Creating a fantasy outfit
I don’t think that not having a closet full of epic fantasy clothing and props should stop you from having the magical photoshoot experience that you want.
Choosing an outfit for your fantasy photoshoot doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. I truly believe that you already have things in your closet that can be turned into the fantasy costume of your dreams. Do you have any long skirts, dresses, or tops with big fancy sleeves? What about all black clothing?
Think about what your favourite book or movie characters wear. For example, if you love Bryce Quinlan from Crescent City then really all you need is leggings and a t-shirt! I bet you have that in your closet! Or maybe you want to join the night court and be Feyre from ACOTAR, do you have any fancy wedding guest dresses that you have only ever worn once? Now’s the perfect time to pull them out again! Perhaps you would prefer to embrace your inner dragon rider and be one of the characters from the Empyrean series, or be Celaena Sardothian from Throne of Glass. The base to those two outfits could be the same! A simple pair of black leggings and a tight long sleeved black shirt.
Now, I bet at this point you’re probably thinking that none of those things sound particularly magical, or like they would make a very good choice for a fantasy photoshoot. But stick with me! The epic character cosplay of your dreams is just a couple steps away!
You are going to want to read all the way to the end because I’m saving the BEST part for the end!
Step one: LAYERS
Layers are so important to a fantasy outfit, they add interest and movement that you just don’t get with a single article of clothing. We are going to take a simple maxi dress as our base here and add some layers! Under your dress I want you to layer a maxi skirt, now stick a corset over top, maybe chuck some belts over that, top all that off with a cloak and you’re on your way!
I’ll give you another example of layering in a completely different direction, the base we have for this one is plain black leggings and a long sleeve black shirt. Our layers here are going to start with a black corset, some black leather belts and then topping it off with a black cloak. This is going to give you a great start to an assassin costume.
Step two: STYLING
Lets go back to our maxi dress outfit, if we leave it as is with no styling it may look sort of flat, so what we are going to do is hike our skirts. You can do this with a skirt hike or just by tucking the skirt into the bottom edge of your corset. You can do one side, or both depending on what you want your characters vibe to be. This will show off the skirt that is underneath the dress dress.
For our assassin outfit we really want to lean in to the belt situation. You don’t want them to all be tight across your waist. Let some of them be looser, some tighter, some tied instead of buckled, maybe add a belt bag as well. Pull the hood of your cloak up over your head, maybe hook one side back behind one of your arms so that your cloak is draped over only one of your shoulders. Play around and see what fits the aesthetic that you like.
Step three: ACCESSORIES
Jewellery, jewellery, jewellery! Layer it, mix metals, rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, even jewellery for your hair! Lean in to the vibe of your character. Does your character collect little trinkets? Then wear a little bottle around your neck on a strip of leather or a chain, are you being a specific character and do they have any iconic pieces that you should be including? Amarantha for example wouldn’t be complete without her eye ring and finger bone necklace.
Step four: PROPS
Swords, daggers, shields, hats, armour, a massive flower so you look like a tiny fairy, a cauldron for your witches brew, goblets for your medieval feast. There are so many different options for props. If you are an original character of your own making the props can be whatever you think they would have. If you are a character from a movie or book then they will have specific things that are key to their character design that you will want to have.
NOW ONTO THE BEST PART!
I have a prop closet for you! You can use props and accessories from my own collection. So if you could only make it to step one or two then I can help you to get to a finished character design. My collection of props, accessories and clothing is continually growing. If you have a vision for your shoot that you want to create, but do not have all the necessary props to make it come to be, let me know when you book and we will work together to create something magical!
