Next to cuddling babies all day and serving mothers, shopping for dresses may be one of my favorite things to do. In fact, when I can’t sleep at night, it’s what I do. Over the years, as I have built my client wardrobe, I have come to find that there are 5 things I look for in dresses. 

Colors  + Patterns of the Dress

I have a pretty feminine color palette, with pastels and soft, subtle patterns and textures. These colors also compliment my brand and are in line with the style of portraits my client’s can expect. Yours may vary depending on your shooting style and brand. 

It’s important to know your client and what they are looking for as far as color goes. I live near the beach, and my clients home decor is often neutral with pops of soft, pastel colors. Most of my clients are also having babies and prefer soft colors. Knowing these two things, I build my wardrobe with that in mind so that when we go to create artwork for their home, it’s all cohesive. 

Does the Dress Have Sleeves?

Most women are a bit self-conscious of their arms, so almost 98% of dresses have sleeves. 

Empire Waist

An empire waist hits just below the bustline. Because it hits at the smallest part of the body, it provides a really flattering silhouette. 

This style of dress is also likely to be more versatile in your client wardrobe. It’s going to accommodate a variety of sizes, momma’s with or without a bump and postpartum, as well as fitting nicely for chasing toddlers! 

Type of Empire Waist 

Not only is an empire waist a requirement, but it must also have ruching or be gathered. I have found this style tends to be more forgiving and more comfortable for mommas to wear. 

This also tends to determine what size I purchase. Generally, I buy dresses without the ruching in extra small to medium. Otherwise, sizes will vary based on the brand and will typically fit a wide range of sizes. For example, I have an extra-small Fillyboo that meets all of these requirements and has fit a size 2 all the way up to a size 20. 

Ability to Wear a Bra with the Dress

Most of our clients are women/moms and let’s face it, we need support. Open back dresses, and sometimes even strapless dresses, are a challenge for many moms because a regular bra doesn’t work. While you could still wear a regular bra with a lot of dresses it would require you to either limit the way you photograph them to not see it or edit in post.