The ‘bold and dramatic’ boudoir style feels really confident, deep, and self-assured! Depending how you style it, this look can feel glamorous and powerful, cool and mysterious, or totally sexy. This aesthetic really communicates self-confidence, personality, and fearlessness.
When I think about the ‘bold and dramatic’ style, I immediately think of confidence. This is a style that has a lot of depth -- depending on how you style it, this aesthetic can communicate strength, mystery, grit, self-assuredness, glamour, or inner power. This style can really be utilized to show off different facets of a client’s personality.
I find that some clients gravitate more towards the bold, sexy side of this aesthetic and want portraits that feel really celebratory of their bodies and curves. For these clients, I take pictures with powerful, dramatic posing, and include a lot of figure details to document their favorite features.
Other clients think of the ‘bold and dramatic’ style as really feeling confident. These clients often say that they don’t want pictures that feel too dramatic or sultry, but are really interested in having a confident, happy undertone to their pictures. For these clients, I take pictures that channel a more joyful, self-loving approach.
There’s also an element of glamour that some clients gravitate towards within the ‘bold and dramatic’ style -- these clients love the idea of powerful, sumptuous aesthetic, sort of relishing in their own confidence and their own bodies.
When it comes to outfits, I’ve found that there are a couple approaches to interpreting the bold and dramatic style. The first approach is to pick outfits that feel simple, streamlined, and strong, such as a solid cotton bodysuit or a t-shirt with strappy underwear. Non-lingerie pieces (such as a leather jacket) can feel cool and effortless. Solid, bold colors are perfect for this.
The second route I see people take with the bold and dramatic style is in a more glamorous, sumptuous route. This can be achieved by choosing fabulous lingerie that fits your body really well! Metallic details can play a part, as can sheer panels, lace, and mesh. Darker hues and jewel tones can feel really dramatic. And elaborate lingerie sets also are amazing here -- think bustiers, garter belts and stockings, fishnets, and anything lace!
One more thing: this is a fabulous style for showing off your favorite features. Choosing pieces with strong, straight lines will draw the eye directly in, while pieces with lace trim and curved lines will feel feminine and curvy. If you love the small of your back, a bodysuit with a super deep-V would look awesome. If you love your legs, wearing a thong bodysuit and having your picture taken from the side will draw attention to your legs! If you love your shoulders, an off-the-shoulder bodysuit or bra with delicate straps will highlight your collarbones.
When directing a ‘bold and dramatic’ styled boudoir session, I focus on helping my client channel body language that emanates confidence and feminine curves. I use postures with subtle back arching, extended postures, and high chin angles help clients stand tall and proud in their pictures. Choosing intentionally dramatic poses looks incredibly powerful in photos. There’s also often a subtle emphasis on figure details, postures that show someone looking at herself, eye contact with the camera, and calm, cool facial expressions.
If you have a ‘soft and romantic style,’ mixing it with a ‘bold and dramatic’ style can lead to pictures that feel sexy, self-loving, and glamorous. Mixing a ‘strong and empowered’ style with a ‘bold and dramatic’ style feels like confidence to the max -- super strong, tall postures and clean lines lead this combination to feel like you are ready to take over the world! Finally, a ‘bold and dramatic’ style mixed with a ‘relaxed and casual’ style makes for such a fun interplay of sunny and dark vibes, feeling effortlessly sexy while maintaining a really confident undertone.
Emma's session was a great example of a bold, dramatic style infused with a joyful energy!
Elizabeth’s session was a bold, dramatic style mixed with relaxed, confident vibes.
J's session shows a really strong, soft style with a bold, dramatic edge to it.
S's session was a great example of a romantic style and a bold, dramatic style intertwining!
Most of my clients rock more than one style in their boudoir session, so please don’t feel limited by the results of this quiz! Explore the other styles here:
And of course, the most important thing in a boudoir session is YOU, not what you wear! The light and energy you bring will be, hands-down, the most incredible, important, and special part about your boudoir session. The personality you’ll bring into your boudoir session will be totally unique and wonderful -- I promise -- and they will absolutely shine in your portraits! I would LOVE to capture your magic on camera.
Thank you so much for taking the Boudoir Style Quiz and sharing a little bit of your day with me!! (And if you’re ready to learn more about booking a session, just click here to get in touch!)
