Styling your pregnancy photoshoot well largely depends on finding good maternity boudoir outfits to enhance your body. The outfits you choose are so important to the outcome of your maternity photos that it’s worth it to put in some extra effort here and really find at least a few pieces you really love.
The reason it’s important to get more than just one outfit is because, your body can change quite dramatically from the time you plan your session to the actual photo shoot. With this in mind every outfit has the potential to enhance your bump differently. Some will look better than you expect on you when your belly is at it’s apex and some will fall short of what you thought once you put them on.
Since maternity photos are time sensitive and often can’t be rescheduled, it’s a good idea to over buy on outfits to insure you have at least one that fits your body exceptionally well for your final images.
The following are my favorite maternity boudoir outfit styles I use to enhance my clients bodies for their pregnancy photo shoots:
- Bra’s & Tops For Maternity Photos
- Panties for Maternity Shoot
- Maternity Babydoll
- Maternity Dresses For Photoshoot
- Maternity Skirts
- Sheer Capes & Shawls For Maternity Shoot
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Bra’s That Compliment Maternity Boudoir Outfits
A common thing many women miscalculate for their maternity boudoir session is getting sexy bras that will fit well at the apex of your pregnancy.
While every woman is different, your breasts will likely be around 1-2 cup sizes bigger than before your pregnancy. The band size of your bra will will also be larger as your rib cage expands to make room for your child.
This might mean that bra styles you normally wouldn’t shop for, might be a good possibility for you. It also might mean that your old styles might not be the most flattering options for you anymore. For example if pre pregnancy you had a small bust, you may now be able to pull of a demi or balconette style bras.
It would be a really good idea to try different styles leading up to your photoshoot to find the most flattering one for your new bust size.
Examples
Panties That Compliment Maternity Boudoir Outfits
Shopping for panties will likely be pretty much the same for your maternity boudoir session as before your pregnancy. If you have a nice butt that you want to show off in your boudoir photos, I’d shop for thongs, hipsters and other high rise style options.
For those worried about cellulite on their butt and or thighs, those women can try pairing more revealing underwear with sheer robes and form fitted bodysuits for a tastefully sexy look that will smooth out skin imperfections.
If you’re worried about your tummy area, high waist panties will give you good concealment and a degree of light sculpting similar to what shapewear would do.
Sometimes the best panties to compliment a sheer mesh maternity dress are a simple no show thongs that match the color of your dress. For example, a black sheer lace gown and a simple black thong. Alternatively you can do a similar look with contrasting colors like a white robe and black thong or vice versa.
Maternity Babydolls Outfit Ideas
Babydolls aren’t really marketed as maternity lingerie as much as dresses and robes seem to be. This is unfortunate because babydolls truly are one of the best lingerie options for maternity shoots.
There are two styles that work really well for maternity photos. One style is the babydolls that have the sheer mesh skirts on them. The other style is the open front ones which may or may not also be sheer. In either case generally speaking the open front ones offer a great way to show off your bump if you want to show off your bare tummy.
The sheer mesh skirt styles offer concealment that can hide light imperfections in the skin by themselves. For more aggressive shaping of your lower tummy you can pair a sheer mesh skirt babydoll with high waist panties for a shapewear like effect.
In most cases I recommend either lace or plain no show thongs or hipsters matched to the same color as the tulle for best results.
Examples
Maternity Dresses For Photoshoot
Maternity dresses are arguably the most popular maternity boudoir outfit that my clients bring to their photoshoots these days.
For maternity boudoir you’ll want to find dresses that are sheer and or form fitted to show off your belly. You can also class up these dresses if they’re too revealing for your tastes with either thong or hipster panties.
Sheer dresses are commonly made from tulle, meshes & laces if you’re looking for extra descriptive words to add to your searches. To further expand your search I also suggest searching for your favorite style plus “sheer maternity dress.” For example “chic sheer maternity dress” or “boho sheer maternity dress,” would be great places to start your search for either of those styles.
If you want a very specific looking dress, there are tons of seamstresses making custom clothes online that you can contact to make you a one of a kind piece. One of the best places to find these seamstresses I’ve found is by browsing Etsy. Many of the small store owners on there will craft gorgeous maternity dresses made to order from your measurements.
To browse though a few different style options and some of my favorite seamstresses, you can check out the examples that follow.
Examples
- Etsy: Sheer tulle maternity dress with shoulder ruffles
- Etsy: Black sheer lace maternity mermaid gown
- Etsy: Sheer polka dot maternity robe
- Etsy: Sheer black lace robe with sleeves
- Etsy: Button up front boho maternity dress
- Etsy: Textured linen button up front boho maternity dress with flowy sleeves
- Etsy: Swan Gown
- Walmart: Maxi sheer lace and mesh kimono
- Walmart: Off shoulder chiffon gown
Skirts That Compliment Maternity Boudoir Outfits
Sheer tulle skirts make for a great compliment tops and bras you might be considering for your maternity boudoir session. While some will like their photos to be more revealing, others may choose to make sheer skirts more conservative by pairing them with a like color thong or hipster.
For most of my clients, my favorite way to style skirts (weather they’re sheer or not see though) is to set the waistband of the skirt at the hips below your belly for photos. That said if you have tummy insecurities you can also wear skirts above the bump at your waist for modesty although it will limit posing options as you’ll need to place your hand at the bottom of your tummy to preserve your form.
The reason for this is because If you wear your skirt up over your belly, the skirt will waterfall over your bump which will distort the bottom detail of your tummy. For over belly options, I recommend you look for form fitted bodysuits, skirts and high waist panties that won’t waterfall and over your belly and distort your natural curves. This will allow for more posting options for your final photos.
Examples
Sheer Capes and Shawls To Compliment Maternity Boudoir Outfits
Sheer long cathedral capes, capelets and shawls can all be nice enhancements to certain styles of maternity boudoir outfits. All of these pieces are generally paired with additional lingerie to create one of a kind ensembles.
All of these ideas are great for making an otherwise revealing set more modest. Even if it’s a sheer cape over a minimalist bra and panty set, the sheer material just seems to add an extra layer of elegance that makes an otherwise risque outfit more tasteful.
This is a ensemble idea if you really want to showcase all the curves of your body in a classy way.
Examples
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I hope this post gave you some maternity boudoir outfit ideas for your upcoming photoshoot. This is such a deep topic that it’s impossible to cover all styles, but hopefully this helped get your creative juices flowing so you at least have some maternity boudoir outfit ideas you can work towards.
If you’re planning to do your own diy boudoir photography, this post will give you some helpful tips so your photos turn out as best as they possibly can. Alternatively if you’d rather have your photos captured professionally, I’m a bay area maternity photographer and I’d be happy to discuss your intended session with you if you’re in the area!
Do you do full nude maternity boudoir shoots?
Sure do! You can check out my nude boudoir photography here if you’d like to see more of my work 🙂