So you’ve booked a maternity session – yay! But you have no idea what to wear!?
Don’t worry – I’ve got your back!

Let me start by saying that my number one tip is to wear whatever you feel comfortable and most confident in.

So if you like to dress up, dress up! If you like to wear cozy lounge clothes – let’s create a cozy comfy vibe!

If you are a casual kind of gal and prefer jeans – let me help you create a cute & relaxed vibe!

No matter where your place of comfort lies when it comes to your clothing style, I’ve got ideas to help create a stylish session that feels like you!

Pregnancy is full of both beautiful & challenging things. What better way to honor this season of transition & offer yourself some extra love than with a professional photoshoot. As your maternity photographer, I use photography to help you feel your most beautiful and confident. I know that pregnancy isn’t always easy. It isn’t uncommon for a pregnant person to physically not feel their best and/or to feel challenged in accepting their changing body.

With a maternity session my goals are the follow:
– Highlight some sweet, joyful moments during this season of anticipation
– Make space for us to be creative together and create photos that are not just aesthetically pleasing, but also help remind you of memories and/or ideas that you want to see in your home regularly.
– Help you see the beauty & magic that your body holds! This one might feel challenging or even cheesy, but I promise if you put any insecurities aside for a moment that you won’t regret trying something new! (whether that means a dress you normally wouldn’t wear or showing your bump in a way you wouldn’t have expected.)

With that being said, there are 2 main factors to consider when choosing clothing: location & the feeling you want to evoke. (ex: Do you want it to feel Romantic? Playful? Minimal? Cozy? Elegant? Sophisticated?)

Below are 8 different ideas of what you can wear to your maternity session:

1. A flow-y dress which gives beautiful movement in photos! This can be great for outdoors or in the studio.
   Consider your neckline, the sleeves, and how the dress sits on your bump.
   Things that I find many people don’t realize about dresses:
   – An off the shoulder dress that shows your decolletage is elegant and feminine & elongates your neck!
2. Body-con dress! Whether you wore bodycon dresses before being pregnant or not – you need to try on at least 1 bodycon dress at some point during your 3rd trimester! Any dress that hugs your bump looks great in photos. This style of dress can be styled in a cozy relaxed manner or a sleek, elegant, or sexy manner.
3. A two piece set does great in photos; especially if you can lift up the top and show off that baby bump! This could be a skirt set OR a lounge set!
4. Jeans! And don’t worry if you can’t zip or button any of your jeans right now! If you are open to showing off your bare baby bump, my preference is to leave jeans unbuttoned around your hips. Add a crop-top, a sweater you can lift up, a bra, or go topless. Depending how we style this look it can be anywhere from a casual girl-next-door look to an edgy editorial look.
5. Kimono, cardigan, robe, or duster! If you are feeling self conscious about your changing body but you also want to take a step outside of your comfort zone and show off your bump a little… using a kimono, cardigan, robe, or duster is the way to go!!! With the way these items hang, it is visually slimming and it visually puts the focus on just your bump while removing focus from other parts of your body.
6. A bra & underwear. You could wear this under a robe (as mentioned above) OR you could rock just your bra & underwear. Personally, I love this look. The way I typically approach this is not in a hyper sexualized way… but instead in a simple, soft, elegant fashion. Its about seeing your body in a natural state (not performative). It’s about reminding yourself of how your body contains so much magic & power. It’s about reminding yourself that your body deserves rest, gentleness, grace, & gratitude.
7. Your birthday suite. If you feel like you are ready to see, accept, and/or celebrate your full pregnant form, let’d do it!
8. Fabric draping. This is something I dove into in the early days of 2020 lockdown. Playing with draping fabric over pregnant bodies… Sometimes making things that look like beautiful gowns & sometimes leaning into a greek goddess/implied nudity style. All of it is stunning & all of it is so fun!

• A couple tips:
  – As for colors: neutrals will never fail, soft colors, earth tones, in some cases jewel tones, delicate prints (ex. floral, plaid, gingham). You can read more about creating a color scheme here & here.
• For dresses outside in colder months: wearing leggings under your dress or adding a shawl, cardigan, or cute winter coat is a great way to stay warm while still rocking a dress).

Still struggling to find what to wear for your maternity photos? No worries because I do offer a client wardrobe which my clients are always welcomed to use! Take a look at a few dress options from my client wardrobe!

Are you an expecting mama? Interested in booking a maternity session with me? Contact me here!

Want to check out my Pinterest board with maternity session photo inspiration? Click here!