The Spring/summer shoot style guide

So you've booked your photoshoot and the big day is hurtling towards you at a rate of knots. You're super excited, but there's one thing you're worried about - What on earth are you going to wear!?

Fear not, dear equestrian. I've got you covered! 

Most of us aren't natural born fashionistas that can pick out a super stylish look with our eyes closed, so the prospect of clothing can be a dauting one, and then you have the added pressure of knowing you'll have these images for life, so you need the clothing to be something you love and feel amazing in. That's why I'm putting together this spring/summer shoot style guide, to give you some outfit inspiration and guidance on how you can choose the right outfit for you and your shoot.

Before you even start rummaging through your wardrobe and online shopping, you need to have a think about the feeling you want for your shoot (Your photographer will be more than happy to have a chat with you and guide you through this well before the big day). Do you want a classic look, or are you feeling a flowy dress? Or perhaps you like the idea of a high fashion/vouge feel? Did you want to go with a particular theme on your shoot? What sort of colours work with your skin tone and your horse? These are just a few questions to think about before you get going - although rummaging through your wardrobe whilst asking these questions can provide some excellent inspiration and give you an idea of which direction you want to take things.

Just to note, if you book in for a Horse & Rider session with me, you get unlimited outfit changes, so don't feel like you have to stick to one look, a number of my clients like to go for a a mixture of looks to get some extra variety in a shoot. 

From here you need to think about what clothes make you feel amazing.

If an outfit makes you feel frumpy, awkward, or like you're in someone else's clothes, then that outfit is a huge no no! Shoot day is about feeling like a superstar. You want to feel totally gorgeous, not uncomfortable, because if you feel uncomfortable it'll not only show through in your images, you also won't be able to fully enjoy the shoot experience owing to the fact there you will have a constant feeling of discomfort throughout - and that's the last thing we want!

The Classic Look

Let's start this guide by looking at what I like to call "The Classic Look".  A smart shirt, well fitting jeans, and a pair of long boots. It's simple, easy, works with every location, and super practical. It's also an outfit that 95% of equestrians having already to hand, so very accessible too!
When you're thinking of the colours, ideally you want to go for neutrals or pastels. Think white, beige, browns, soft blues, yellows or pinks. This lightness will add a little glow to you, pair perfectly with any colour horse, and a more neutral colour work well with the vibrant colours of summer. Because the other thing we have to think about is how our outfit relates to our location - I know, it's a lot to think about! (Please note, you don't have to stick to this colour rule, everything is flexible, but it's what I've found works best)

A pair of jeans is always flattering on any figure, but always make sure that the jeans you plan on wearing fit well. Consider what fit you want in your jeans, do you want low, mid, or high rise? Whatever makes you feel your best and works with your shape - I personally have quite a short waist and hips, so really suit a low rise jean, but someone else might despise this style, go with what works for you! 
Make sure to also think about the colour of your jeans, generally they go with everything, but if you're wearing a grey pair of jeans, make sure your shirt isn't too similar a colour or it might look a little off, we want to break up the figure and add elements into the shot to make you look your best.

Long boots really shape this outfit, they give a longer look to your legs, and again, break up the ensemble whilst complimenting the whole look. Ideally, try to choose a pair of boots that fit comfortably so you can move around easily on your shoot. 

Finally, accessories! A belt is always a lovely addition to this look, choose tones that are similar to the the boots you choose if you can. Any additional jewellery should be kept with the style of your look, keep it simple and classic, statement pieces are generally overpowering in this look so I tend to avoid - but there are exceptions to the rule so get creative and experiment with different pieces!

The Designer Look

If you're an equestrian professional, or looking for a more "upmarket" look to your shoot, then I highly recommend "The Designer Look". We're talking about those equestrian brands that we all know and love, and always make you look like the most stylish rider on the yard. Think Animo, Ariat, Pikeur, Horseware, PS of Sweden, Eskadron, Kingsland, HV Polo... You get the idea. 
This look is effortlessly classy and oozes professionalism, whilst making you look incredible both in and out of the saddle. If you're someone who feels more comfortable in a pair of breeches than a strappy top, then this look might be just the ticket. It's also perfect for the equestrian professionals booking in for a shoot where they want to look and feel their best, whilst giving their potential clients the confidence that you are every bit the expert in the saddle.

The simplicity in this type of look means you don't risk clashing with your shoot location and usually have a lot of options to play with. A smart pair of riding tights or breeches, teamed up with a base layer or plain top looks simply sublime. This look can be switched up by adding different layers, such as jackets, jumpers, hoodies, and gilets, but can also be tied in with a belt that matches your boots of choice. There's always the rule in fashion that belts and boots should be the same or similar colour, and in a shoot, I highly encourage this as it pulls the look together effortlessly. 

There's a lot of variation with the look whilst maintaining the level of stylishness that comes along with it. When we're looking at the colours to choose, make sure you're taking into account your shoot location. If you're planning on being in an area which is heavily green, I'd advise against going for vivid magenta, for example, as the colours will heavily clash and take away from the image.

