How to Choose Your Maternity Photo Outfit

As maternity photographer based in Victoria, BC, one of the questions I hear most often when planning a maternity session is, “What should I wear for my maternity photos?”

My answer is always to begin with what feels like you.

Your maternity photos should not feel like you are wearing a costume or trying to fit into someone else’s version of what you should look like. The most meaningful images happen when you feel comfortable, confident, and able to move naturally with your partner or family.

Your wardrobe helps shape the feeling of your photographs, but it does not need to be complicated. Whether you are drawn to something romantic and flowy, modern and stylish, classic and timeless, or a little more editorial, the goal is to choose pieces that feel intentional while still feeling like your own style.

As a Victoria maternity photographer, I help every client with styling guidance before their session. This guide is here to help you to begin thinking about what feels right for you, your location, and the kind of images you want to create.

Start With Styling That Feels Like You

Comfort matters more than people think.

When you feel comfortable in what you are wearing, it shows in your posture, your movement, and the way you are able to settle into the experience. You do not need to choose something overly formal, overly fitted, or outside of your usual style simply because you are having professional photos taken. You should also be able to move in your outfit. If it restricts your movement, or is too short to sit in, it probably isn’t the right choice for your session.

A flowing dress, a favourite pair of relaxed trousers with a beautiful top, an oversized knit, a slip dress, a matching set, or soft denim with an elevated blouse can all photograph beautifully. The goal is to choose something that makes you feel like yourself, just a little more considered.

Before choosing an outfit, think about how you want your photographs to feel. Soft and romantic? Modern and effortless? Classic and timeless? Playful and editorial? That feeling is often a much better place to begin than searching for one specific maternity photo outfit.

Choose Fabrics That Create Movement

Flowy fabrics are always beautiful for maternity photos because they add movement without needing much direction.

Soft cotton, linen, silk, gauze, chiffon, lightweight knits, and dresses with gentle volume all photograph beautifully. A dress that catches the breeze at the beach or moves as you walk along the coastline can bring a sense of ease and softness to the final gallery.

Movement does not need to mean a dramatic gown. It can be as simple as a skirt with texture, wide-leg trousers, a loose button-down shirt, a soft knit set, or a dress that gives you room to walk and move comfortably.

For outdoor maternity photos in Victoria, I especially love fabrics that look and feel natural against the coastal landscape. They photograph beautifully in soft evening light and help the images feel connected to the setting rather than overly styled.

Choose Colours That Go Together, Not Colours That Match

When deciding what to wear for your maternity or family photos, the goal is not for everyone to wear the same colour. It is for the outfits to feel connected.

Think of your clothing as a palette rather than a uniform. You might begin with one outfit you love, then choose colours for your partner or children that complement it.

If you are wearing cream, ivory, soft white, or oatmeal, your partner might wear warm brown, faded denim, olive, soft grey, muted blue, or tan. If you are wearing a richer tone like rust, deep red, mustard, or forest green, the rest of the family can wear softer neutrals that allow that colour to stand out.

I photograph a lot of neutrals, earth tones, and soft whites because they are timeless and work beautifully with the natural landscapes around Victoria and Vancouver Island. Cream, ivory, warm white, oatmeal, taupe, soft brown, muted olive, clay, rust, faded denim, warm grey, and soft blue are all beautiful starting points for a maternity session.

Soft whites are especially lovely for maternity photos. They feel light and timeless, and they work beautifully with the ocean, grasses, and softer coastal tones found throughout Greater Victoria.

Add Colour With Intention

Neutrals do not have to mean colourless.

A purposeful pop of colour can bring personality, energy, and an editorial feel to your maternity photos, especially if colour is already part of your personal style. A rich red scarf, a colourful knit sweater, a patterned dress, a bold shoe, or a beautiful accessory can add interest while still feeling timeless.

The key is to choose colour intentionally and create balance around it.

Warm colours such as rust, terracotta, mustard, clay, brown, and deep red tend to feel rich and grounded against Victoria’s coastal and natural landscapes. They pair beautifully with cream, warm white, tan, olive, faded denim, and soft brown.

