Hi friends! I’m so glad I’ll get to see your growing babies for a milestone session this fall! I’ll be touching base to set dates/times as the season progresses, but in the meantime, I wanted to share with you my style guide that I update every few months.

Style Guide – Sitter and One-Year Milestone Sessions

I shoot milestone sessions in the same classic style as my newborns. I love a vintage vibe, simple backdrops, and the use of solids and florals (for girls, of course!). I mix in vintage bowls, chairs and boxes, along with knits and wool furs. I want the look to be charming and simple so that your baby’s sweet expressions and little (or chunky!) arms and legs draw the eye, and will help you remember their features a decade (or more!) from now. The clothing that they wear plays an important role, so here’s some information to help you dress your little one for their milestone session. While there’s no need to buy anything for your session, as I have a studio closet with more than 50 outfit options (see link/info below), I know some people like to shop…so my hope is that this information will be a helpful guide.

Mainstream Clothing

If you would like to use “regular” clothes, these stores often have great photo-shoot worthy clothing for milestone sessions:
H&M
Zara
River&Rose Co
Jamie Kay (girls only)

Fit Tips!

Fit is important! If you purchase from a mainstream clothing manufacturer, please do not size up! Goal should always be a slim fit without a lot of extra fabric bulk. Please do note wait until the night before your session to try on clothing you have purchased.
Dresses don’t photograph well on babies. Rompers or onesie type pieces are best. We want to at least see either arms or legs exposed.
Solids or a classic pattern are best, and a fabric with texture is often nice.

Custom Photoshoot Clothing

Many of my clients choose outfits from vendors that make custom, hand-made rompers specifically for milestone session photography. Some of these can be found RTS (ready-to-ship), and others have a 2-3 week lead time, so please plan ahead if you’d like to go this route! Some of these rompers are very simple, and others have more flair. Don’t be afraid of the ones that look a bit different from what you would choose for their everyday clothing. They photograph beautifully and can add a special touch to your images.

These are my favorite vendors:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/GeorgeandAnnie
https://www.etsy.com/shop/KartayPhotography?section_id=20118006 (girls only)
https://simplysassafras.bigcartel.com/products (girls only)
https://www.avonli.com/
https://prettypinkruffles.bigcartel.com/products
https://oliveandelm.com/collections/sitter

At the very high-end of the market, you’ll find these famous makers of photoshoot outfits for littles (these release outfits in seasonal collections, so they can be hit or miss, depending on timing:
https://www.coraandviolet.com/collections/store
https://mydarlingemma.com/collections/sitter-outfits-1
https://www.oliveandevie.com/category/sitter-rompers

Studio/Client Closet

If you purchase anything from the stores linked above, and donate it to my studio wardrobe after your shoot, you’ll receive a print credit for the equivalent of what you spent. Because of this promotion (and my addiction to buying things for my studio), I do have lots of outfits here in the studio that are available for you to use. You can view them here: https://elisewelkerphotography.pixieset.com/studiocloset/ (Please note the size categories under the header image to help you navigate. Feel free to message me if you have questions about fit, as some items run small or large, while others have a highly flexible fit. If you would like items pulled from the closet for you to try for your session, simply mouse over an image and click the heart to begin a favorites list that will also be visible to me.)

You are welcome to choose outfits entirely from my studio closet. Some clients opt to purchase a new favorite piece for their baby to wear, and then for their second look, do an outfit change into one of the pieces that I have. And some clients even prefer one outfit for the entire session for cohesion! And naked (with strategically placed textile layers) is also a timeless option for baby photography as well. It is totally up to you!

If you’d like some more direction during the shopping phase, feel free to bounce possible options you are considering off me! Whatever you choose, I’ll style the session with coordinating props and layers, so do let me know what you’ve chosen at least 72 hours in advance of your session.

Shopping Suggestions

Need a little help to get started? Here are some of my current favorites:

Boy
https://riverandroseco.com/collections/boys/products/phoenix-romper
https://riverandroseco.com/collections/boys/products/phoenix-romper-2
https://jamiekay.com/collections/playsuit/products/organic-cotton-muslin-riley-romper-clay
https://www.zara.com/us/en/striped-plush-pants-p05767575.html?v1=22796112&v2=1284182
https://www2.hm.com/en_us/productpage.0794284001.html
https://www2.hm.com/en_us/productpage.0769056003.html
https://www.etsy.com/listing/646592685/little-boy-romper-newborn-6-9-months-or?ref=shop_home_active_28&sca=1
https://www.avonli.com/product/bridger

Girl
https://jamiekay.com/collections/playsuit/products/lace-playsuit-sage (this style comes in many nice colors!)
https://www.zara.com/us/en/polka-dot-bottoms-p05052595.html?v1=13447557&v2=1284182
https://riverandroseco.com/collections/girls/products/lilah-flutter-romper
https://www.etsy.com/listing/464827354/floral-sitter-romperfall-newborn?ref=shop_home_active_8&crt=1
https://www.etsy.com/listing/484426865/newborn-romperlace-rompersitter?ref=shop_home_active_11&crt=1