Choosing an outfit for school portraits feels like it should be a fairly simple concept. Even if students have a hard time selecting the specific articles of clothing to wear, the general rule is just to look nice. Girls should have their hair styled, boys should have neat haircuts, and the clothes should represent the child’s personality in a way that creates a timeless look for photos you and your family will keep for the rest of your lives.
The truth, though, is that choosing an outfit is not always that easy. Many parents are concerned about choosing between a classic look or trendier and the truth is that both options have their fair share of pros and cons. Which should you choose for your child? That depends entirely on your tastes.
Dressing Classic
Put simply, a classic look isn’t something people typically regret. It is a safe option, as it sticks to the types of timeless shirt and 
dress styles that students have used for decades. The colors—typically grays, browns, and whites—are subdued and don’t pull attention away from the subject’s face, and the styles are completely inoffensive to anybody who may ultimately see the picture.
In other words, it’s much less risky to dress a child in more traditional, classic clothing because those are the types of outfits that people are familiar with and will age better with time. That’s the heart of the classic look: creating photos that are timeless. Parents and grandparents may hang these up in their homes for decades, so it’s important that they age well. And frankly, since parents often are the ones paying for these packages, they should be happy with the product. Often, they are happier when they like the clothes their children are wearing in the pictures.
Dressing Trendy
This isn’t to say they can’t like a trendier outfit, however. In fact, there are plenty of parents who would much rather their child wear something that helps them stand out or really captures their personality. Trendier outfits, which feature unique patterns and colors and styles, can do a lot to show not only the personality of the student, but the personality of the era. If school photos are a time capsule of sorts, trendier clothing can be more representative of the year they were taken.
Not only that, but many students want to wear what’s trendy, and allowing them to do so makes school photos more exciting for them. Being told to wear something they feel is dowdy or boring can affect the quality of their smiles, but wearing an outfit that gives them confidence could be enough to brighten their faces.
The Verdict?
There is no right answer to this question because it depends largely on the values and fashion senses of the students and families placing their orders at ABC School Photographers. To simplify this, choose the type of outfit that fits your child’s personality and it will create the kind of photo you’ll want to look at for years to come. As long as you’re happy with the finished product, either option can look great!
