What to wear in your online dating profile pictures

What to wear in your online dating profile pictures

So you’ve got your Hey Saturday dating photo shoot booked, hurrah. Now what? I can guarantee you’re starting to panic about what on earth to wear for your shoot. OK so don’t panic, but it is well worth the effort spending a bit of time considering this and planning what you’re going to bring, to make sure your photos are the best they can be. Clothes, and how you choose to wear them, are important as they will help you tell your story and show people who you are. They’re an extension of our lifestyle, our personality, our mentality and even our social status, so you can be very sure that potential dates are paying close attention.

From the brands you wear to the style you favour, you’re giving them critical information which will actually go a long way to helping them decide if they’re interested or not – often subconsciously. Your clothes are making a statement about you and it’s important to check that they’re giving the right message about you. Interestingly, there’s scientific proof backing the idea that you should dress not how you feel, but how you want to feel.  The clothes you choose are sending a message to those around you, but also to you, yourself. I love this. This means you can choose whether you want to portray yourself as bold, strong, sexy, in control, etc.  Self-love is hugely important in online dating so this is a good time to revisit up your self-love. If your clothes are sending out the right messages about who you are, then you’ll start attracting better quality dates. Yasss!!

 

What to wear for your dating photos

Wear what you’d wear on a first date

So the most important outfit you need to bring to your photo shoot is that outfit you always save for a first date. You know the one! It’s the one that one that makes you feel cool, sexy and confident. Your go-to first date outfit! Bring that. Everyone is different so this means different things to different people. We don’t tell you what that outfit should be (we’ll all about creating authentic photos that are representative of you) but hopefully you’ll just know. And if you’re thinking you don’t have an outfit like that right now, eek, it might be time to hit the shops and invest in one. Yes, I know, I know, it’s another expense, but you’ve got to invest in this online dating journey if you want to get good quality, fast results. Making the effort for your photo shoot just as you would for a first date guarantees that you’ll be looking at your most attractive.

And an added benefit is that you’ll actually turn up on the date looking like you do in your photos. A rare treat! Match.com said in a recent survey that the primary reason that people don’t get second dates is due to ‘unmet expectations’ i.e. they appear different in real life than they did in their dating profile.

best dating profile photos

Wear what makes you feel confident

What we’ve found in our years of experience, is that clients who come to their photo shoot rocking the self-confidence, end up with the best dating photos. It doesn’t matter how ‘traditionally’ good-looking they are, this has always been the case. This makes sense, the better you feel about yourself, the happier and more relaxed you’ll appear in front of the camera, plus confidence is super attractive. The good thing about this, is that it levels the playing field. You don’t need to be the most ‘attractive’ person in the room, instead focus on feeling good about yourself, happy in your skin. People are hugely drawn to that. With that in mind, make sure that all the outfits your bring make you feel really good about yourself. It could be that cool leather jacket that makes you look like a rock-star or those stilettos that make you walk with just the right amount of wiggle.

Wear an outfit that shows your more casual side

So you’ve nailed some shots showcasing your first-date outfit. It’s also a good idea to show off your more casual, laid-back side. You know, that version of you that will be chilling on a Sunday morning over brunch once you’ve started seeing someone. If you’re the kind of person who spends time in jeans and tee-shirts or similar, then you need to get a great shot of you rocking this vibe too. Think about what you typically wear when you’re heading out to catch a movie, or see an exhibition in town. But remember, even though you capturing some more laid-back shots, you still need to be super confident. So leave the old sweatpants and holey tee shirts at home! We want casual but you’re still out to impress. Leave the sweatpants for when you’re 6 months into the relationship (or 3 in my case, sorry Giles!).

What to wear in your dating photos

Cool dating profile photos

Wear clothes that showcase your personality or personal brand

Online dating is really about reaching out and connecting with people in your tribe. And what is one of the biggest indicators of this in photos? Yup, your clothes. Our choice in clothes help place us in where we think we want to be in society and attract people who want to be there with us. Whatever you choose to wear will tell people who you are so make sure you’re sending the right message.

Think about who you are, what’s important to you, what your interests are and hopefully that will steer you towards putting together your remaining outfits. If you’re into going to gigs a lot, then choose a typical outfit you’d wear gigging. Into sports? Bring your running, cycling or yoga outfit if you want to show people how important it is to you. These sporty photos are known to attract lots of attention online too as people are always keen to match with someone who is physically fit and active. If you’re into designer labels, show them off.

Don’t forget to pack some bold accessories, which are great for showing your personality too. This isn’t just for women, of course. My boyfriend loves his bold jewellery and it’s a huge part of who he is.

