What to Wear Guide
For a lot of families, the hardest part of family photos can be deciding what to wear. It’s always the part that takes the longest and most effort when I’m getting ready for my own family pictures with 5 kids.
Gone are the days of matching white shirts and khaki pants, now we’re looking for beautifully coordinated outfits.
Some things to keep in mind:
- I recommend mom’s choose their outfit first and go from there. Pick something you feel comfortable and beautiful in. Flowy dresses that have a lot of movement look great in photos. Don’t ever wear dresses? No worries, what’s most important is that you feel great in whatever you choose.
- Stick to one major pattern in the whole group (for example- mom wears a floral dress. The rest wear solid colors that compliment) You can pull colors from the pattern to help you coordinate the other outfits. A second or even third subtle pattern can work, you just don’t want them competing for attention.
- Add visual interest through hats, layers, jewelry, etc.
- Avoid logos, graphic shirts, neon or overly bright colors and all black.
- Don’t forget the shoes! Make sure the shoes compliment the outfit you’re wearing.
- One last thing- take into account where you’ll be displaying these photos. Will the colors in the photo go with the colors in your home?
Let’s look at some examples:
Here, mom is wearing a flowy floral dress. The rest of the colors go well with the colors in the print of her dress. Dad and son are wearing layers. The little girl is wearing a flowy dress with a lace pattern that adds visual interest. Don’t they look great?!
This mama chose a beautiful top with a ruffle detail and jeans. She put her daughters in subtle patterns that all go well together. Beautiful!
For this one mom chose a solid color dress and put her daughter in a print. The colors all go together nicely and she did a great job of adding in layers!