Cooler tones such as muted blue and sage can feel calm, soft, and airy. They work beautifully with ivory, oatmeal, taupe, warm grey, and soft brown.

A few colour combinations that photograph beautifully include:

• Rust or terracotta with cream, faded denim, and soft brown.
• Olive green with warm white, camel, tan, soft rust, and faded denim.
• Deep red or burgundy with cream, warm grey, or brown.
• Dusty blue with ivory, oatmeal, soft brown, muted olive, and warm beige.
• Soft Rust with cream, brown, and olive
• Browns with warm white, taupe, camel.

You do not need to follow these combinations exactly. They are simply a helpful starting point. If you love red, wear red. If a certain colour feels like you, there is almost always a way to incorporate it beautifully.

The goal is for one or two pieces to carry the colour while the rest of the palette supports it.

Add Interest With Texture and Pattern

If you want your maternity photos to feel elevated and visually interesting, texture is one of the easiest ways to add depth. Texture can make outfits feel layered, elevated, and visually interesting without needing a lot of colour.

Soft knits, linen, cotton gauze, silk, ribbed fabrics, suede, denim, wool, corduroy, lace, and subtle embroidery can all add depth to photographs. These details are especially beautiful in Victoria’s natural settings because they complement the texture already found in the landscape, from driftwood and grasses to rocky shorelines and forest trails.

Patterns can work beautifully too, especially when they feel intentional and are not too busy. A soft floral dress, subtle stripe, small check, muted plaid, or vintage-inspired print can add personality while still keeping the overall look timeless.

If one person is wearing a pattern, I usually recommend keeping the rest of the family in simpler tones pulled from that pattern. For example, if you are wearing a muted floral dress with cream, olive, and soft rust, your partner might wear a warm neutral knit or linen shirt, while children could wear cream, brown, or faded olive.

The goal is not to make every outfit equally interesting. It is to create a mix of simple pieces, texture, and one or two details that give the overall palette personality.

A good rule of thumb is to choose one main patterned or statement piece, then build the rest of the outfits around it. That way, everything goes together without looking too matched or overly styled.

Choose the Style That Feels Most Like You

There is no one right style for maternity photos.

If your style leans modern, you might choose a fitted knit dress, a sleek slip dress, a matching set, wide-leg trousers with a structured top, relaxed denim with a beautiful blouse, or an oversized blazer layered over something softer. Clean lines, interesting textures, relaxed tailoring, and simple accessories can create a look that feels polished without feeling overly done.

If you are drawn to something romantic, a flowing dress with soft sleeves, subtle texture, gentle draping, or a skirt that catches the wind can be beautiful. Cream, ivory, muted florals, soft sage, dusty rose, and warm earth tones work especially well for this style.

If you love classic and timeless pieces, keep things simple. A neutral dress, a classic white shirt, tailored trousers, a knit sweater, or soft denim can create photographs that will still feel beautiful years from now. Classic does not mean boring. It simply lets the connection and emotion in the images take centre stage.

If you are drawn to editorial imagery, that does not mean you need to wear a black dress or choose something overly serious. Editorial can be playful, unique, stylish, and full of personality.

It might look like a fun vintage-inspired piece, an unexpected silhouette, a bold sweater, an interesting texture, a scarf with colour, a patterned blouse, dramatic sleeves, purposeful layers, or a second outfit that feels a little more fashion-forward.

Editorial style is really about intention. It is about choosing pieces that feel artful, personal, and visually interesting while still allowing you to move, connect, and feel like yourself.

Do Not Forget Your Undergarments

Undergarments make a much bigger difference than most people realize.

The right undergarments help your outfit sit properly, feel comfortable, and photograph the way it is meant to. If you are wearing white, cream, ivory, or a lighter fabric, nude undergarments are usually the best choice. White underwear can often show through light clothing more than nude does.

For dresses with open backs, lower necklines, thin straps, or more delicate fabrics, consider what will work best underneath before your session. Sticky cups, fashion tape, seamless shapewear, a supportive strapless bra, or an intentional bralette can all be helpful depending on the outfit.