Dating photographer

what to wear in your dating photos

Embrace colour

As a visual creative, I’ve known for years the importance of colour in dating photos. People are naturally drawn to bold, bright colours in photos rather than more neutral colours so we always advise people to bring some colourful items to their shoot, even if it’s only your accessories. It’s OK, if you’re not into bright colour though, heck I only ever wear black it seems. Don’t worry, your photographer will aim to find some colourful backgrounds to add some vibrancy to your shots. But if you do love a bit of colour, then please bring it. Colour blocking works particularly well as does the colour red. Red represents love, passion, dating, romance etc. Basically red stimulates a faster heartbeat mimicking the feelings of the early stages of romantic love and lust. A big tick then for this!

Wear well fitting clothes

This seems obvious but actually it might be tempting to wear baggy clothes (perhaps if you’re larger than you’d like) or super tight clothes because you think they show off your figure. But baggy and super tight clothing does not look good on camera. Always choose well-fitting or shaped/tailored outfits to show off your physique to the best advantage.

And what to avoid wearing

If you want to know how to avoid giving a bad impression, Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner, who wrote the book “What your clothes say about you”, says “The worst clothing is the kind that tries to undo, ignore or hide where or who you are, or the kind that shows you didn’t pay attention to your body/age/situation ..”

And don’t forget the most important piece of advice

Dress for your dating photo shoot as though you’re going to bump into your ex

– Saskia Nelson

 

