What to Wear for Family Photos: 5 Tips

You’ve decided on a photographer, a location and date for your family photos. Deciding what to wear is usually the hardest part – but it doesn’t have to be. Follow the 5 simple tips below to create the perfect family photo!

1. Don’t Match

Unless it’s really your ‘thing’ or a family tradition, you don’t all need to match. Coordinating colors is good enough. Start by picking a few colors and weaving those colors through everyone’s clothes. It’s okay to have a pop or two of color or a pattern. Texture is great and can be achieved with simple accessories, like a scarf or jewelry. For kids, I like to look at clothing collections (Janie & Jack, babyGap, Carters) where you can find the same colors in different styles or patterns.

2. Give Yourself Time & Do a ‘Test Run’

You don’t want to be rushing to coordinate outfits. Start as early as possible so you can find what you need. This will also eliminate the problem of having to iron or wash clothes at the last minute OR finding that a shirt or pant doesn’t fit someone on the day of. I start by laying it all out and snapping a photo, like I did below. I can make ‘revisions’ and see how it looks all in one shot. You can follow by having everyone try on their outfit to check for fit and comfort.

Going through a ‘test run’ to see what it all looks like together. Next up: Try it all on!

3. Make it Comfortable!

Sure, sometimes you have to sacrifice for fashion, but you want to be able to get on to the ground easily or have your kids move comfortably. I speak from experience when I say an uncomfortable toddler or preschooler is NOT the most cooperative. Choose fabrics and styles that look great but still allow you to move.

4. Keep it Simple & Keep it Classic

I like to avoid anything that will ‘date’ a photo years later – with anything too trendy. Thinking about a family photo, realize that it may sit on your mantle for years to come and you want it to retain a classic style. As a rule, I avoid cartoon characters, large logos and anything overly trendy.

5. Consider the location and the colors around you.

If inside, what color will your backdrop be? You want to coordinate with it, and not match it. If outside – what will surround you? Blues and beiges on a beach shoot? Oranges, reds and yellows of an outdoor photo shoot in the fall? Consider it when planning your attire.