Well, let’s say you really want to do a boudoir session but are uncomfortable being in lingerie for the entire length of your shoot.  Have no fear.  There are pieces you can incorporate into your session for more modest styling.  Remember, it’s normal to be nervous before your session – I hear it all the time – “I’m nervous but excited”  – trust me when I say that those nerves don’t last the entire session!  Nonetheless, the ideas outlined below will help you add pieces to your boudoir outfit selection.  As always, the session is about YOU!

Sometimes you have to think outside the box when determining what modest pieces to use.  Remember this – you will be all glamours with hair & makeup, and your photographer will pose you in the appropriate way to make these outfits super sexy.  Hair & makeup combined with killer posing can make any outfit super sexy – you can still achieve stunning images with modest clothing.

Blazers 

Find a few blazers that you can use to cover up.  I highly suggest wearing a bright colored bra & panty set underneath so that you have a pop of color.  Blazers can certainly conceal certain areas plus they give you a little more coverage.  I love this blazer here because it has a cool trim on it, and just imagine a hot pink bra and panty underneath – wow!  Who wants to come in for a shoot with this blazer?!? 🙂  I found this item on Zulily (http://www.zulily.com).  When looking at blazers, just make sure you find one that is the proper length of your liking.  Sometimes really short/crop blazers aren’t going to achieve the look you might be going for.

White tank top

Do you know that this is one of the things I love to photography most?  No bra.  Just a white tank top and some beautiful jewelry.   And, I’ve heard from some clients that their significant other went crazy for the white tank top photos!  Success!  When looking for tank tops, there are different styles – who knew, right?  Ribbed, non-ribbed (what’s the opposite of ribbed?!?!), etc.  You really want to make what’s underneath (wink, wink) “pop” so make sure the material suits your liking.  And, I highly suggest bringing a few kind to your session so you can see what looks best on camera.  Here’s another plus to tank tops – They are CHEAP!  🙂

Robes

Oh do I love robes!  Lace robes = perfection! Incorporating robes is one of the best things you can do for your session.  They are great for detail shots to highlight certain areas of your body.  Another great thing – slowly taking it off and letting your photographer capture you doing so.  Those images are always some of my favorites.  I’ve included two robes here that I LOVE.  And, I love them so much that they are in my boudoir outfit collection that I offer to clients to use during their session – we use them frequently!  The one on the left is from Lemon Legwear (http://www.legwearloft.com) and the one on the right is from Nordstrom (http://shop.nordstrom.com)

Cardigans

Another one of my favorite items – cardigans can really enhance your session.  Cardigans that are tight or loose can each have their own awesome impact to your photos.  Here’s a cardigan that I found on H&M (http://www.hm.com/us/) that I think would work great in a boudoir session.  I love that this item has a curved opening and is not a boxy cut item.  It can easily be manipulated in the photos so that you can pull it down or close it tight, or drop it down your shoulders and let it hang.  See, so many ideas are running thru my head in how to use this in a session.  It would go great with a sexy bra and panty underneath or even a tight tank top.

Sweaters

I love chunky wool sweaters.  Wear that with some cute cheeky panties and maybe even some knee high wool socks and you have a killer combination for a stunning photo!  This sweater is from L.L. Bean (http://www.llbean.com).  Cable knit sweaters work really well for sessions, and even sweater dresses can have a sexy feel in your boudoir photos.  Look at regular clothing stores to find these kind of sweaters – there are plenty of options everywhere for sweaters.  As with a few other of the items I mentioned, length is everything.  Make sure you find a length that works for your body type and your comfort level.

Shorts

Why, yes, you can incorporate shorts into your session.  Here is a super cute pair of shorts from Lemon Legwear (http://www.legwearloft.com).  These would look so great with a cute sweater, lace top or just a really cute bra.  You can pick shorts that have cute details too – I’ve seen a few shorts on Zulily that have nice embellishments.  My one big point with shorts – make sure they are new.  You do not want shorts in the photos that look worn and used for years.  It just takes away from the images, so while I want you to include pieces you have you shouldn’t pick items that show their age and have lots of wrinkles and the shorts ride up.  Seriously.  Think about it! 🙂

Sheer Skirt

This long pleated sheer skirt is from Charlotte Russe.   I love this skirt – you could combine it with a cute bra and panty, but to keep with the modest theme you could wear a crop top shirt with this and the only exposed skin would be the midriff.

My one big piece of advice for non-lingerie items – keep patterns limited.  Try to stick with solid colored items.  Patterns can draw your eye away from you and more to the clothes.

This blog post should have convinced you of two things:

1) You can shop anywhere for your boudoir session – anywhere!  Don’t limit yourself to just lingerie stores – there’s so much more out there.  And, in boudoir photography, we can make anything sexy! 🙂  Open your mind and look in your everyday stores for items that you could incorporate into your session.

2) You have options.  Lots of options.  You don’t just have to wear lingerie for your boudoir photo shoot.  If you would like a more modest boudoir, this should give you some ideas to jump start your shopping efforts.

Have fun!  As always, remember that your session is about YOU!  Make sure to find pieces that incorporate your style!

Any other pieces you could think of?  Leave your comments below.