Late summer continues to be a very popular time for beautiful, colorful senior sessions! But let’s be honest here—one of the best and toughest parts of any senior session is figuring out the perfect senior picture outfits. I mean, I’m not even the one getting my photo taken, and I can never decide what to wear! While an upcoming senior session may be a good excuse to head to your favorite local boutique, it can be frustrating not knowing what to wear with so many different options!

Today, I want to share some styling tips specifically for spring and summer sessions for senior girls. Below, you’ll find a few recommendations to embrace and a few maybe not-so-great choices for your senior picture outfits. Additionally, I’ve included a link to my regularly updated senior spring & summer inspiration board! However, the most important advice I can offer is to ensure you feel comfortable in whatever you choose to wear for your senior session. Confidence in front of the camera can be significantly affected if you’re not entirely comfortable in your senior picture outfits!

Here’s a tip because I’ve been there: If you’ve never worn the outfit you’re considering for your senior session, be sure to give it a test run! There is nothing worse than discovering issues too late, such as a shirt that’s too low or pants that won’t stay up, because you had never worn that particular dress, shirt, or jacket before.

Without further ado, here are my top styling tips for senior picture outfits for girls!

SAY YES TO…

• Bright Colors: I LOVE bright colors, especially for spring and summer senior sessions! Whether you choose a bright top or colorful sundress, your brightly colored outfit will most likely complement the new spring blooms and pop against the green of late summer beautifully!
• Neutrals: As much as I love bright colors, there’s something sophisticated about well-coordinated neutrals. For example, white dresses are classic and pretty much never go out of style! My editing style is on the warm side, so neutrals at sunset will give you a really cozy, almost vintage vibe.
• Floral or Other Patterns: Floral patterns for the spring and summer are always a hit! Whether you go with a top or maxi dress, floral patterns work well to make someone “pop” off of the background of an image with a simple background. They can also give off a very romantic, cottagecore feeling.
• Maxi Dresses/Skirts: Maxi dresses and skirts are oh-so beautiful in the spring and summer! They’re light and breezy and do a wonderful job of naturally elongating the body in photos! Plus, they’re fun to twirl!
• White Jeans: White jeans are a great staple and complement a brightly colored or patterned top. They’re sleek and give a bit of an upscale look! I especially love them in more “urban” settings.
• Summer Accessories: Sunglasses, kimonos, hats—oh my! Throwing in a weather-appropriate accessory or two for a few shots is always fun and adds some more variety!
• Bare Feet: Not sure what kind of shoes to wear? Bare feet give an earthy, natural feel to your session—so if you’re feeling brave, skip the shoes! Especially if we are at Marsh Creek—your photos will have a carefree beach look to them.

YOU SHOULD PROBABLY SKIP…

• Fluorescent Colors: Neon colors don’t tend to photograph quite so well, so pass on any colors that are a bit too fluorescent (not to be confused with the aforementioned bright colors—think fuchsia, yes; neon pink, no!).
• Super Short Shorts and Dresses: Shorts and dresses are totally fine (and encouraged!), but sometimes when they get way too short, they’re tough to move around in and aren’t super flattering in photos!
• Logos and Stripes: I love me a good striped shirt. HOWEVER, they have a tendency to look a little weird on camera and really just aren’t the best choice. As far as logos go—these are once-in-a-lifetime photos! You can do better than big logos and graphics.
• Too Many Heavy Layers: There are few things more uncomfortable than being bundled up in 90-degree weather for an hour and a half while getting your photo taken! Wearing too many layers in the summer can result in lots of sweaty portraits—so be careful how many layers you add, particularly for really hot days!

HOW MANY SENIOR PICTURE OUTFITS DO I NEED?

• I always recommend having at least 3 senior picture outfits for your senior portrait session—something casual, something dressy or dramatic, and something that tells a story of your senior year (your sports team uniform, for example).
• If you want more, go for it! I wouldn’t recommend more than 5 outfits in a two-hour session. We don’t want to lose valuable golden hour sunlight in the changing tent!

Tada! Those are my recommendations for what to wear and what to skip for your spring and summer senior session. Hope it helps with your planning process. As always, I’m here to help if you get stuck or need an objective opinion!