What do you wear for a boudoir session? A visual guide to the levels of boudoir photography

Apr 30

Do you have to wear lingerie to a boudoir session?

You absolutely can! But it’s just one option of many, and a lingerie vibe may not be right for every person or every boudoir shoot.

In boudoir photography, “levels” refers to the different levels of undress available to you (the subject) during your session. It’s super important to understand and talk about these with your photographer before the day of your shoot!

This guide will give you everything you need to know to decide on which levels may be right for you, which ones you may be open to, and to come to that conversation with your photographer as prepared as possible.

Quick notes:

This is strictly in regards to the clothes you’re wearing (or not wearing), independent of the tone/vibe/sexual-ness of the images you shoot in those outfits.
The names and number of levels aren’t standardized — I use four, but you could see others elsewhere and with possibly different names.

Let’s get to it!

01 Casual

Lots of room for variation here!

This could be jeans, slacks, shorts, leggings, etc paired with a tank, a t-shirt, the visible upper-half of a body suit, a sports bra, etc. Or a skirt or dress! This first level is a casual outfit you feel super confident in and would be comfortable wearing in public. It’s the most common outfit that my clients start their sessions in 🤙🏻

Importantly, this level’s casualness doesn’t mean you can’t create gorgeous, meaningful photos! Remember, there’s no hierarchy.

02 Underwear

For the most part, you probably would not wear most of these outfits in public(?)

This includes a bra & jeans/slacks, a cotton bra & undies, a lingerie set, a body suit, a robe, or when there’s water involved, a swimsuit. Lots of outfit options to fit your vibe, and itmakes a great next step up from the casual. Importantly, all your bits are still covered!

It’s a step beyond casual without going way beyond your comfort zone, which seems to speak to a lot of people. Some of my favorite sessions never went beyond this level, and I don’t want anyone to “reach” this or any other level that doesn’t speak to them.

03 Implied

You’re at least partially nude at this level!

Nudity is “implied” in these photos either by physically covering yourself (with intentional body positioning, with your hands/clothes/hat, foliage, etc) or by your photographer composing the photos in a way that leaves certain parts out of the frame (like closeups).

You’re baring yourself in these photos while keeping some small part hidden. It’s creative, it’s vulnerable, it’s liberating, it’s tantalizing. Implied work is incredible.