How to look and feel great in your photos
Wear Dresses or Jumpsuits
A few years ago, I was a pastor in training. Along with a myriad of rules, I had to wear a skirt suit. I hated sitting in church with a suit, I could feel the wool rubbing at my waist when I stood and turned to hug and kiss fellow church goers during visitor time. My hips and thighs pushed the skirt skyward as soon as I took a step, shrinking the skirt length giving me a look appropriate for the club, but maybe not Sunday morning worship. I was always adjusting the skirt to ensure I was covered, dreading anytime I had to stand in front of the congregation to read Scripture or pray.
With my curvy body type clothing in one piece suits me best, such as jumpsuits and dresses. I can walk, sit, bend, and move without fear of the clothing riding up or slipping, and I don’t have to tug at my clothing to put in on the points of my body it’s supposed to be. One-pieces give my body the flexibility to move with my shifting curves.
If you are a curvy girl like me, I recommend wearing dresses or jumpsuits for a shoot. If you find yourself pulling your pants up or your shirt down as you are moving, a one piece may serve you. If you prefer wearing pants and a top over a jumpsuit, why not swap out a traditional top for a body suit? They make bodysuits that look like blouses, and it will stop the tugging and the adjusting.
Get your clothes tailored
It’s by design: the fashion industry doesn’t make clothing to fit us. This is how the fashion industry creates sizes for women: Designers use “fit” models, or models hired to wear the clothing and the designer makes adjustments accordingly. Based on that particular person’s size, the designer scales up and down.
And you guessed it, the fit model they usually use is white and thin. And, although the sizes are scales up, the proportions remain the same.
In exhaustion, Black women often forgo the search and resign to wearing clothing that wasn’t meant for us.
I get my clothes tailored often. I buy pants slightly too large in the waist so they fit my thighs, and get the waist taken in. Getting my clothes tailored so everything doesn’t shift as much has helped so much. So buy your clothes straight off the rack then head straight to the tailor.
Work with a Stylist
I have a team of stylists available who are willing to style your shoot. Feel free to reach out and ask questions about what to wear and we can find something that would work for you and that you love.
When you are wearing what society has told you to wear, or wearing something to cover, it comes through in the photos. Society tells people with fat and curvy bodies to remain hidden. We weren’t meant to hide. They tell us to hide because they are threatened by our beauty. We cower because we know people are going to say something about our vast hips, opulent lips and glistening dark and brown skin. It shows in our eyes when we just got done adjusting to covering up, we lose a little sparkle in our eyes, and the sparkle is what makes a photo good. Our bodies are still contorted in the adjustments we’ve made.
So I say, don’t wear what you think you should be wearing. Don’t feel like you need to hide or cover up, wear what you like.
I’m booking clients now. Schedule your fall shoot today!