Jeanne's

advice column

about

advice

Ahh! I have my school picture coming up and i have no idea what to wear or what to do with my hair. My hair is about an inch or two below my shoulders. Any ideas?

I'm about 16 by the way. (10th grade)

I work in the school photography business, so I can give you lots of tips! First of all, your picture is probably going to be a head and shoulders shot, for the yearbook, right? So it only matters what you look like from about your chest up.

A simple top in a solid color always looks best! If you can find out what color the background is going to be (blue? grey?), pick a shirt color that will contrast with it and really stand out. If your eyes are blue or green, wearing a shirt the same color will really make your eyes stand out. Since your hair is long enough that it will be touching your shoulders, avoid a top that is the same color as your hair, or your hair will blend in with the shirt. Contrast always looks best.

Even if it's warm out, you should wear long sleeves, or sleeves that at least go to your elbows. Short sleeves that show part of your arm give the picture a sort of "chopped off" look. Also, avoid big earrings or necklaces... they're cute in real life, but they look distracting in pictures.

As for your hair... experiment with some different styles before picture day, but try to keep it simple. Remember, you may not get to the camera until later in the day. If you've done something elaborate that requires a lot of hairspray, etc., your hair might not look like that by the time you get your picture taken! So go with something that you can easily touch up with a brush right before your picture.

And oh yeah... don't forget to smile! =]

[view]