As a lover of fashion, I have always designed and sewn my own clothing. I love the creativity that comes from wearing garments that I made, as well as the enjoyment from having a customized fit. Making your own clothes allows a person to wear unique clothing patterns, and to experiment with different fabrics. One time I made a skin tight long sleeve dress out of scuba material that was to die for!

If you share this passion, and you are interested in posting your Do It Yourself clothing on your blog, you may be tempted to use a mannequin exclusively to model your creations. I would argue that the best way to showcase your fashion is by modeling it yourself, on your own body.

Here are my…

5 Tips for modelling your own Do It Yourself fashions for your online blog

Your photos should be taken outdoors.

Unless you have a sophisticated lighting system that includes floodlights, spotlights, or other high quality lumen projection, it is very unlikely that the lighting in your home will be good enough. Nothing is better than sunlight, so if you must take photos indoors, do so near a large window.

Overcast daytime skies are the best time to take photographs, as direct sunlight can overexpose images. You will want to have the best photos taken at the time of your shoot, and you will want to avoid needing to retouch images. Retouching images is not something you should rely on to make your photos more effective, as it takes extra time and it is reactive instead of proactive.

 

Use a tripod with a height of at least 57 inches (144 CM)

Becoming familiar with using a tripod will save you a lot of heartache. There are times when you my be tempted to set your phone, or camera on an insecure surface to take a photo; however this ruins your workflow. When you do not have the proper equipment available to do your projects, it puts a damper on your motivation to start and to finish it.

A tripod allows versatility for the setting of your photos. You will be able to have more variance in the types of poses you can take. You will also more more mobility because you can simply pick the tripod up, and place it anywhere the ground is level.

If you have been delaying the purchase of a tripod because you are unsure if you need it, take my advice: you need it. Now go order one!

Wear shoes!

Never show your bare feet when taking photos to model your D.I.Y. fashions. Unless being barefoot is part of your photo narrative (i.e. time spent at the beach or in the water), it is not a good decision in my opinion. The reason is that having bare feet in photos where you are showing off your artistic ability seems less professional. It may be interpreted as though you are not very serious about your work. If you’re not that serious, then why should anyone else care?

Use photo ready makeup

Using photo ready make up has been a game changer for my photography. Photo ready make up has a reflective quality that works very well under bright lights. When modeling your Do It Yourself creations, a good reflective surface will help you capture your best side.

 

Get your items ready!

When you are having your photo shoot, have all of the items ready nearby on a table or laid out on your bed. If you want to take it up a notch, I recommend steaming and hanging all of the outfits that you plan to model, on hangers.

When you streamline the process by pre-planning every item you will use, your work will benefit. In my past years, I recall being part of a theater production (as a chorus girl).  During performances, all props were kept in the wings and laid out on a picnic table in the order of their appearance in the play. It was easy for each character to access the props they needed in time for their part in the scene. I think that this strategy is  a great way to stay organized in other projects as well.

 

Modelling your Do It Yourself fashions is a great way to display your work in an accurate way. I have had a lot of fun trying this over the years, and it is a great feeling to wear something that didn’t exist before you decided to take your scissors to some fabric.

Do you enjoy sewing your own fashions? Leave a comment in the section below, and thanks for stopping by.

 

Stephanie