Wardrobe is such an important aspect of your overall portrait experience, but putting together the type of wardrobe you want can often become expensive quickly!  This is especially the case for seniors who might be more fashion-conscious than the average consumer.  Well, don’t fear, you can put together several great and stylish outfits without breaking the bank!  I’ve compiled three looks from head to toe, accessories and all, for less than $175.  Better yet, substitute some of your own existing items (like boots or jeans) and save even more. 

For the classic casual look, I’ve paired a great pair of boots with a beautiful sweater and belt combo.  Add in the scarf and knit hat or wear it on its own.  If it’s too cold to stick with short sleeves, you could easily throw on a long-sleeve shirt underneath for a nice layered look.  One thing I always recommend to my cool-weather seniors is to use a great jacket to expand your wardrobe.  Throwing on a jacket can give the appearance of a completely different outfit, especially when paired with some other cold weather accessories like a colorful scarf and hat.  For the dressier look, I went with a pretty seasonal sweater dress glammed up with some fun accessories like the feather headband and necklace.  Add the jacket on top for a few shots to change it up once again!

There are great deals to be found, especially this time of year!  You can get a steal at stores like Forever 21 and Wet Seal, especially on shoes and accessories, while you can grab your staples at a great price at stores like Target and Old Navy.  Happy shopping!SHOPPING LIST

Casual Look
Jeans – Wet Seal $18.55
Sweater – Target $22.99
Boots – Target $29.99

Outerwear & Accessories
Jacket – Old Navy $25.99
Scarf – Forever21 $9.80
Hat – Forever21 $5.50

Dressy Look
Dress – Target $20.99
Tights – Target $5.60
Boots – Wet Seal $23.99
Headband – Forever21 $5.80
Necklace – Forever21 $4.80

This fabulous post from Kelly of Kelly V Photography is for you photogs!  Read below for some great inspiration on Christmas mini’s and some awesome discounts!

Jennifer of Minor Impressions Photography keeps it simple with online shopping from Hanna Andersson and Target! Love this look…it’s perfect for Fall!!

Chandler is not only the first senior I’ve photographed for the class of 2012, she also happens to be my baby sister!  That’s the only reason she was able to sneak in while I’m still on maternity leave.  I’ve got to admit, it was a pretty surreal experience.  There are over 11 years between us, and I think in my head I will always see her as a little kid.  Needless to say, after taking her portraits I’m not sure I’ll be able to photograph my own two girls when their day comes … eek!  It was emotional!  I couldn’t be more proud of the beautiful, kind, and godly young woman she has become.  She is such a shining example for my girls, and I’m so glad that she is a part of our lives.  We didn’t have much time to shoot this day (we literally shot until the sun was down), so I’m sure you’ll be seeing more of her gorgeous face in the future too.  We will call this the “Fall Edition.” Chan, I love you so much!

Loving these outfits put together by Erica of Erica May Photography – right up my alley!   Here’s what she has to say:

This week I chose to do a rustic/wilderness family session theme. Nothing says “home” to me like some warm, cozy flannel! Not only will you be stylish, but your family will also be nice and warm in these layers and fabrics.

For the dad’s outfit, I went with several layers starting with a warm cable-knit sweater which you can top off with a flannel lined jacket. Pair these with some dark jeans and some rugged boots and dad is set and comfortable. For mom’s outfit, I wanted flannel but feminine, so I paired a fitted flannel shirt with a textured cardigan and a studded belt for a feminine touch. Add skinny jeans and these fabulous new CHEAP boots from Old Navy and mom will definitely get the attention she deserves. Not the skinny jean type? Don’t worry,  boot-cut jeans and some ankle boots would also look great!

I recently discovered H&M since they opened one in Dallas, and I am in LOVE with their kids’ line! You can’t order online yet but if you are lucky enough to have store near you, get in there and check it out! The kids’ outfits both have multiple layers to keep them warm but are youthful and fun. Add some accessories like scarves and hats and you will have something fun to personalize their individual shots with and add some variety.

Want to add a little staging? Have your photo shoot done at a Christmas tree farm or maybe around a campfire while you make s’mores and drink hot chocolate! =)

Shopping Guide:

Woman:

Cardigan:     Shine Cable Ruched Cardigan     $59.95      Eddie Bauer

Shirt:    Cozy Flannel Shirt      $59.95     Eddie Bauer

Jeans:    Essential Slim Jeans   $19.99    Eddie Bauer

Belt:      Skinny Studded Belt    $39.95   Eddie Bauer

Boots:   Women’s Faux-Leather Riding Boots     $35     Old Navy

Man:

Outer Shirt: Cabela’s Flannel-Lined Stonewash Canvas Shirt     $44.99     Cabelas

Sweater: Cabela’s Outfitter Series Kingston 1/4-Zip Sweater      $39.99     Cabelas

Jeans: Relaxed Fit Flannel-Lined Jeans      $59.99       Eddie Bauer

Boots:    Cabela’s GORE-TEX® Tempest™ Chukka     $69.99    Cabelas

Boy:

Pants:     $19.95     H&M

Sweater:  Cable-knit Sweater    $24.95     H&M

Shirt:  Flannel Shirt     $24.99    H&M

Boots:   H&M

Hat:  $7.99  Target

Girl:

