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Lauren McBride

Uncategorized

What to Wear for a Maternity Shoot

April 7, 2016

If you’re pregnant, I’m willing to bet that you’ve googled “what to wear for a maternity shoot” once or twice.

Lauren McBride - What to wear for a maternity shoot

I took my maternity shoot with Landon very seriously, as it was quite the unexpected struggle to become pregnant with him and I really had no idea what the future held for me and future pregnancies. I wanted to be able to look back on that moment forever with timeless photos, so I invested in a luxury motherhood photographer to capture the moment. She also happened to be my friend, so I was able to share my over the top ideas with her, which she willingly complied with! During my “research,” I realized some really important details on what to wear for your maternity shoot to endure your photos are essentially timeless. Here are my tips!

What To Wear For A Maternity Shoot

Avoid strong colors. Stick to white or pastels. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told to NOT wear white during a photo shoot, which is pure insanity. White is SO beautiful and allows your bump to really show because it’s not distracting.

Avoid trends. If you’re investing in quality maternity photos, you don’t want to look back in 20 years thinking “why was I wearing that?!” because something is now out of style. That’s why I prefer just wearing a simple flowy dress and sticking to neutral, pastel tones.

Lauren McBride - What to wear for a maternity shoot

(Photo by Tiffany Farley)

Avoid heavy makeup. Also with the trend issue, there’s no reason for a dark smokey eye during a maternity shoot. You want to look like an enhanced version of yourself, and that’s it. No need for crazy makeup. Same goes for nails! I love simple white polishes like Essie’s Blanc, Angel Hair, or Ballet Slipper.

 Choose a fit that’s right for you. Not all pregnant bodies are created equal, so choose a dress or outfit that will accentuate your bump. I love anything with a waistband that sits above the bump because it essentially gives you the waist you’re missing due to pregnancy!

Lauren McBride - What to wear for a maternity shoot

(Photo by Tiffany Farley)

Rent your dress! I used Rent the Runway to Rent Badley Mischka’s Siren Gown for my shoot with Landon. Totally over the top, but the photos are absolutely stunning and I still look back on them with heart eyes. This dress was not a maternity dress, so I made sure to find one with that high waistband I was talking about. I knew it would sit right below my boobs and right above my bump, which was perfect. It’s the perfect place to browse for what to wear for a maternity shoot.  Use this link here for $20 off your rental!

Don’t feel limited to just a dress. I wore a gorgeous cream sweater for one shoot and a stunning lace top for another. I kept the same neutral, natural look but switched it up for something different! I love how they came out!

Lauren McBride - What to wear for a maternity shoot

(Photo by Alicia Ann Couture)

DO invest in a quality photographer, if you can. I’ve had many people say to me they just afford a good photographer, and I understand that. But if good photos are what you want, you need to hire someone good! Which means they’ll most like cost you some money. Look at it like an investment, as you’ll have these photos to look back on for years. Start budgeting, or if the budget isn’t happening right now, plan on doing a newborn shoot instead. Of course, some photos are better than none, so if you really can’t swing it then try to find the best for what you can pay for.

Lauren McBride - What to wear for a maternity shoot

(Photo by Tiffany Farley)

Here are some of my favorite options for what to wear for a maternity shoot. You’ll see a common theme in most (white!), but many of them come in other pastel colors as well. If white isn’t your thing, try a blush pink, lavender, mint green, or pastel blue. Also, you can find the white one above right here! Click any of the images below to shop!

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Comments

  1. Ashley says

    April 9, 2016 at 12:58 pm

    Hi Lauren! Can you tell me the designer of your off the shoulder neutral sweater you wore for your maternity photos? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Lauren McBride says

      April 15, 2016 at 7:08 am

      Hi! It’s from Free People but is sold out 🙁

      Reply
      • Ashley says

        April 15, 2016 at 11:35 am

        Thank you, Lauren! Do you happen to know the style name of it? I would love to try and hunt it down. It is gorgeous! Thank you 🙂

        Reply
  2. melissa donaldson says

    May 25, 2016 at 1:09 am

    Great tips beautiful session.

    Reply
  3. Meg says

    July 29, 2016 at 7:55 am

    Hi, Lauren!

    Thanks so much for this post, the links are super helpful!
    I actually already own the white FP triangle top dress, and love it, but have never worn it due to how see through it is. I’d love to wear it for my maternity photoshoot; just wondering if you lined it, or wore it as is, for yours?
    Thanks so much!

    Meg

    Reply
  4. Jessica says

    January 23, 2017 at 4:31 am

    I’m curious also about the name of the FP sweater? It would be perfect for my beach themed pregnancy shoot;)

    Reply
  5. Susan says

    July 24, 2017 at 11:22 am

    I love that white sweater!! What brand is it? Do you have a link for it? Just ordered the barefoot dreams cardigan you recommended from the N anniversary sale!

    Reply
  6. Bridget B says

    October 29, 2017 at 10:38 am

    Hi Lauren! Could you please share where that cream sweater is from? I have an upcoming maternity session and I would love a sweater exactly like that for the shoot. Thank you so much and thank you for the great tips!

    Reply
    • Lauren McBride says

      November 2, 2017 at 6:06 pm

      Hi! It’s from Free People, but it’s long sold out. I’m sorry!!!

      Reply
  7. Heather Benac says

    December 1, 2017 at 2:42 pm

    Hi! Did you go up a size or two for your evening gown dress to accommodate your bump? I’m about to order a dress from Rent the Runway as well for my own shoot.

    Reply
    • Lauren McBride says

      December 7, 2017 at 11:26 am

      I did, just one size!

      Reply
  8. Ana says

    March 5, 2018 at 1:33 pm

    Hi Lauren! I was wondering where the dress was from that has the writing “what to wear for maternity shoot is from” I love it and would like it for my baby shower 🙂

    Reply
  9. Caitlin says

    April 15, 2019 at 3:34 pm

    I know this is such an old post but wanted to know what you’d wear with the sweater for pictures? We live in California so sweaters are perfect for nights!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. What to Wear for a Maternity Shoot – Lauren McBrid… – What To Wear Ideas says:
    December 10, 2016 at 8:43 pm

    […] Source: laurenmcbrideblog.com […]

    Reply
  2. Maternity Fashion: What to Wear says:
    January 8, 2017 at 4:05 pm

    […] Planning your maternity shoot? Here are my tips on what to wear! […]

    Reply
  3. What to Wear for a Winter Maternity Shoot - Lauren McBride says:
    January 22, 2018 at 10:51 am

    […] There are certain styles of dresses that are better for pregnancy than others. You want the waistline hitting ABOVE your bump, which is a key component if there’s a waistline in the dress. Fitted dresses are always gorgeous as well because they hug your body and really accentuate your bump. I share about this in this post on What To Wear for a Maternity Shoot (along with some beauty tips!) right here! […]

    Reply
  4. What to Wear for Maternity Pictures - Sixth Bloom- Lifestyle, Photography & Family Blog says:
    March 3, 2019 at 8:40 pm

    […] mamas; a dress is best but a longer skirt work well too!  As Lauren McBride mentions – avoid strong colors for a […]

    Reply
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