What am I going to wear??? How to select clothing for formal portraits.

Trying to choose clothing for your portrait? We understand that you want your portrait to be perfect.

The right clothing can take a portrait to the next level, ensuring that your portraits will be timeless and elegant. Guidelines vary depending on the number of people in the portrait, though they all work toward the same goal: to draw the viewer's eye to the face.

Here are some tips for selecting clothing for a formal, group portrait in the studio. We will elaborate on selecting clothing for individual and casual portraits in a later post!

In a formal portrait, dark clothing works best to draw attention to the faces. If the background of the portrait is dark, light clothing will stand out too much, competing with the faces. Furthermore, dark colors have a slimming effect. The opposite can be true for lighter clothing!

Long sleeves also help draw the viewer's eye to the faces in the portrait.

Helpful hint: Everyone should look as though they are attending the same event. If one gentleman wears a suit, so should others. If one person wears dark jeans, so should the others. It is important to have a sense of unity among the subjects of a group portrait. For a formal portrait, dark clothing is best, and each person should wear dark clothing. If one member of the group strays, he or she will stand out above the rest.

Having everyone wear solid clothing significantly helps to establish unity, a key element for a striking family portrait. 

Bill is always happy to discuss clothing options, and will help you find the perfect attire for your portrait.

The portrait below is a wonderful example. They did a great job selecting clothing!