Knickers, panties, briefs, whatever you prefer to call them are often the least thought about item of underwear people decide on to bring to their shoot. This is a terrible mistake since in our experience, panties are one of the most unflattering outfits in the boudoir catalogue. If they’re too tight and the sides are too thin, love handles will be the result. If they sit too low and are a smidgen too small, mummy tummies will look like middle aged men’s beer bellies. (Oh and by the way, we’re not talking about some women, we’re talking about all women here. There’s no getting away from the effects of tight, ill fitting knickers!)

Thoughtfully chosen knickers are essential if you want an epic bum shot in your Boudoir album. To take an epic bum shot requires good posing and flattering underwear. This can’t be done with attitude and lighting.

Flattering underwear is all about the fit—tighter is not necessarily better. In fact, it’s better to have underwear that’s a little bit too big because with the right posing, no one will even notice.

One piece of advice when shopping for the right underwear is to avoid thin straps. G-strings, for example run a river through the mountains and give a permanent wedgie. They show off maximum bottom but have no control so, our advice for a photoshoot is to steer clear of thongs unless you have the most perfect, model butt. The strings also cut into the sides to amplify ‘love handles’ and it’s not the most flattering look.

So with these tips in mind, here are the 3 best types of underwear to make your bum look amazing!

Top 20 items to wear for boudoir photos

Are you preparing for your shoot and curious about what to wear for your boudoir photos?

Here is a list of popular items including some links to where to find them.

Be creative when choosing your boudoir wardrobe. You do not need to wear the same old boring lingerie sets. Layering is also a great way to change the look.

We love classic black lingerie and soft white lingerie, but how about experimenting with some colour?!

There’s a colour to suit everyone.

Which would you choose?

“Such an amazing and empowering experience. I’ve never felt so sexy and free and confident.

As a mum of 3 including a set of twins, my body confidence has been low for a very long time.

This last year I have undergone a whole lifestyle change, lost nearly 4 stone in weight, and been the fittest (and thinnest) since I was a child.

I used this shoot as a treat to myself to celebrate all that I’ve achieved as well as a surprise for my husband!” … Justine

Being a woman is often difficult.

Women are excellent multi-taskers by nature, and as a result, tend to wear many different hats throughout the day.

There are children and friends and husbands and significant others and work to think about, let alone hobbies and school PTA meetings and housework and a million other things.

Unfortunately, with all this ‘busy’-ness, something usually gets left out.

Usually that something is YOU!

So we are here to encourage you to put yourself first for once.

In this article you’ll discover some of the many benefits..

Take it from us, there is nobody more attractive than a smart, confident and courageous woman in her 40’s….it’s a great time in a woman’s life for so many reasons! You really can feel fab at 40 .

For one thing, you spend your 20s and 30s figuring yourself out, so by the time you get to your 40s, you know yourself really well. Hopefully at this point, you’ve learned to accept, and even love, the things you cannot change.

You’re still improving, of course, but you know who you are.

The 40s are fabulous because now you can wear what you want, you can watch and listen to what you want because the social pressures of the young adult world have no effect on you whatsoever… You’re so over that noise. You’re fab at 40! 

It always amazes us when clients tell us they’ve been thinking of booking this confidence-building and liberating experience for years and are finally glad they did it. – We just think that all those years of anxiety could have been sorted by booking the experience back then. (Better late than never, though)

Ask yourself – when is the last time you celebrated and felt good about your body?

If you can’t say you’ve celebrated yourself this year, it’s time for a boudoir shoot. (Stop procrastinating)

Let us show you just how amazing you really are!

Many of our clients tell us when they return to view their edited pictures that if they had one regret, it’s that they didn’t get a little more daring on the day.

After a very short time, almost every client starts to feel more comfortable in front of the camera than they ever thought possible.

They come with an expectation that everything is going to be so serious and difficult and they believe they won’t look as good as the girls on our website. They don’t believe they can ever look sexy. Yet, when they see how sexy they really are at the viewing, naturally, they wish they could go even further.

It’s all about your personal comfort level and the more comfortable you become, the more natural you will look in front of the camera and the more natural you look, the more sexy you will feel.

We encourage every woman who books a boudoir experience with us to come with an open mind. Try and imagine how sexy you will feel dressed only in a bedsheet. It’s liberating and empowering. It’s a celebration of your own fantastic body and it’s truly positive for your psyche.

