HOW TO BE UNDER DRESSED. How to dress for photos and portraits

IT IS always better TO BE slightly UNDERDRESSED.....COCO CHANEL

 I always thought the opposite was true! But, the more I think about it, Coco had right. Being slightly underdressed means you are probably more comfortable. And comfort is key when posing for pictures.
Picking your outfit for pictures is often a daunting task. Pinterest and polyvore are full of searchable tips and ideas. There are some good suggestions all over the internet.
I am going to try to give you my best tips and suggestions.
1. Think about the look you want your portraits to have. If your standing in a hay field with your favorite horse, you may not want to wear an evening gown. Do you want some casual shots or do you want more formal posed shots? This is the time to remind you that you CAN be TOO underdressed. Arm holes that are too big or necklines too low may show more skin than you want in pictures that are going to hang on Grandma's parlor wall. Also, if you don't want to look like you just came from the playground for family portraits, then don't wear your playground clothes. 
2.  Wear comfortable clothes that fit well. Too tight? It's just going to make you look like you've gained a few pounds. After she sees the picture, Grandma may call and ask if the wedding needs to be moved up a month or two. Too big, kind of the same thing. You won't have a shape to your body that you will be happy with.  You will appreciate comfort when the photographer  is having you get up and down of the ground and turn half around to shoot different poses.
3. Avoid big allover prints and multiple prints. Well most of the time. You could temper a print dress with a solid color blazer. But, as a general rule you want the focus on you and your face or the faces of everyone in the picture. Not on the big paisley print mumu that Grandma bought you for your bridal shower. (Yes, my Grandma did that. To me. But, that's a story for another day.)
4. Colors should coordinate. Look at the color wheel. I'm not going to get too in depth here, but colors should be beside each other, directly opposite from each other, or on the triangle. I like the one below because it shows multiple shades and tones. 

5. Coordinate your styles. One dressed for a run in the park with one dressed for dinner at the governor's mansion will look a little strange.
6.  Less is more. More and more flashy jewelry will distract from the actual subject of the photo; you! Really, if your doing your engagement shoot, keep other jewelry simple. Some poses will probably be "all about the ring" and you don't want to change the focus. You don't want jewelry to be a distraction in other types of portraits either. 

Those are just my suggestions. I have a Pinterest board to help with this as well.