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By Worth Collective
# Winter Maternity Photos: Choosing Outfits That Actually Work in the Cold Booking a winter maternity shoot sounds dreamy until you realize most materni...
Booking a winter maternity shoot sounds dreamy until you realize most maternity dress inspiration involves flowing chiffon and bare shoulders. Meanwhile, you're staring down a January session wondering if you'll just look like a puffy coat with a bump.
Winter maternity photos can be absolutely stunning—the soft light, moody skies, and cozy textures create something you can't replicate in any other season. But dressing for them requires a completely different strategy than those golden hour summer shoots you've pinned.
The biggest mistake in winter maternity photography is reaching for your warmest, most practical sweater. That chunky cable knit you live in? It photographs like a blob. The camera can't distinguish your bump from the rest of the fabric volume.
What works instead: medium-weight knits with some structure. Think ribbed fabrics, fitted sweater dresses, or merino wool blends that skim your shape rather than swallowing it. These keep you warmer than you'd expect while still showing the silhouette you're there to capture.
Velvet is a winter maternity photo secret weapon. It photographs rich and dimensional, holds its shape beautifully, and provides genuine warmth. A fitted velvet dress in burgundy, forest green, or deep blue reads luxurious without looking like you're trying too hard.
Avoid: anything shiny or overly reflective (some satins photograph harsh in winter light), thin cotton that'll have you shivering within five minutes, or fabrics so delicate they'll snag on every branch if you're shooting outdoors.
If your photographer is shooting in a studio or indoor location with controlled temperature, you have more flexibility. Flowy dresses, off-shoulder styles, and lighter fabrics all work because you're not actually battling the elements.
But outdoor winter shoots—which often produce the most dramatic, editorial-looking images—require layering strategy.
For outdoor sessions, bring:
The "open coat framing the bump" shot has become a winter maternity classic for good reason. It's flattering, it's practical, and it creates visual interest. A long wool coat in camel, gray, or cream, worn open over a form-fitting dress, gives your photographer options for both close-ups and full-length shots.
Winter light is cooler and softer than summer's golden tones, which changes how colors read on camera.
Colors that photograph beautifully in winter: cream, ivory, dusty rose, mauve, sage green, burgundy, navy, and camel. These work with the season's muted palette rather than fighting it.
Colors to approach carefully: pure white (can look stark and blow out in snowy settings), black (can lose detail and look flat), and anything neon or overly bright (fights the soft winter aesthetic).
If you're shooting somewhere with snow, darker colors create gorgeous contrast. If you're in a more urban or indoor winter setting, softer neutrals tend to photograph more cohesively.
One note on patterns: solid colors are generally safest for maternity photos because they keep the focus on you and your bump. But if patterns are your thing, choose something with a small, subtle print rather than large graphics. And skip anything with logos or text—it dates photos instantly.
Most photographers recommend bringing at least two outfit options, and for winter sessions, those two should serve different purposes.
Outfit one: Your "hero" look. This is the dressier option—the fitted long-sleeve gown, the velvet midi dress, the elegant sweater dress. It's what you'll likely use for the most formal, portrait-style shots.
Outfit two: Something more relaxed. This could be well-fitted jeans (yes, maternity jeans photograph fine if they fit well) with a cozy but fitted sweater, or a casual knit dress with boots. These shots often end up being favorites because they feel more like you and less like a formal portrait.
If you're including your partner or other kids, coordinating without matching matters more in winter because everyone's likely in more clothing. Stick to a color palette (creams and blues, or earth tones, for example) rather than putting everyone in identical outfits.
Footwear: If you're shooting outdoors, bring two pairs—comfortable boots or shoes for walking between locations, and whatever you want photographed. Most full-length shots won't show your feet anyway, so prioritize warmth for the majority of the shoot.
Timing: Winter days are short. Most photographers prefer shooting in the early afternoon to catch the best light before it disappears entirely by 4 or 5 PM. This also tends to be slightly warmer than morning.
The between-shots reality: Even with the best outfit planning, you'll get cold during an outdoor winter shoot. Bring a warm puffer or blanket to throw on between setups. Your photographer won't mind—they'd rather you be comfortable and able to relax your face than shivering and tense.
Hair and makeup: Wind and cold do things to hair and lipstick. Consider styles that work with a little windswept texture rather than fighting it, and bring powder and lip color for touch-ups.
If your winter session is coming up, here's your action plan: try on everything you're considering under actual lighting (near a window during the day). Take photos with your phone. Fabrics that look great in your closet sometimes photograph completely differently, and you'd rather discover that now than the day of your shoot.
And if nothing in your closet feels right, that's normal. Your body is different than it was, and finding pieces specifically designed to flatter a bump in the ways that photograph well isn't always intuitive. That's exactly why bump-friendly options exist—clothes built to work with your changing shape, not just accommodate it.