If a bra strap, bodysuit, or underlayer will be visible, make it feel intentional. Sometimes a beautiful textured bralette, bodysuit, or slip can become part of the overall look. The goal is simply to avoid an accidental undergarment showing through or distracting from an otherwise beautiful outfit.

Try your full outfit on before your session, including your undergarments. Move around in it, sit down, lift your arms, and look at it in natural light if possible. A little preparation here makes a big difference.

Choose Footwear You Can Move In

I usually do not recommend heels for outdoor maternity sessions.

Heels can make it harder to walk naturally, move comfortably, navigate uneven ground, and relax into the session. This is especially true at beach, forest, and coastal locations around Victoria, where we may be walking through grass, over rocks, or along the shoreline.

Instead, I recommend footwear that feels comfortable and works with the location. Neutral sandals, simple boots, loafers, soft leather shoes, or bare feet at the beach can all photograph beautifully. Browns, creams, soft tans, and neutral tones tend to blend naturally into the landscape.

If you want to bring in more editorial style, footwear can be a fun place to do it. A great pair of boots, interesting flats, vintage-inspired shoes, or a purposeful pop of colour can add personality without taking over the entire outfit.

The most important thing is that you can move in them. The photographs will always feel more natural when you are not worrying about where you are stepping.

What Should Your Partner and Children Wear?

The easiest way to coordinate your family is to begin with your outfit and build everyone else’s looks around it.

Choose colours that complement rather than match exactly. If you are wearing cream or warm white, your partner might wear muted brown, olive, faded blue, or denim. If you are wearing a subtle pattern, pull one or two tones from it for the rest of the family.

For children, soft fabrics, simple layers, textures and clothing they can move in are always best. Avoid anything too stiff or uncomfortable, especially for toddlers. The goal is to let them play, cuddle, and explore without constantly adjusting their clothes.

For partners, I often recommend avoiding logos or images on their outfits, bright or neon colours, and very busy patterns. A well-fitting shirt, knit, linen button-down, simple tee, natural fabrics, neutral trousers, or relaxed denim photographs beautifully and keeps the focus on your family.

What to Wear for Beach Maternity Photos in Victoria

Victoria’s beaches are beautiful, but they can also be breezy and cool in the evening, even during summer.

For beach maternity photos, I recommend bringing layers. A knit, jacket, oversized shirt, or blanket can be practical and beautiful in photographs. Bare feet often work well on the sand or shoreline, while boots can add a more grounded and editorial feel for grassy or rocky coastal locations.

Choose fabrics that move in the wind and colours that work with the softer tones of the beach. Cream, ivory, warm neutrals, muted blues, soft greens, earthy shades, and a thoughtful pop of colour are especially beautiful along the coast.

Let Your Style Be Part of the Story

The best maternity photo outfits are not about following a formula. They are about choosing clothing that helps you feel comfortable, beautiful, and present in this season of your life.

You can be romantic and flowy. You can be modern and minimal. You can wear something classic, something colourful, something playful, or something with a little editorial edge. There is room for all of it.

Before your maternity session, I will help you choose a wardrobe that works with your location, the season, and the feeling you want your photographs to have. From colour palettes and outfit ideas to deciding whether you want one look or two, you will have guidance every step of the way.

What’s next?

If you are planning maternity photos in Victoria or anywhere on Vancouver Island, you can learn more about my maternity photography experience and everything that I offer here. I will guide you every step of the way, from styling assistance, to my client closet full of beautiful pieces for women of all shapes and sizes, as well as a kids closet. We will work closely together to plan a session that fits your vision and feels true to you!

Want to know more? Check out this recent maternity session: Victoria Beach Maternity Session or learn more about the Best Maternity Photo Locations in Victoria, BC

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Learn More about my Maternity Photography Experience

About me:

Hi! It’s me, Angela. I’m a photographer based out of Victoria, BC who specializes in Family, Maternity, and newborn photography. I am also an educator who thrives on supporting others in the photography community to build the business of their dreams! I live on Vancouver Island with my family and two pups! In my free time, you will find me exploring nature or chasing my little ones around the park with a coffee in hand! Have a question? Please don’t hesitate to reach out! I look forward to hearing from you!

Ready to book? Contact me via my website here!