to her outfit. I think it was the perfect addition of classy. And can we just stop and admire those fabulous shoes for a few seconds. The little detailed bows are so cute.

To wrap up Jordan’s final look, we moved just a few blocks away from where we had been shooting. I often take “daytime drives” a break away from the computer screen and to clear my head. During these drives I’ll see so many new spots that I want to “save” in my memory bank for future sessions. The problem is, I have WAY too many things to remember, so I’ll keep notes in my phone and have that to look back on as I am planning out sessions.

Jordan’s third look is one of my favorites. I love that she still kept her comfy style with the shorts, and then added a soft frilly touch with the top she selected. The kimono not only added a great layer to her photograph, but also acted as a prop for her to interact with and she didn’t have that uncomfortable “what do I do with my hands” feeling. The colors in this outfit were a perfect addition to this setting! As we finished up Jordan’s session we noticed some really fun graffiti on what appeared to be a building recently torn down. We decided to try a few by that as well, and I love how this outfit transitioned to another environment flawlessly.

By planning out Jordan’s distinctly different looks ahead of time, we were able to share that with the hair and make up artists during her session prep. Even though we kept her make up and hair style natural, it easily worked great with all three of her different looks.

I hope these tips help someone out there, like me, who struggles putting together multiple outfits, for a look that is more cohesive to who you are, and not just one clothing style.

Xoxo

Mandy evans photography

Mandyevansphoto.com