What Class of 2024 senior outfits stood out to me? I looked over and considered more than 350 outfits for this! Here are my favorites.
#15 - Tatum in her letter jacket
Many of the girls I photograph have letter jackets, but few choose to wear them for their senior portraits. Tatum, a senior at North Kansas City High School, not only wore hers, but somehow she managed to make a commonplace high school item look like a fashion statement. With her platinum mullet fauxhawk, Princess Diana eyes, and overall charisma taking center stage, this letter jacket serves as a reminder that Tatum is not only a cool kid; but she's also athletic and talented.
#14 - Izzy in an unexpected pairing
Izzy, a senior at Notre Dame de Sion High School in Kansas City, Mo., combined a leopard print mini skirt, a fuchsia long-sleeved sweater, and hot pink heels for an outfit I was not expecting, but left a lasting impression. Izzy had not planned to wear this outfit, but the day before her senior photoshoot she attended a fashion sale fundraiser at her high school and fell in love with this combination. I am so glad that she did! I love that Izzy was flexible enough to change things up late in the game, and managed to hit a home run in doing so.
#13 - Danika's Grecian dress
When a girl asks to be photographed at the Nelson-Atkins Museum, I strongly encourage her to choose something special to wear, given she is being photographed at the most beautiful place in Kansas City. Dani (Mill Valley High School) met the challenge, wearing a simple, draped peach colored dress that echoed the Grecian influences of the Nelson's older building. The dress color was perfect for Danika's blonde beauty and fresh summer tan, and it all created a truly memorable combination.
#12 - Megan makes a statement
As I said for #13, when you are being photographed at the most beautiful place in the city, you need to wear something special. And Megan (Mill Valley) did just that in shimmering blue satin that set off her blonde hair and blue eyes perfectly. On one of the hottest days of the summer, she managed to look as flawless as the environment around her.
#11 - Madeline in tailored, girlie perfection
Madeline, of Mill Valley High School, showed up for her Gold senior portrait shoot with four wonderful, and very different, outfits. So good were all four that each one was of them was in the running for my "best of" countdown. In the end I chose this darling outfit - so girlie and so summery; and the unexpected choice of brown for the polka dots made it memorable for me, too. The tailored elements fit this outfit perfectly on Madeline's petite frame, and paired with her golden hair and tan, and the watermelon colored building, the combination was summery perfection.
#10 - Liz brings out her inner cowgirl
Liz loves cows and country life, so when it came to choosing something to illustrate that part of her, she went with a statement of a dress, a black number with ball gown vibes. She turned it country with cowgirl boots, hat and jewelry accessories. The look took me by surprise in a very, very good way. Add in a horse in the woods; and a long, dusty country road surrounded by wheat fields, the whole thing made for unforgettable senior portraits for this cow-loving girl. Liz is a senior at Mill Valley High School.
#9 - Abby owns her style
Abby has an alternative, Lana del Rey aesthetic, and this was very clearly illustrated by the outfit she chose for golden hour in the park. She did go with a white dress at sunset, as many girls do; but her version came along with Comme de Garcons Chuck Taylors, Nike socks with the logo showing, sunglasses, a fantastic necklace, and a dash of attitude. Abby (Notre Dame de Sion) took the traditional senior portrait look and owned it, Abby style.
#8 - Sydney goes all out
Sydney looked like a queen in this stunning, ruffled satin dress at sunset in the park. A dress this beautiful in such a beautiful place could easily take over the pictures but Sydney did not let that happen: with her beautiful smile, lovely waved hair, and playful attitude, Syd wore the dress like like a boss. Colored satin at sunset is not something I see a lot; and I hope everyone takes inspiration from this and gives it some consideration. Sydney is a senior at Mill Valley High School.