Words and photos by Saskia Nelson

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Online Dating Photographers
Online Dating Photographers
Online Dating Photographers
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I think I know which photo is gonna be her ‘talking point’ pic 😆 Our favourite dating profile pics are those that make people feel happy, curious, interested and energised when they see them. This set, taken by Vanessa in Los Angeles, makes me feel all those things and more! Loving them, Vanessa. I love how the client turned up with the energy she wanted to showcase in her photos, dang🔥🔥 Photo credit: Vanessa for Hey Saturday, Los Angeles. #datingapp #datingtips #datingprofile #datingprofilepic #datingphoto #onlinedating #datingphotos #datingpics #onlinedatingtips #datingadvice #single #happysinglelife #brandidentity #personalbranding #personalbrandingtips #visualstorytelling #modernlove #modernromance #datingapps #datingmindset #goodtimeswithgoodpeople #goodtimes
Come for the cool dating profile pics, stay for the ...um cool dating profile pics. Today's big shout out goes to Kimi who shoots south London Loving the vibe of this shoot shot in Peckham. Photo credit: Kimi for Hey Saturday, London #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos
I'm in a New York state of a mind today and thought I'd share the vibe. I'm loving these shots taken by Alison in and around SoHo. Photo credit: Alison for Hey Saturday, New York City #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos
Earlier this year we launched a new Manchester location and I can’t believe I haven’t shared any pics yet. My bad… So this post is celebrating the joy, colour and spirit of our Salford Quays Hey Saturday photoshoots, thanks to Livia & her photoshoot magic ✨. Shouts out Livia, loving these. Photo credit: Livia for Hey Saturday, Manchester #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos
Our photoshoots are an adventure, not a chore. Loving the adventure Vanessa and this client had in Abbot Kinney, LA. These photos are sweet as... Photo credit: Vanessa for Hey Saturday, Los Angeles #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos
We see a crazy, bright dating future for this client. Huge shouts out to Alison, who shoots in and around Soho every week, creating dating photo awesomeness like this. Loving these. Photo credit: Alison for Hey Saturday, New York City #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos
Time to get out the party poppers 🎉 …. these shots are a whole nuther level of gorgeousness. Huge shouts out to Nicole for these gems, J’adore them so much. Photo credit: Nicole for Hey Saturday, London #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos
The real flex is creating dating profile pictures that stand out and help you do you. J'adoring these bold, colourful shots from Livia in the Northern Quarter. Photo credit: Livia for Hey Saturday, Manchester #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos #manchesterdating #manchester #manchesterstyle
We’re not just all about the city streets, we do park shoots too 🌿 and… well these profile pics are just a breath of fresh air. We're heading to the parks of Clifton Village in Bristol for these gorgeous shots, taken by our Bristolian super star, Suze. If you want some park photos, autumn is a beautiful time of year to do this… 🍁 Photo credit: Suze for Hey Saturday, Bristol #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos
Holy dating photos, I love these. Nicole does her thang at King's Cross with these cool shots. Sweeeeeet work, Nicole. Photo credit: Nicole for Hey Saturday, London #storytelling #visionboarding #datingapp #datingadvice #authentic #authenticity #tinder #newprofilepic #profilepictures #datingphotography #datingphotos #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotographer #brandingphotography #personalbranding #onlinedating #goodtimes #goodvibes #confidence #menstyle #brandidentity #romance #modernlove #joy #happylife
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So yeah, I did a thing… Hey Saturday now has a podcast mini series, ‘Shoot Your Shot - The Art of Dating Profile Pictures’, for all your dating profile photo needs in one place 🎧✨ Press play on this show for jam-packed mini episodes that will inspire you to experiment, have fun and aim higher when creating your profile pictures for online dating apps. I share my top mindset shifts and practical steps you can take to create dating profile photos that are both visually and emotionally compelling, to help you attract more and better quality matches on dating apps. This podcast is for people with a short attention-span but a big vision for their love lives 🙌🏽 Link in bio 👀 Hosted by me, Saskia Podcast logo and art by the incredible @teadayblogs from Coppie and Paste Produced by that cutie @northernmunki Podcast music by me @saskia_nelson in conjunction with GrooveApp (who did most of the heavy lifting to be fair) #datingpodcast #datingpodcasts #newpodcast #newpodcastalert #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happysingle #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos
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Break time is over.. everyone back on the bus. Summer is speeding to an end but I still have our gorgeous summer shoots to remind me of warmer days. Loving the vibe of these shots taken by Alison in Dumbo - one of my favourite NYC locations. Photo credit: Alison for Hey Saturday, New York City #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos
I love all our Hey Saturday locations, but I ain't gonna lie, I have a HUGE soft spot for our Abbot Kinney/Venice shoots. They always inspire joy, love and good times every time I see them - perfect for dating profile pictures. Big ups to Vanessa for these crazy-good shots. Photo credit: Vanessa for Hey Saturday, Los Angeles. #datingapps #onlinedating #datingprofilepic #datingtips #datinglife #singlelife #datingphotographer #onlinedatingphotographersla #onlinedatingphotographer #visualstorytelling #personalbranding #brandingphotography #modernlove #tinderpic #newprofilepic #goodtimes #creative #datingadvice #datingafterdivorce #happylife #joy
I was invited on @unhingedandbumbledup podcast the other day & it was probably the most fun I’ve had recording a podcast. Ahead of the show, I had to give them both a dating photo challenge and they presented the photos they created to me during the show. Tune into to see who does it better, Phil or Jane. It was a super close competition to be honest… but there was a clear winner 👏🏽👏🏽 I also shared • What makes an awesome dating profile pic • Why good photos are so important • My 4 top favourite date spots around the globe (I just couldn’t choose one) and much more… Have you subscribed to this chatty, fun show that shares experiences and opinions on how to navigate the tricky world of dating to come out on top? Thanks for having me Phil & Jane 🙏🏽 #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #newpodcast #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #datingpodcast #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos
…how would you show up? I get a lot of emails from clients asking how and where they can do their photoshoots without many people seeing them. Ummm …. To be fair, it’d probably be my first question too, if I were in their shoes. I’m not exactly known for being a natural badass in front of the lens (there’s a reason I prefer being behind it!). But, thing is, those people really don’t care about what’s happening in your photoshoot. And why would you concern yourself worrying about what people - you don’t even know - think about you for 30 seconds? Fear makes no sense, even after you unpick it and challenge it. It’s still there. Being fearless is actually really hard… however you could try this… choose to ‘act as if’ you’re fearless! Yeah, how would that look? How would you show up then? Really think about how you would approach it. And then, just as an experiment, do that. #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos
+ The Ex-Philes Podcast + I had the pleasure of being invited onto an episode of the dating podcast, ’The Ex-Philes: Break-ups, Broken Hearts and Moving On’ recently & was interviewed by the two awesome hosts, Clair Lofthouse & Janice Formichella. Thank you so much to both of you, I really enjoyed connecting & sharing my top dating profile picture expertise with you. If you are getting over a breakup? I would highly recommend tuning in & subscribing. Ex-Philes is a weekly podcast all about healing a broken heart, building your confidence, and moving forward in an empowered way. Their favorite topics include healing from heartbreak, dating, ghosting, no contact, toxic relationships, communication, self-help, attachment styles and more. Thanks Janice & Clair 🙏🏽 #onlinedatingphotographer #datingpodcast #singlewomen #singlemen #singlelifestyle #singleandhappy #modernlove #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling
Dating profiles have the potential to be intriguing; they can be a window into someone’s mind, revealing their unique way of looking at & thinking about the world. Make sure you grab that opportunity to show people what you’re about & what you’re made of 🔥🔥 And remember, your profile pics are the most powerful way to share a lot of information about you at just a glance. #onlinedatingphotographer #singlewomen #singlemen #onlinedatingapps #datingphotos #singlelifestyle #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #dating app #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling
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