What to Wear for your Family Portrait Session

While our style is to really focus on creating emotion in a photograph, choosing the right clothing for your session is important. Here are some tips for you while you start to style your family for your upcoming session.

Coordinate, but don’t match

There is nothing cheesier than a family portrait where EVERYONE is matching. We want to create a portrait where everyone looks like they belong together while still celebrating the unique individuals that make up your family.

Pick a color palette
Pick a couple of colors as a running theme, throw in one or two neutrals, and choose your outfits accordingly. By choosing a color palette that you love and dressing everyone around it, you will have family portraits that flow without the clothing taking the center stage. Sometimes it helps to start with one outfit that you really like… Sometimes that is Mom’s outfit, sometimes it is one of the kiddos’ outfits. From there, pull colors and build from it for everyone else. Design Seeds is an awesome web site for color palette inspiration!

Split colors between pairs and tops and bottoms

Finally, think about splitting up the colors among pairs of people in your group. For example, don’t dress individuals that will likely be next to each other a lot in your images in the same colors. i.e. Mom and Dad will likely be next to each other in many of the portraits, so don’t dress them both in the same color. Same goes for siblings, or possibly Mom/baby.

You’ll also want to mix colors up between tops and bottoms. If your color scheme has some neutrals but also some brighter colors, you don’t want the bright colors to ALL be on the upper portion of the bodies and the neutrals ALL on the lower half of the bodies.

What colors will compliment your home?

You’ll hopefully be hanging some of these images in your home, so it can help to pull colors from a room in your home. Or, just make sure that the colors in your home don’t clash with the clothing you choose for your portrait session.

Texture, Layers and Accessories

Texture

Adding dimension with textures and fabrics can create more interest in your portraits. Using different finishes, a chunky knitl, a shiny chambray, linen–these all make your outfits interesting. Start with your base layer of clothing – your solid colored dress, a solid colored top and jeans and then add layers of texture and accessories. Add a textured short jacket or blazer, add a floral scarf, add a chunky necklace and bracelets or a headband. Do keep things authentic though – make sure whatever you choose is “you”! Do be sure to keep textures a bit consistent – i.e. if Mom is wearing a light linen dress, we don’t want Dad in a chunky wool sweater and heavy jeans.

Layering

also has a similar effect to textured elements. Layers add dimension and depth. You can layer your dress with a cute belt and pendant necklace. Cardigans, belts, statement necklaces, scarves, hats, blazers, etc also make good layering elements. Not only will they make it easier to create each outfit, but they will allow you some flexibility in creating a variety of looks without having to change your whole outfit. Scarves, hats, or belts, for example, when used in moderation, can be great additions to your ensemble and will help give dimension and add visual interest to your photos.

Accessories

As we’ve touched on above, accessories can add another dimension of interest to your outfit. Statement necklaces and bangles for mom, suspenders for dad, bows/headbands for the girls, hats for boys…. go with what fits your personality and have fun. Just don’t overdo it and stay authentic!

Limit patterns, avoid graphics and characters

Please stay away from big logos, graphics and characters. Even though your little one may be obsessed with Batman, you will want to leave that shirt at home. Characters (or big logos) on clothing can be distracting.

A note on patterns:

I personally like having an outfit in the mix that has a bit of pattern and pulls in the colors from the rest of the group. However, not everyone in the photo should wear patterns as it may distract the final image. That being said, don’t be afraid to mix patterns and textures if you know what you’re doing!

Don’t completely forego comfort for fashion

We get it – you want to look your best in your photos and probably dress up more than you do in everyday life, but if you’re constantly worrying about how your arms look or are tripping every five steps in your heels, you’re not only going to be uncomfortable, but you’ll look uncomfortable in your photos. Cover areas you’re not too keen on and wear clothing that flatters your best assets. Know your body type and what styles will flatter your figure. Then, you can look beautiful and feel confident!

The same goes for your kids—if they’re uncomfortable in what you dressed them in, they’re going to let us all know one way or another and will just make our session more difficult.

Dress with your background in mind and wear attire that is well-suited for your setting

If we’re shooting outside in nature where everything is green, it’s probably best not to have your outfits primarily in green, but rather another color that will stand out. (You can accent with green, though.) If you’re in a rustic field, stay away from too many neutrals and instead add in more color.

