There’s a question I get more than almost any other before a session.
What should I wear?
And I get it – because what you wear matters. Not in a superficial way, but in a deeply practical one. The right outfit will make you forget you’re wearing it. The wrong one will have you tugging, adjusting, and thinking about your body instead of inhabiting it. And when you’re in front of my camera, I want you fully present – not in your head.
So let’s talk about it. Really talk about it. Not a generic list of what’s “flattering,” but a real conversation about how to dress for the way you want to feel.
Start With the Feeling, Not the Closet
Before you open your wardrobe, ask yourself one question: How do I want to feel during this session?
Soft and unhurried? Bold and magnetic? Free and a little wild? Quietly powerful?
Your outfit should be in service of that feeling – not the other way around. If you choose something because it looks good on a hanger but makes you feel stiff or self-conscious the moment you put it on, it will show. The camera doesn’t lie about comfort.
Once you know the feeling you’re after, finding the clothes becomes much easier.
Fabric Is Everything
If there’s one thing I could tell every woman before a session, it’s this: choose fabric that moves.
Linen, chiffon, gauze, soft cotton, flowing jersey – these are your best friends. They respond to light. They catch a breeze. They drape against your body in a way that feels organic rather than constructed. In outdoor sessions especially, fabric with movement creates images that feel alive.
Stiff, structured pieces – blazers with heavy shoulders, tight denim, anything with a lot of hardware – tend to fight the environment rather than belong to it. They can work in certain editorial contexts, but for sessions rooted in softness and presence, flow wins every time.
The Truth About Fit (That Most People Don’t Know)
This one surprises almost everyone: clothing that skims your body almost always photographs better than clothing that clings to it.
A slightly relaxed fit – something that grazes rather than grips – creates softness, movement, and shape. It lets light and shadow do their work. It gives your body room to breathe, which means you have room to breathe, and that ease reads on camera in a way that’s genuinely beautiful.
You do not have to be poured into something to look stunning. In fact, in my experience, the opposite is usually true.
Color and Pattern: Keep It Simple, Keep It You
Patterns: Avoid heavy or busy prints. Bold stripes, large florals, graphic patterns – they pull attention away from your face and your story. Small, subtle textures are fine. When in doubt, go solid.
Color: This is personal, but a few things hold true across the board:
• Earth tones photograph beautifully in natural settings – warm creams, taupes, sage, rust, terracotta, soft olive. They feel like they belong to the landscape rather than competing with it.
• Off-white is often more flattering than stark white. It’s warmer on skin, softer in light, and more forgiving in outdoor environments.
• Choose colors that complement your skin tone rather than ones that wash you out or create harsh contrast. If you’re unsure, pull something in a warm neutral and go from there.
Dressing for an Embodiment Session Specifically
Embodiment work is its own category, and the approach to clothing reflects that.
I’ve photographed embodiment sessions across the full spectrum – complete nudes, lingerie, and everything in between, including a full denim look with a jacket and nothing underneath that was one of the most striking sessions I’ve ever shot. There is no single right answer. What matters is that you feel like yourself – or the version of yourself you’re stepping into.
For sessions rooted in nature – near water, in the woods, in open fields – I tend to gravitate toward:
• A loose linen dress or skirt in an earth tone
• A soft slip or flowing two-piece in cream or sage
• Something you could walk barefoot in without it feeling wrong
• Minimal jewelry, or none at all
• Hair that has a little life to it – not rigidly styled, but lived-in
The goal is effortlessness. You want to look like you arrived that way.
And if you’re feeling uncertain about how much or how little to show – that’s a conversation I love having before we ever pick up a camera. There’s no pressure in either direction. Your comfort level is the starting point, always.
Bring Options
I always recommend bringing two or three options to your session. Moods shift, lighting changes, and sometimes what felt right at home feels different on location. Having a backup gives you freedom – and it means we can pivot if something isn’t working without losing momentum.
If you want to send me photos of your options beforehand, I’m always happy to weigh in. That’s part of what I’m here for.
The Real Variable: Confidence
Here’s the truth that no outfit guide will ever fully capture.
Every session I’ve shot that felt truly alive – regardless of what the woman was wearing – had one thing in common: she decided to show up for herself. She walked into that space, into that light, and she let herself be seen.
That decision is yours to make. I’ll handle everything else – the direction, the light, the poses, the moments in between. But the magic starts with you choosing to be present in your own body, in your own story.
What you wear is just the beginning of that.
If something in this post stirred something in you – if you’ve been quietly thinking about what it might feel like to be truly seen – I’d love to hear from you. Learn more about my approach to embodiment sessions here.
Read more here:
What is An Embodiment Session?
Getting Ready Isn’t About Looking Better- It’s About Feeling More Like Yourself
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