Sweater:     $29.95      H&M

Jeans: Girls Dark-Wash Super Skinny Jeans    $19.50    Old Navy

Boots: Girls Faux-Fur Wedge Boots     $27      Old Navy

Thanks to Shannon of Shannon J. Dodge Photography for this awesome family ensemble!  Here’s what she has to say:

If you haven’t seen what the always wonderful Tea Collection has put out this past year, you have truly been missing out.  Their latest destinations – Catalonia and Modern Mexico – have been stunningly beautiful, especially down here in Texas where we appreciate things with a Spanish/Mexican flair. I was lucky enough to team up with Tea again and showcase some gorgeous pieces from their holiday collection modeled by my own two beauties.  They are always my first stop when I’m looking for quality children’s clothing, especially for portraits.  As I’ve mentioned before, it’s so hard to find nice clothes for girls in that deep rich color palette that I want to see hanging in my home.  No matter the destination, I know that I can depend on Tea to have some wonderful options available.  I love the coordination in this first set of outfits – the colors are spot on.  The berry color on Finley and throughout Emory’s outfit adds a perfect holiday touch (hint, hint, you may be seeing a preview of our holiday card). 

Okay, I know I’m a little biased, but aren’t these girls so stinkin’ cute?!?

As always, I love their girl’s dresses – I’m a huge fan of dresses with leggings for both play and nicer occasions.  Speaking of leggings, I continually buy them and have to throw them out, even during the same season, because Emory is so rough on them – holes in the knees, busted seams, etc.  However, she has worn her Tea leggings from last fall through the spring and is still able to wear them this fall.  They honestly look as good as the first time she wore them, a true testament to the quality of the products they offer.

I was excited that this time around that I got to try out their baby girl’s clothes too.  They are so soft and comfortable while still utilizing beautiful patterns and fun details like the frill on the sleeves.  These outfits are currently my favorite thing to put on my sweet girl, and without being too gross, her spit-up tendencies have really tested this fabric in the wash – it has passed with flying colors.  There’s nothing more disappointing then having spit-up stains that I can’t get out of a cute outfit. 

The girls were starting to wind down when we got to outfit #2, but they held out for long enough to get a few sweet shots!  I love how these two outfits use the same pattern but still differ in style and coordinating features.  Perfect for sisters!  This particular pattern has great potential for coordination to other siblings and mom and dad too – just look at all of the options available for you to tie in! 

P.S. It’s been awhile since I’ve photographed one, but it is HARD to work with a baby who isn’t sitting up yet.  Phew!   

Here’s where you can get these gorgeous outfits:

Talavera Layered Dress

Skinny Stretch Leggings

Pava Real Romper

Wildflower Wrap Dress

Wildflower Layered Romper

There are so many reasons why I love the owner of Bella Ariana – not only does she make an amazing product and have tremendous customer service, but she is so gracious and flexible as well.  These lovely images of her Firecracker tutu were supposed to be done back in May, but those of you who have been sticking around awhile know that I was put on strict bedrest after the first week of May. I was so bummed that I wasn’t going to be able to get this shoot done, but Frances was so great about the whole situation.  I really hoped that these images would turn out awesome, and they certainly did!  My usually uncooperative model turned three in the interim and decided that having her picture taken was not that bad after all!  She loved dancing around in her pretty tutu and hamming it up for the camera.  If you know of a little girl who could rock a tutu, make sure to check out Bella Ariana on the web and on Facebook!  Thanks Frances!

I love the inspiration that Morgan brought back from Italy with her (this girl is a bit jealous!).  Check out what she has to say about this awesome retailer:

Buon giorno a tutti! {Good morning everyone!}

Ok, that’s just about the extent of my Italian – other than “Dov’è il bagno?” (where is the bathroom?), “Vorrei un cappuccino” (I’d like a cappuccino) and “Mi dispiace. Non parlo italiano.” (I’m sorry. I don’t speak italian).

Mi dispache, but I just got back from an amazing trip to northern Italy and haven’t quite accepted that I’m back to my normal life yet. I have this strong urge to bake bread, learn how to make my own pasta, and make my wardrobe more euro chic (especially since part of the trip included a conference attended by people from 35 countries). The bread baking happened yesterday (total tangent, but this book is AMAZING!) and the pasta will need to wait, but the wardrobe changes might be easier than I thought.

If you’re not already familiar, let me introduce you to Zara. Zara is a clothing and accessories retailer that began in 1975 in a central street in downtown A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. You can now find them in over 70 countries. While they have an online store that can be viewed in 10 languages, it wasn’t until 2011 that the US was one of the 17 countries where items could be shipped. I’ve never been to a store – and am trying to accept the fact that I was unknowingly two blocks away from one last week – but I’m already a huge fan just by browsing online.

Zara carries clothing for women (including a more youthful TRF line), men, and separate kids lines for young boys and girls (age 2-14) and baby boys and girls (age 3-26 months). You may notice that I included below examples of shoes and scarves for each group. If I had to overgeneralize what I saw in Italy, it was funky shoes and scarves, scarves, and scarves (even on kids and babies – so adorable). Oh, tons of chunky jewelry as well! The question doesn’t seem to be “if” you should wear a scarf or chunky jewelry, but rather what color and how many pieces.

If I wasn’t pregnant (unfortunately they don’t have a maternity line), I’d be going nuts with the shopping. For now I’ll just need to focus on shoes and scarves. But only for now…