In addition to considering your clothing color compared to the background and setting, you’ll also want to make sure your style jives. If we’re going to be shooting in a grassy field, probably not the place to be wearing a cocktail dress or a tie. If we’re in your home and your furniture and walls are colorful, wear clothing that is more neutral, such as tans, browns, ivories, etc. and add in pops of color so the photos don’t end up looking too busy. This might be a good setting to dress more comfortable and cozy as well. If we’re at the beach, colors that enhance the setting are great–neutrals, blues, greens, corals… but not stark white! Don’t forget to pay attention to your feet. A cute pair of shoes can make the outfit but it may be appropriate to go barefoot depending on your location.

Dress appropriately for the weather/season

If we’re shooting an outdoor session in November, a sleeveless dress is not a great idea. On the flip side, a chunky knit sweater in July is silly. You will be extremely uncomfortable and your discomfort will show in your portraits.

Think timeless. Be authentic. Makeup and clothing should match who you are

My hope is that you will hang your portrait artwork in your home and cherish them forever, no matter where you live. Choosing simple, classic clothing and accessories will give your images a timeless feel. Keep makeup true to who you are.

That said, if you’re having photographs taken for a specific event or holiday and you’d really like to be seasonally festive, by all means do.

Lay it Out

here are tons of great tools out there online including thousands of Pinterest boards that are dedicated to ideas on what to wear for portraits. Once you’ve pulled some options out of your closet just keep it simple and lay your clothing choice out on a solid neutral colored surface (beige carpet works great). Feel free to send me a snap of what you have laid out. I am always happy to provide feedback. I want you all to feel comfortable and look great!

Avoid all black or all white clothing

White is not generally the most flattering color for people in portraits. It can be used as an accent color, however. Something with a pattern (white stripes, etc.) is ok, but a solid white when you’re going to be outdoors isn’t the best idea. Same goes for all black. You’ll lose detail in the clothing, so if you love black, just choose to wear it sparingly. Or, if you’re a lover of all things black and white, use those colors to accessorize your outfit instead.

Shoes Matter

Don’t wear white sneakers to your portrait session. Footwear is important to complete your look. Make sure Dad’s socks coordinate as well, just in case they show.

Look online for inspiration

Polyvore, Pinterest, Design Seeds… These are some of my favorite places to look for ideas and inspiration.

Above all, make sure you feel great in what you’ve chosen!

In Summary

DO coordinate your outfits but DON’T match
DO choose a color palette that will work well with your home decor
DO choose clothing and accessories that add texture and interest
DON’T be afraid to accessorize, but DO make sure that your accessories are appropriate to your personality and DON’T overdo it!
DO use patterns sparingly
DON’T wear clothing with big logos, graphics or characters
DON’T sacrifice fashion for comfort. Make sure you are comfy in your clothes or your discomfort will show in your photos
DO keep your backdrop in mind when choosing clothing colors
DO choose outfits that are appropriate for your setting/location
DO avoid all black or all white clothing. Feel free to use these colors as an accent.
DO dress appropriately for the season. DON’T wear clothing that is too chilly in the colder months and too hot in the warmer months.
DO be authentic and aim for a timeless color and clothing scheme
DON’T forget about shoes. And socks. They matter too.
DON’T wear clothes that are too stiff
DO buy clothes that fit your kids now. We know it’s tempting to try to get more wear out of something, but we want you to look your best, and clothing that is too big or small will not accomplish that
DO empty jean pockets and remove watches
DON’T get a haircut the day before. Haircuts often need a few days to look their best.
DO avoid anything too trendy
DON’T force little ones into wearing hats. They’re cute, but trust us, it’s just not worth it.
DO be clean, groomed and wrinkle-free. Wrinkles will stand out in photographs and you will wish you had listened to us!
DO use Pinterest or other online resources for ideas and inspiration
DO lay out your clothing on a neutral backdrop (i.e. a bed or the floor ) to see how everything flows. DO feel free to send us a snapshot – we are happy to give feedback!
DO make sure you feel GREAT in the outfits you have chosen!

Ideas for buying kids’ outfits: Zara Kids, Crewcuts, Mini boden, Gap, Old Navy