What to Wear to a Boudoir Shoot | San Diego Boudoir Photographer
What to Wear to a Boudoir Shoot
You booked the boudoir shoot.
You're excited.
You're feeling brave.
And then approximately eleven seconds later:
OH GOD. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO WEAR?!
And suddenly you're online at 1:17 a.m. looking at something involving twelve straps, six buckles and an instruction manual.
Close the browser.
We're going to figure this out.
First: You Do Not Need to Buy a Whole New Wardrobe
Can you?
Absolutely.
Will I stop you?
Absolutely not.
I'm a photographer, not the financial police.
But you don't need five elaborate lingerie sets to have variety in your boudoir gallery.
Sometimes the simplest pieces photograph the best.
And sometimes something you already own is PERFECT.
Let's raid your closet.
1. A Bodysuit
If you're nervous about lingerie, start here.
Bodysuits are basically the boudoir world's greatest invention.
Sexy?
Yes.
Flattering?
YES.
Available in approximately nine million styles?
Also yes.
Lace, sheer, structured, plunging, high-necked, long-sleeved...
There's a bodysuit for everybody.
And because they're one piece, you don't have to spend the morning wondering whether your bra and underwear are having an argument.
2. A Simple Bra and Underwear Set
It doesn't need feathers.
It doesn't need rhinestones.
It doesn't need seventeen straps going places straps have never gone before.
A simple, well-fitting matching set can photograph beautifully.
Black is classic.
White is gorgeous.
Color can be amazing.
What matters most?
It fits you NOW.
Not “I'll squeeze into it because technically the tag says it's my size.”
If you can't breathe, sit or move without negotiating with your underwear, bring something else.
3. An Oversized White Shirt
There is a reason this works.
It's effortless.
It's sexy.
It's timeless.
And you probably already have one somewhere.
Bonus points if it's someone else's shirt.
Or don't tell them.
I don't need to know how you acquired it. (plus, I have one in the studio for you to borrow…see below )
4. A Sweater
Yes.
A sweater.
Especially something oversized that can fall off one shoulder.
Bare legs + cozy sweater = ridiculously good.
Boudoir doesn't always have to scream LINGERIE!
Sometimes suggestion is sexier.
Also, sweaters have the added benefit of feeling like clothing, which can help you ease into your session before we're casually discussing whether you want to lose the bra.
5. Jeans
Hear me out.
Jeans with nothing underneath or paired with a bra can look AMAZING.
They're sexy without trying too hard.
Which, coincidentally, is the vibe we're going for.
6. A Sheet
Ah yes.
The world's least complicated boudoir wardrobe.
One sheet.
That's it.
And somehow it can create some of the most beautiful, sensual photographs of your entire session.
No lingerie shopping required.
No straps.
No buckles.
No wondering which direction the garment goes.
Bless.
7. Nothing
I KNOW.
Stay with me.
“Nude” does not necessarily mean everything is on display.
Some of my favorite photographs use strategic posing, sheets, shadows, arms, legs and angles to suggest nudity without actually showing much at all.
It can be incredibly elegant.
And if that's not your thing?
We don't do it.
This is your session.
There is no secret boudoir checklist I'm grading you on.
What Should You NOT Wear?
Anything you hate.
Seriously.
I don't care if somebody on TikTok said it's flattering.
If you put it on and immediately start tugging at it, covering yourself or asking whether it makes you look weird...
NEXT.
Also be careful with pieces that are painfully tight.
There's fitted.
And then there's “my internal organs have relocated.”
We're aiming for the first one.
What About Heels?
Bring them if you love them.
Don't if you don't.
You do not need to suddenly become a high-heel person for your boudoir shoot.
Bare feet are beautiful.
Heels are beautiful.
Boots can be hot.
Sneakers can even work with the right concept.
The goal isn't to dress like a generic version of “sexy.”
The goal is to create photographs that feel like you on your hottest day.
How Many Outfits Should I Bring?
My professional recommendation?
Bring options.
My unofficial recommendation?
Bring the entire damn closet and we'll figure it out.
I'd rather have choices than discover halfway through that the outfit you almost brought would have been perfect.
We can look through everything together.
That's part of my job.
You don't have to stand in your bedroom the night before holding two bras and having an existential crisis.
The Most Important Thing You Can Wear
Here comes the cheesy part.
Brace yourself.
The best thing you can wear is something that makes you feel like yourself.
Not your husband's fantasy.
Not what Instagram says is sexy.
Not what a twenty-two-year-old lingerie model looked good wearing.
YOU.
Sexy can be soft.
Sexy can be playful.
Sexy can be elegant.
Sexy can be edgy.
Sexy can be jeans and messy hair.
Sexy can be a bodysuit and heels.
Sexy can be wrapped in a sheet laughing because I just said something ridiculous while you were attempting to look seductive.
There isn't one version.
And figuring out your version is half the fun.
Still Freaking Out About What to Bring?
Don't.
When you book your San Diego boudoir session with me, you aren't left alone to figure everything out.
We'll talk about wardrobe.
We'll talk about what photographs well.
We'll talk about what you're comfortable showing.
And when you arrive with seventeen things because you couldn't decide?
I'll help.
Honestly, choosing outfits while talking about boobs is basically just another day at the office.
