How To Pick The Right Outfit For Your Pregnancy Pictures

What to Wear for Maternity Photos

Let’s talk about what to wear for maternity photos. You want pictures that are timeless and capture this beautiful (and probably uncomfortable) stage where your body is doing something amazing. Figuring out what to wear can be a bit overwhelming. My top recommendation is to wear a dress for at least one of your outfits. If you want to go basic with jeans for another look, you can, but today I’m focusing on recommendations for finding the best dress for your maternity shoot.

Maxi dress (flowy)

The top choice for most women when picking a dress for maternity photos is a maxi dress. The silhouette is incredibly flattering on all pregnant bodies and, if you pick the right one, it is also incredibly comfortable. A maxi dress is great because you’ll also be able to wear it after photos through the rest of your pregnancy.

The movement + draping of the flowing fabric looks gorgeous in pictures and you can easily place a hand under your belly to really show off the bump even with a flowing material.

Bodycon dress (fitted)

Maternity photos are a time to celebrate your growing and changing body. Whatever your size, your body is amazing right now! It is growing a human! A tightly fitting bodycon dress hugs your curves and shows off the shape of pregnancy. It also does a great job showcasing the baby bump.

If you’re not comfortable with a bodycon dress, don’t worry. You can still show off the baby bump by holding in a less fitted dress for certain images.

Consider bringing one fitted and one flowy option for your photoshoot

Patterns vs. Neutrals:
The general rule for pictures is to stay away from big + bold patterns. As a photographer, I’m a fan of more neutral colors and very subtle patterns because they lend themselves to more timeless (less trendy) photos and really put the focus on the emotion and connection between subjects.

You can’t go wrong picking a solid color dress or something with a small pattern (think very small flowers instead of big flowers on a dress).