Does My Grad have To Dress Up For Senior portraits?

My official senior portrait and yearbook photo.

You look your best

when you feel your best

Your graduate should dress like themself.

It seems simple enough.

At my high school, every senior had to book a session with this same photography studio and one of those outside images was chosen for the yearbook.

I don’t love this photo.

It has nothing to do with how I look and everything to do with how I feel about my clothes.

Everyone thought I should wear a dress for senior pictures, but finding the right one was not a high priority for me. One of my best friends (shout out to Jenny B.) had a dress that she said I could borrow. Problem solved!

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On the day of my senior portraits, I put on the dress and t-shirt - a style of clothes I had never worn. I remember when I was taking the picture, that I felt weird being in clothes that weren’t my style. I had agreed to wear a dress because that’s what I thought I was supposed to wear in my senior photos.

So, now I have this photo, that looks fine, but that doesn’t feel like me and it’s too bad.

This is one of the reasons I suggest graduates wear several outfits during their senior portrait session.

Wearing something that makes you feel

like yourself is super important.

I think it’s a good idea to wear at least two different types of looks. One more dressed up and one a little more casual.

First the dressed up look.

Wearing a suit or a dress may only a special occasion thing in your family so that's why a senior portrait is the perfect time to wear the once in a while thing.

A beautiful flowy skirt or suit and tie look really great and photographs and are just good gifts for grandparents.

Second, Something casual

It is also really important to me that teenagers get to be themselves. Dressing how they do on most days or in their favorite outfit is the perfect way to honor who they are at this time in their lives.

Seniors can change several times, but I recommend no more than five.

Wearing accessories like hats, belts, bracelets or other things that are a part of your teen’s typical day-to-day style can be a fun and natural way to add a little bit of your personality to their portraits.

Seniors may choose something that’s related to one of their hobbies or passions like a dance or team uniform. Is you graduate a Hollister High School Baler athlete?

They could wear the college sweater or the graduation gown.

Whatever they choose to wear, remember to be sure that they feel comfortable and great in their clothing.

At a time in their lives when seniors are spending lots of time looking ahead, it’s my job to commemorate this moment. This is a fleeting time in their lives that I hope they can one day look back on and remember who they were in their senior year and feel great about those memories.

Thinking about Senior Portraits and have more questions about what to wear? Send me an email and I’’ll do my best to answer your questions.