#OOTD fashion: How to pose for Instagram

The UK's top fashion influencers share their ultimate posing guide

(Image credit: Rex)

The UK's top fashion influencers share their ultimate posing guide

There's no point denying the power fashion influencers have. From giving us the low down on the most coveted designer accessories of the season (and turning us into Instagram shopaholics in the process), to building their own successful brands, they certainly know what they're doing, and the good thing is they're happy to share the key to their success.

If you want to become your own influencer, especially in the fashion world, then as well as working hard, there are a few things you can do to make your feed look nicer. Everyone knows there's nothing like a good #OOTD post to build your following, but if you can't get the pic right, you won't get those likes.

We asked six of the UK's top fashion influencers to share their tops tips for you, and they're totally genius...

Poppy Deyes

Poppy Deyes
  1. Start off by wearing something you love - the more you love your outfit, the more fun you’re gonna have when photo snapping!
  2. Embrace the weather. The sun isn’t always on our side, but the best thing to do is embrace it. Grab a brolly, up your exposure, and get that shot!
  3. Take A LOT of photos, 'less is more' doesn’t quite work in this situation… The more you have to pick from the better, and you’re bound to love one of them!

Shahd Batal

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  1. No one said an #ootd had to be full body! I love detailing just the outfit with a neck-to knee shot.
  2. The more uncomfortable the pose feels, the better it will probably look. Do a 45 degree turn and put one leg in front of the other to make you appear taller. Play around with your arm movements, just don’t hold the pose for too long.
  3. Candid OOTDs are my favourite. Whether it’s at coffee shop or your favourite brunch spot, sitting down is a great way to showcase your outfit as well as your personality; just make sure your product placement (iced coffee with lip stains) is on point.

Lily Pebbles

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  1. If you're asking someone to take your OOTD photo for you, take a photo of them first to show them how you want it to look.
  2. Try taking a burst. Hold down the shutter button on your phone and continuously move around changing your pose. You can then pick your favourites to save and moving around will guarantee a more natural pose.
  3. Try and figure out your best angles. Having 3 or 4 poses makes the whole process quicker. So take a load of photos with lots of different poses and angles, have a look and then remember the ones you liked for next time.
  4. Have a prop! If you feel awkward and don't know what to do with your hands, use a prop like a bag, sunglasses or a hat and work it into your pose.

Victoria (In The Frow)

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  1. Show off your accessories naturally. Under your arm, in the crook of your arm or holding it by your side.
  2. Make use of any furniture around you. To lean on or to lean against for a more natural pose.
  3. Make your images portrait, to get as much of your outfit and your surroundings in as possible.

Kat Farmer (Does My Bum Look 40?)

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  1. Enlist the help of a loved one, be it your child or your friend, to be your photographer. They’re certainly easier to transport than a tripod (and people are less likely to steal it)!
  2. Pockets are your friends. Is it wrong to admit that I have almost got to the point of not buying bottoms without pockets as they’re just so much easier to pose in?
  3. Find shade. Photos bizarrely are always much better taken (from a laymen’s perspective) in the shade as opposed to in direct sunlight.

Megan Ellaby (Pages by Megan)

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  1. My first tip is all about movement. Static images can sometimes be just the ticket to showcase your OOTD perfectly. However, in my opinion you can't beat a bit of movement of some sort. Whether you rock back and forth on your feet to capture the perfect candid stroll shot, or you out stretch your handbag at your side, it makes for a much more exciting and dynamic OOTD shot, and usually means that no two snaps on your grid will be the same, winner.
  2. At only 5ft4 I am partial for giving myself that extra bit of lift in a photograph. Asking your photographer or more likely Instagram husband to shoot low is the trick for this. A low angled image, tilted up ever so slightly, works to gives the illusion of longer legs, which is only a bonus in my eyes, even if I do love being petite.
  3. And finally it's all about trial and error; there are very few of us who are natural posers, so it's all about practice. You've got to take those awful, unflattering and awkward posed photographs to know what works for you. Don't believe me? Then head back 4 years ago on my blog for some down right dreadful ootd posing.
Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.