“I loved my last experience so much, that i wanted to share it with my husband. You did not disappoint Dave and Ellie were superb. From the make up to the photos just so enjoyable. It’s a must experience to try, your well looked after and you do only what you feel comfortable in doing, they work with you and have no airs or graces.” … Jennie

What To Wear For A Boudoir Photoshoot - The Top Ten Essentials

Actually, not so much essentials as suggestions because we always say that even if you come with nothing to wear, we will still make you look amazing with a simple shirt, or some bedsheets, jeans and T’s but is you’re looking for some boudoir inspiration, here are ten items you should always pack in your bag for a Boudoir Photoshoot.

What do you think of when you hear the words boudoir photography? Maybe you think of sexy women in lingerie, strutting their stuff for the camera. Or maybe you think of models with the “perfect” figure, makeup, and hair. Maybe you think I could never do that or I wish that were me.

But boudoir photography is so much more than sensual, intimate photos. It’s about you—learning to love yourself and your body, feeling empowered in your beauty and femininity. No matter what you may think when you look in the mirror, you are strong, sexy, and unique, and your beauty deserves to be celebrated.

“I was a little nervous about the day, and what to expect. But upon my arrival I was instantly put at ease. I received help and advise on the clothes to wear and what make-up may look most flattering. The whole day flew by and I loved every minute. I felt great and my confidence grew and grew throughout. Thank you for such a memorable day!” … Michelle

Why not do it for him by booking a boudoir session as a gift? A gift for the hubby will be appreciated more than you'll ever imagine.

“I really wanted to have some lovely photos of me in some of the lingerie/accessories that I never get to wear! Also at my age I wanted to have something that I would be able to keep to look back on, It was a really lovely day from start to finish and I felt thoroughly spoiled and beautiful.” … Claire

A boudoir photoshoot can do wonders to improve your sel esteem and should be on everyone’s bucket list - Anna said this ““You have to do it, you owe it to yourself to do this. If you think, oh well I’ll do it when I’ve lost a bit of weight, NO…Do it now.

You will be amazed at how beautiful you actually are. Seeing yourself through the camera is seeing yourself in a completely different way. You have to do it!”

One of the keys to success in boudoir is bringing a proper wardrobe with you that is not only beautiful, but fits and flatters your body as well.

Please use this guide to help you shop and know what to bring to your session. We hope you find it helpful. Please feel free to ask us questions at any time to assist you through the process as well.

Remember though, ultimately there's only one rule - No rules!

If you feel comfortable then wear it. 

That said, we have learned a few things over the years and know that some things work better than others.

Here's our Madison Bou guide to lingerie for that perfect boudoir ensemble.

In a bygone age, stockings were worn by almost every woman. They were regarded as expensive, feminine, sexy and ladylike. No outfit was complete without the right pair of hosiery no matter the occasion or weather. This has changed of course and many women who come to us say they’ve never worn a pair of stockings in their life. We work hard to ensure you look super comfortable during your photoshoot with us and if you hate the thought of wearing stockings then don’t wear them. That said, it’s a perfect excuse to play dress up and try the role of seductive ‘vixen’ and maybe you’ll see that a good pair of stockings will add the ‘Va Va Voom’ effect But you need to be careful which ones you buy for maximum effect.

Wondering what to wear for boudoir ?

Hate your stretch marks?

Insecure about your midsection?

Self-conscious about your post-baby tummy?

We all worry about about our tummy area, particularly as we get older.

Yet, if you have a look at the many hundreds of women featured on this website you’ll never see stretch marks or ‘Mummy Tummy’.

This is because we’ve learned over the years, the fine art of concealing the things we don’t like and revealing the things we do.

Careful lighting and posing and the use of fabrics has become our mainstay.

As a rule of thumb, twin set bra and panties are the most revealing lingerie. Unless you have invested in really high quality lingerie sets or you are really body confident we recommend some alternatives in this article. In fact, sometimes going naked and using fabric such as tulle or voile will make you look more fabulous than a poorly fitting twin set. (No little bulges where the panties cut into the waist or bra straps cut into the underarms.)

Remember, Boudoir shoots are the perfect way to get your confidence back and celebrate the body you were given!