What to Wear for Your Maternity Photoshoot

Your maternity photoshoot is one of the few times in life you’ll deliberately stand in front of a camera to remember exactly how you look right now - bump and all. What you wear shapes how those photos feel decades later. The good news: choosing well is much simpler than it seems. Here’s the honest guidance we give every mom who asks.

Start with the feeling, not the dress

Before you look at a single gown, decide how you want the photos to feel. Soft and dreamy? Bold and editorial? Warm and golden? That one decision quietly answers most of the others - colour, silhouette, and setting all follow from it. A mom who wants “ethereal in a field at sunset” and a mom who wants “dramatic studio portrait” are both right; they just need different gowns.

Silhouettes that love a bump

Three silhouettes do most of the beautiful work in maternity photography:

• Flowing gowns with movement - trains, chiffon, and full skirts photograph beautifully outdoors, especially with a breeze. Movement adds life to every frame.
• Fitted styles that trace the bump - a smooth, stretchy silhouette celebrates your shape honestly and elegantly. Perfect for studio portraits and clean backdrops.
• Voluminous tulle - layers upon layers, for photos that feel like a storybook. If you’ve ever wanted a truly grand moment, this is it.

You’ll find all three in our maternity photoshoot collection - each gown is one size and stretchable, so the silhouette flatters whether your shoot is at 28 weeks or 38.

Colour: think about your setting first

Creams and soft neutrals like Alpine Glow glow in bright, airy settings and scenic outdoor shoots. Rich, earthy tones - like the rose-toned ruffles of Sunset Goddess - come alive at golden hour. Deep jewel tones and bold colour photograph beautifully in studios and against architecture, where they carry the whole frame.

Comfort is a photography strategy

A shoot typically runs one to two hours of standing, walking, sitting, and holding poses. If a dress pinches, it shows on your face long before it shows on the dress. Stretch fabric isn’t a compromise - it’s the reason relaxed, natural photos happen. (More on how our one-size fit works in the fit guide.)

The shortcut

Still torn? Answer four quick questions in Find My Gown and we’ll shortlist gowns for your occasion, style, and colour mood - or just message us. Telling a real person “outdoor shoot, September, soft and romantic” gets you a spot-on suggestion the same day.