Great Designer One of a Kind Hats: Adding Style and Personality to Your Wardrobe

Hats are one of those fashion accessories that can add a touch of glamour, sophistication, or quirkiness to any outfit. They're versatile, timeless, and can make a statement all on their own. And if you're looking for a hat that's truly unique and one of a kind, then you're in luck. There are many talented designers out there creating exceptional hats that are both fashionable and functional. In this article, we're going to explore the world of designer one of a kind hats and how they can add style and personality to your wardrobe.

This was fun day in Leeds with Catherine returning to us for her second photoshoot.

Embrace Body Positivity with a Boudoir Photoshoot

A New Perspective

When life becomes about Rugby practice, birthday parties, and school schedules, you can sometimes lose a little bit of yourself.

Actually for some of our Mums, it feels like they lose themselves completely after a few years of putting the kids first in everything. Even our clients who don’t have children tell us that they still lose themselves to the daily grind of life at work, with busy schedules and meetings and the overall sea of things to do everyday. Life seems to get more complicated as we grow up and take on more and more responsibility. One way our clients are taking back their life is by seeing themselves from a new perspective.

By doing something outside their comfort zone and seeing themselves in a confident, positive way.

Have you ever considered doing a boudoir photoshoot? Maybe you've experienced a major life change and want to regain control over your life. Or maybe you're getting ready for your wedding, or simply want to celebrate yourself as the amazing, gorgeous, and strong person that you are. Whatever your reason, you've made it to this point, and you're taking a risk and you’re investing in yourself. Excellent news! The best part is that you'll have photos and memories to last a lifetime, showcasing just how brave and uninhibited you can be.

To help you choose the Best Boudoir Photographer for your needs, we've created a list of key factors to consider.

We constantly strive to make every photoshoot better than the last and like anything in life, the secret to success is preparation. Just like you prepare for your photoshoot but getting all your outfits ready in advance, we try and map out the day as well. No two shoots are the same. Collaboration is fundamental since we want your day to be all about you and your personal style. So how do we prepare a style if we don’t know you at this point? Well, we simply do our best to get to know you a little by talking over the phone before shoot day and we send Pinterest mood boards to inspire you.Pinterest is an invaluable tool which allows us to see what kind of pictures you’re drawn to. To get started, we’ll give you a little homework by asking you to put together images you love - Not just pictures you love from our website but pictures from anywhere that you see and love. During our phone conversations, we go over some of the pictures you’ve chosen and talk about what you’re really excited about. This gives us a better idea of who you are as a person and helps us create a boudoir experience that you’ll never forget.

Every woman is a Goddess. However, our culture has a narrow definition of what it means to be beautiful, causing many women to underestimate their incredible worth. It’s time to shift our focus away from our perceived flaws and celebrate our favorite features instead.

Every woman has a beauty of their own, a unique combination of features that makes her radiate … It could be the colourful twinkle in her eyes, the fullness of her lips, or the toned abs she worked so hard to achieve at the gym. What we do is help clients discover and embrace their uniqueness, so they can see themselves in a new and positive light. In a Madison Bou Boudoir Session, this uniqueness becomes entirely positive and all the negative associations a woman has with her appearance are stripped away.

Of course clothes have practical uses, for warmth and nettle protection and for fashionable looks etc.... but after talking about this to dozens of people and photographing many more, even in ideal, warm, dry conditions we would still wear them.

Largely because of 'shame'. That negative emotion associated with negative self evaluation.

We feel we're not quite perfect enough somehow and don't want others to see our imperfections.

Why are we so scared of being seen naked?

Shouldn’t we should try and improve our body image and accept our flaws and realise every 'body' is perfect?

“I was turning 40 and thought a boudoir photoshoot would be a good way of marking the occasion! I was really nervous a few days before but then, on the actual day, I felt calm and excited!

It was brilliant! I took a large suitcase full of clothes and accessories, including my wedding tiara and a feather boa, and Dave and I decided what I should wear and how to have my hair and make up. They totally looked after me and made me feel special from the moment I arrived.

I honestly would say to anyone, go and do it! Just to feel special, empowered, sexy, and fantastic. Everyone deserves a day where you come away feeling all of those things. “… Nicola

Carpets of bluebells are one of the greatest sights of spring. You can see the magical transformation of our woodland floors from late March.

Bluebell Season always seems to signify the start of Summer and are one of the most exciting sights to photograph during our year. Especially when part of a Boudoir session such as this one with Leah. We chose a super quiet midweek day so things would be as private and quiet as possible at Hazlewood Castle. Almost no cars on this day at this time. Perfect. Leah had just got fully naked and suggested we photograph her up a tree. (Some people are a little crazy!!) Once there, the photographs began and that’s when an Uber driver (The only car for an hour) decided this would be the perfect place to park up and enjoy his sandwich. What could Leah do? Wave and smile at Mr Uber, she had a laugh about it afterwards and it certainly made for a memorable shoot.