In spring, we're able to get away with more vibrant tones as the summer intensity hasn't yet taken a hold, and we're also able to take advantage of this in the late summer as the greens begin to tone down in preparation for autumn. In mid summer, softer colours are always your friend, but don't let that discourage you from trying some brighter tones - I always encourage clients to bring several looks along to a shoot with them and then I can advise on what would work best from there.

Just like with the classic look, accessories are generally better when they are more subtle. Hints of sparkle on your earrings, necklace or bracelets are perfect for this, keep it dainty and chic as large statements pieces may appear to be overpowering for this look.

The Ballgown

Nothing gets me quite excited like the sentence "well, I have this dress that I was thinking of wearing..." I can't get enough of a dress shoot! If you want a shoot look with that extra pizazz then dresses are an excellent go to! 

When choosing the right dress, you need to take a few things into consideration. Firstly, did you want to do ridden shots in this dress, or just keep it in hand? Some dresses, as gorgeous as they are, simply won't have enough maneuverability in them for you to be able to actually get on board of your horse, let alone sit astride. However, I have had clients do all of their in hand shots, then take to their dress with a pair of scissors to be able to do their ridden shots too, which can be a fab option if you're willing to sacrifice the dress! The less extreme option is to just bring along several dresses for different shots, which also gives you a nice bit of variety too!

Secondly, bold colours can be truly fantastic as this is very much a statement look. Choose colours that work well alongside your horse, not something that is going to clash with him. Red, blue, and purple are perfect for most coat colours.
Also, with these bold colours, there's no risk of being overwhelmed by colour as it's a singular clothing piece, as well as making you truly the centre of the image, so colour clashes with the backdrop become less of a concern. 

And thirdly, what's going on your feet? I would strongly advise against blocky, heavy heels with this outfit as they can look too obtrusive in your shot - but if you're going for a shorter dress, a pair of slim fitting, long boots can make things look super elegant. If you're unsure, bring a bunch along to your shoot and we can style it from there!

The Theme

If you're looking for something that is a little more "outside the box" of traditional shoot outfits, then maybe a theme for your shoot is an option. Did you want to play with a fantasy look, or a country and western style, or perhaps a wild warrior woman?

This is often a less common selection, but one I totally love. It really lights a creative fire in me when we have a themed look, and gives you as the client a whole new range of shots to appreciate and create when we shoot together. 

When you're looking at themes for your shoot, look at what interests you, what gets you a little excited when you think of it, what always catches your eye and draws you in.

Secondly, we need to look at styling the theme to suit you - something that you'll feel awesome in and makes you feel like the role you're dressing in. Look on Pinterest for inspiration - and don't just check out equine shoots, look at other types of shoot images, cosplays, historical images, costume designer's work, characters clothing in movies and TV shows... scour the resources so that you can make this shoot super exciting and special.

Unless you already have the outfit sorted, then this shoot takes a little more planning ahead, it's something to book in ahead of time so as to give you space to prepare fully. And if this is a shoot you have been wanting to do but feel totally overwhelmed by what feels like an enormous task, then I'd be more than happy to help ease the stress and assist you with preparation, whether that be in sourcing inspirational content, helping you put together the look, or even help you find the theme in the first place!
It's what I do, I'm here as a resource to my clients to help in making the shoot experience stress free and totally attainable, whatever your idea.

All the little extras
No look is complete without thinking about your accessories. When addressing jewellery, do you want bold, statement pieces, or more simple, elegant pieces? Would your look suit a watch, or bracelet? For earrings, do you want studs, or drop earrings? What about rings? I know some people can't stand them and others can't get enough of them!

If you're layering, did you want to wear a scarf (Light, airy scarves can make gorgeous props during a shoot), or perhaps you're feeling a hat to work with your look? Do you have more than one jacket that you wanted to use to switch up a look?

And what about your hair and make up! This often gets overlooked until the last minute, and when you have to decide what to do with your hair and makeup in a rush, it never goes well. If hair and makeup is a total minefield for you, then have a session with a makeup artist and hairstylist, or ask a friend to help you out. 
I personally find for most shoots, less is more, so don't feel pressured to do an hour long contour routine if you aren't feeling that, or if you really don't do makeup, keep it natural! I personally rarely wear makeup, and a number of my clients have had shoots completely bare faced, I can confirm that looked totally incredible on their shoot. There's no pressure to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. Equally, if you want to go all out, I will fully encourage it - it's you're shoot, so do what makes you happy!

When it comes to hair, wear it in a way that makes you feel your most gorgeous, whether that's loose, in plaits, packed full of hairspray for piles of volume - whatever you want, so long as it works with your outfit of choice and makes you feel amazing. 

Again, when you're booking a shoot with me, you can reach out as often as you need me (I can even come to see you pre shoot to help out with styling if you're really stuck!). Ask lots of questions, send me your outfit photos, links to your inspiration if you want an opinion, I'm here to help you as my client to have the most amazing shoot experience that you'll never forget.

I really hope you've enjoyed this blog and are feeling more confident about what to wear, should you ever want to book in for a shoot. And if you have a friend who's booked in for a shoot (With me, or someone else), then send them a link to this blog to help give them some clarity on their shoot styling - I'd really love for as many people as possible to be able to use this as a handy resource to prepare for their shoot day.

Stay creative,

Emma