#7 - Brooklyn in simple, timeless white
Some of you have a very simple, modern, neutral aesthetic, and if you do, take note of Brooklyn in this white dress. The perfection comes from its simplicity - a white A-line dress with no adornment save for a big bow on the back, it's very spareness is what makes it so lovely. So perfect for Brooklyn's classy beauty, an A+ of a senior portrait outfit choice. (Mill Valley)
#6 - Malia heats it up with color block satin
I photographed Malia on the hottest day of summer, so the red and pink of this gorgeous satin dress were a perfect nod to the day. As you have read, I encourage my girls to wear something special at the Nelson; and satin is tops on my list. Malia's color block dress fit her perfectly, and has a modern art feel to it (think Mark Rothko's color block paintings of squares) which looked just so at home at the museum. Combined with her lovely skin tone, dark hair, sweet smile, and a remarkable ability to not even look a bit sweaty in 110+ degrees, Malia's outfit is one I will never forget. (Olathe South High School)
#5 - Mel brings a little bit of Texas style to KC
Kansas City girls have a certain senior portrait style that most of them conform to; and so when an out of state girl comes for portraits and is unaffected by the local senior portrait style norms, it's a very memorable photoshoot for me! Mel is a senior at Liberty Hill High School, and as a Texas girl, came with a wonderfully unique (to me) set of senior portrait clothing. How unexpected but fantastic is this long denim button down shirt paired with tall, sparkly, white cowboy boots? Unexpected but so very chic - my fashionista 25-year-old daughter and her equally fashionable best friend were obsessed with this from the start, and campaigned for it to go higher on my list. Everyone, take inspiration from Mel - it's ok to have fun with fashion!
#4 - A cut above with Kambry
The white dress at sunset it a senior portrait classic and with good reason - it's a truly beautiful combination, and gives you a senior portrait look that will stand the test of time. As a photographer who has photographed hundreds of senior girls during the golden hour, I have seen my share of lovely white dresses when the sun is setting. Kambry takes #4 in what I have always thought of as "The Scandinavian dress," becasue it reminds me of the minimalistic, clean lines of the Scandinavian aesthetic. I just love the apron-like bodice, the cut outs at the waist, the straps tied far in the back; and how it looks on gorgeous Kambry. It's a knockout of a look, and I have loved it from the moment Kambry first showed it to me.
#3 - Grace's bohemian fashion statement
I had my countdown set; and then in March, deep into the school year, I photographed beautiful Grace (Kansas City Christian), and I realized that I had some edits to make. I love when girls level up for their senior portraits and wear truly special clothing, and Grace illustrates just what I mean. Not only is this Free People maxi dress beautiful on her; but she added exceptional white boots and a bouquet of flowers for magical results. One thing I loved about Grace is that while she chose my Gold senior session, which means she could have worn four different outfits, she wore just three. She knew exactly how she wanted to look, and went with the "less is more" attitude. This is just how I dream of my girls dressing - with thought to great accessories and in special clothing that makes their senior portraits unforgettable.
#2 - Sophia - romantic corsetry at the Colonnade
Sophia has been a dancer since she was a tiny girl; and has a love of reading, too, so wearing an outfit with a costume-like feel was perfect for this creative senior (Mill Valley). In this romantic corset dress, worn at the stunning but rundown Colonnade in Kansas City's northeast side; Sophia is truly the heroine of her own story, and owns the look with ease. I have never had a senior wear anything even remotely similar. For having so much fun with fashion, and for letting her romantic side shine, lovely Sophia takes #2.
#1 - Anna's dramatic velvet
The drama of red velvet and roses at a castle-like house at sunset is a masterpiece of a portrait look, worn by Anna of Mill Valley High School. Anna has what I call alternative / goth-lite / emo style; and pulled off the top spot in my countdown by owning her style, her personality, and for knowing just how she wants to appear in portraits. Her accessories were spot on and supported the overall look; down to the dark red lipstick. Everything was well thought out, fit her perfectly, and all came together for a combination I will never forget. This photoshoot was a dream, and I know that beautiful Anna agrees.
Thanks to all of my beauties for choosing me to photograph you! While I only have 15 of you on my countdown, every single one of you put a lot of thought into your senior portrait wardrobe, and every one of you looked truly beautiful.