title: "The Best Clothing Photography Ideas and Techniques to Improve an eCommerce Store" date: 2024-09-18 slug: /clothing-photography-ideas-and-techniques word_count: 1300 images: 5
The Best Clothing Photography Ideas and Techniques to Improve an eCommerce Store
Perfectly displaying your products online increases sales for your eCommerce store. Clothing presents unique challenges and might often seem tricky. Your first decisions on showcasing your apparel are crucial.
There are a number of factors to consider when you are planning to photograph your products. These include your brand style, the type of products you are displaying, and the associated costs.
In this post we will explain the different methods you can use to photograph clothing for your eCommerce store. Discover which types of clothing suit each method, along with the pros and cons of each approach.
Table of Contents
- The Online Clothing Disadvantage
- Flat Lay Clothing Product Photography
- Clothing Mannequin Photography
- Clothing Product Photography Using Models
- Which Idea Will Be the Best for Your Store?
- FAQ
The Online Clothing Disadvantage
We all know how a brick-and-mortar store differs from an online store. When a potential customer walks into a physical clothing shop, they are able to see the products from all angles, see how light affects the product, get a feel for the fabric, and — most importantly — try the product on. It is a very physical experience.
When it comes to your online store, you are severely restricted in what you can convey through a screen. You need to provide appealing, extremely high-quality, and consistent product images in order to capture your potential customers' attention and convert them into sales.
Your product shots need to remain realistic in order to help a potential customer visualise the product that they could be wearing.
Producing images for an eCommerce store can be difficult, but you need to keep the process as simple as possible. Poor product images lead to poor conversions and an overall loss of profit.
To counter this and help increase sales, there are a number of techniques for presenting your clothing products online: using hangers, multiple angles, laying items flat, using real-life models, and ghost mannequins (invisible mannequins). Successful clothing retailers use one or a combination of these techniques. Which technique works best depends on factors including the products you are trying to sell and your target market.
To help you improve your online sales, here is a breakdown of the benefits and weaknesses of each photography approach.
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Flat Lay Clothing Product Photography
This is a common choice for low-budget businesses or businesses just starting out. The mistake many make is assuming that simply laying your product items flat — without thinking through how the final product will look — will be enough to get conversions.
It is true that this is a comparatively simple photography setup and also straightforward for high volumes.
In order to get professional-looking results from flat-laid clothing, you need to use a stylist. You also need to remove the backgrounds from the products to make them stand out and be consistent with your website branding.
Traditionally, taking flat-lay shots requires a photo setup with your camera pointing towards the ground. You will usually also require a lighting setup.
The stylist will lay out the product and improve the appearance using a number of tools such as clips and tape to shape the product. You still need to make the garment look as though it is being worn. Stylists usually use tricks such as folding cloth under the arms and puffing out the clothing using tissues or other filling material.
Clothing Mannequin Photography
The invisible mannequin or ghost mannequin technique is used to show how the clothing will look when it is worn. The technique gives the impression that an invisible person is actually wearing the clothing. The technique is relatively simple to style as the shape has already been created; the downside is that it requires a significant amount of processing time to achieve the final result.
Many professional retailers use this method due to the simplicity of the styling involved. The most common invisible mannequin editing requires two images — one of the inside and one of the outside. By performing some clipping path work, the two images can be fused together.
You can also purchase "ghost mannequins" that already have the neck removed. These save on additional post-production editing. You can remove specific parts from the mannequin such as the neck and chest area to achieve the desired effect without spending time flipping and fusing your images back together.
Invisible mannequin shots are most commonly used for products such as dress shirts, jackets, coats, and blazers. The technique shows off inner details such as linings and pockets.
Clothing Product Photography Using Models
Using a real-life model for your product photography is the best solution for showing the real shape and look of your products. A human model will show how the clothing hangs from the body and is shaped.
Significantly, this technique can also support your brand image and provide a distinctive look.
The obvious downsides are that the model can distract from the actual product itself. Live models also add an additional expense and can be relatively expensive to hire.
Which Idea Will Be the Best for Your Store?
To help you decide, we have created a list of various products and the technique that works best with each, in our opinion.
The table below gives you a good idea of where to apply each technique for different products. You can of course use a combination of techniques. Many eCommerce stores combine live models together with flat-lay or invisible mannequin images. This allows you to show a product in a wider range of contexts.
It may not be cost-effective for some, though this combination brings the benefit of a greater variety of images for potential customers.
| Product Type | Flat Lay | Ghost Mannequin | Live Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-shirts | Good | Good | Best |
| Dress shirts | OK | Best | Good |
| Jackets & coats | Poor | Best | Good |
| Dresses | OK | Good | Best |
| Jeans & trousers | Good | Good | Best |
| Accessories | Best | N/A | Good |
| Footwear | Good | N/A | Good |
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FAQ
What is the best photography technique for clothing eCommerce?
It depends on your product type and budget. Ghost mannequin photography is the most popular choice for structured garments like shirts and jackets, as it shows shape and fit without the expense of live models. For casual wear and lifestyle brands, model photography tends to convert best.
How much does clothing product photography cost?
Costs vary widely. DIY flat-lay photography can be done for under £100 in equipment. Ghost mannequin editing typically costs £1-3 per image when outsourced. Professional model shoots can range from £500 to several thousand pounds per day, depending on the model, location, and photographer.
How many images do I need per clothing product?
We recommend a minimum of 4-5 images per product: front view, back view, side view, a close-up detail shot, and either a lifestyle or on-model image. Marketplaces like Amazon allow up to 9 images — using all available slots helps increase conversion rates.
What background should I use for clothing photography?
A clean white or light grey background is the industry standard for product listings. It ensures consistency across your catalogue and meets the requirements of most marketplaces. For social media and lifestyle content, coloured or contextual backgrounds can add visual interest.
Can Pixel by Hand help with ghost mannequin editing?
Absolutely. Ghost mannequin (invisible mannequin) editing is one of our core services. We combine your inside and outside garment shots to create a seamless, professional result that shows the shape and fit of your clothing. Get a free sample to see the quality of our work.