How empowering is this? For those looking to build self confidence, this is one of the ultimate shoot experiences.

Not all of our Bluebell Wood Photoshoots are nude, many are in amazing dresses or lingerie, but all of our woodland shoots result in incredible pictures which would look stunning as pride of place on any wall.

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..

Here are some tips on how to look comfortable for your Boudoir Photoshoot.

Like Ballet Hands and Toes… You’ve seen how elegant a Ballet Dancer’s hands look as she gracefully holds a pose. Every finger is gently curved, nothing is stiff and straight.

And you’ll know how beautiful a Ballerina can look when she’s ‘en pointe’ - We’ll help you to point your toes as well and never be so flat footed. This will elongate your legs and make your body look slimmer.

We will instruct you on fingers and toes a lot. (Jayne’s formal training in Ballet and 2 years at Moulin Rouge means she’s pretty well versed in the art of elegant posing. You’re in great hands )

BOUDOIR IS FOR ALL WOMEN, ALL BODY TYPES, AGES, SKIN TONES…Everything that makes a women different and unique is what makes Boudoir Perfect for any woman.

Unlike other forms of photography such as family photoshoots or weddings. Boudoir photoshoots are all about YOU.

They’re not just about pretty pictures to hang on the wall either. The primary reason clients book this experience is to feel good about themselves. Boudoir aims to really capture who you are at this moment in your life, no matter what age you are or shape you’re in, this time in your life is special and it deserves to be remembered.

A Madison Bou Boudoir Session is unique snd truly significant. This unique form of photography will leave you feeling changed for the better. You will walk away feeling more like the superhuman version of yourself than you have in ages. It’s such a different experience that you’ll love embracing every part of the process.

Yes, it’s true, we specialise in the Art of Boudoir but today on the blog we showcase something else which is dear to our hearts.

A Mum and Daughter Shoot Experience…

This style of photoshoot is really close to my heart. My Mum died a few years ago and I spent hours looking through family pictures.

Eventually, I found three good ones of Mum and none of her with the whole family. We had literally hundreds of pictures, on film, slides and prints, yet we had none of the pictures that really mattered. I realised then that it was too late.

•••One day, your kids will look for photos of you and what will they find?•••

When I first started photographing Boudoir, a mere 20 years ago, everything was hired on a shoot by shoot basis. I used Hotel rooms, Shops, clients’ homes and even shops and warehouses. No two places were the same and it was a wonderfully creative period, learning about light and how to use it to produce quality images. A little later on the creative journey with Boudoir I bought my first studio in central Leeds and then a Luxury Flat with 40 foot ceilings and floor to ceiling windows. Then when Madison Bou was created as a partnership, we relocated to a rented outhouse at Hazlewood Castle which served us well for 5 years.

Traditional High Street studios are just not as versatile as outdoor or on-location photoshoots for our bespoke style of Boudoir and if you click the link below you’ll see the reasons why…

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! 

LOOK AFTER THOSE SOLES

This is something not many women really think of but have you ever really looked at the bottom of your ever so sexy Christian Louboutins or your Jimmy Choos? Or maybe you are a Nine West girl. Same situation. Take a peek and if they are not photo ready then you may want to clean them or get creative with making them look pristine for their photo appearance.

“Thank you for the amazing experience I had on my photo shoot. From start to finish the whole day was full of fun and laughter and even before I had even had my make up done they made me feel at ease. They both made me feel confident enough to do the shots I wanted to and even looking back at the photos from the start of the day to the end Dave had already taught me so much on how to get the best shots for me and have lots of variety in my poses. He gave plenty of advise and direction which was the main thing I worried about as I'm not a natural selfie taker or poser by any means! I can't recommend it enough. I really think that everyone should do one in their lifetime and be made to feel special for the day.” - NATSHA (Pictured)

At Madison Bou, we are big believers in celebrating your own uniqueness.

If you love heels and they’re your thing, then go ahead and bring a suitcase full. We’ll incorporate the things you love into your photoshoot and make it just that little bit more…. you.

That said, if heels aren’t your thing and you’d rather rock up in pumps or Doc Martins then we’ll make those work for your session.

Most importantly, it’s you who set the rules. In general though and in the spirit of today’s subject ‘Thing’s Not To Bring To Your Boudoir Session’ We would recommend not bringing the following…

Unique boudoir props ideas

Would you like your boudoir photoshoot to have an editorial feel? If you’d like your pictures to look like they could be in the pages of a magazine then try thinking of props and accessories that can add a story to your session.

Typically small items that give your hands something to do, work best. With this in mind, here are some boudoir prop ideas to add a little extra to your shoot…