How Do I Choose Outfits for Our Family Photo Session?
If you’ve ever planned to have photos taken of yourself or your family -whether casually or ‘we just dropped a paycheck on a pro photog’ formally- you know the stress that comes with figuring out what everyone is going to wear. It’s not as simple as just grabbing a cute, clean outfit the day of photos. There has to be at least some thought put into the color story, whether/how things fit, whether certain clothes make you feel comfortable and confident, and how everyone’s outfits will work together in group photos and with the location of the photo session. It’s a lot, especially because we all want to love our photos and the pressure to make them look “perfect” can be overwhelming for some clients. But before you go bustin’ out the mood boards and pinning hundreds of Pinterest posts, I’d like to share a few bits of advice to help ease the stress of wardrobe selection.
First things first, dress yourself! I’m a mom, too, and I know the story all too well. You pick out adorably awesome outfits for your kiddos, you find that shirt you think your spouse looks sooooo handsome in, you spend time on the kids’ hair and accessories and maybe even a few cute props, and then …. you just grab “whatever works” from your closet on the day of the session and throw it on. No shade here, I’ve done it too. And when I got my photos back the first thing I thought was, “Why did I wear THAT???” So, the very first piece of clothing advice I give, especially for family sessions when it’s Mom doing all the planning, is to choose your own outfit first. That goes against all our selfless mothering instincts, I know, but I promise it’ll make the whole process less stressful and it’ll make you significantly more likely to love your photos when you get them back. Choose something that feels like you but elevated. Something that allows you to feel confident, joyful, serene, sexy, peaceful, playful - whatever feeling it is that you want captured in the photos themselves, aim for that feeling in your outfit, too.
Camilla reached out to me all the way from Maryland to book a family photo session while she was on vacation in the San Francisco Bay Area. When it came time to decide on outfits, she said she needed some help. She wanted cute, playful outfits that were easy to pack and would travel well without getting super wrinkly. She has a fun, funky style and loves patterns, color, and supporting small brands and individual makers. I suggested layers, as always, because we can go from 58 degrees to 70 degrees within the span of a one-hour morning session. I also love layers because it allows for variety in your photos without doing a full costume/wardrobe change. I then told her to go ahead and text me photos of some options if she needed help narrowing it down. After some back-and-forth and lots of pattern play, we were able to choose her dress, accessories, shoes, and her daughter’s & husband’s full outfits all over text messages so she could pack for her trip with full confidence. The patterns and colors she ultimately chose popped on the beach and added so much joy and life to the photos!
Moms (and other primary caregivers), once you’ve chosen your outfit, take a look at the color story you have to work with and choose clothes for your kids and partner that are in complimentary colors. You do not have to match exactly! In fact, matchy-matchy family photos are kinda dated. Ok, not kinda … they are very dated. We’re talking 90s strip mall vibes. The fabulous Rachel Zoe had a great quote years ago that my husband uses as his “rule” when getting dressed to this day - you don’t have to match, you just have to make sense. Your outfit, your kids, and your partner just have to look like you’re all part of one unit. Not like you’re wearing uniforms. That rule goes for colors as well as styles. Dressing your girls in fancy formal dresses while your boys are rocking jeans and your husband is in cargo shorts and a t-shirt doesn’t really make sense, does it? Either everyone dresses up in some way, or everyone goes for casual. There’s no right or wrong, only what makes sense together.
And speaking of, if you’re not a formal family, don’t force it for photos. If your kids never wear dress shoes or fitted dresses and you try to shove some on the day of photos, I guarantee they will not be too happy about it. Your family portraits are not just about capturing how you look, they’re about capturing who you are at this season of your life. If your family vibe is flip-flops, tank tops, and s’mores on the beach, then let’s do that for your photo session! If your family loves to get dressed up every Sunday and show off some sparkles and fancy shoes, then we can plan a whole session around glammed up family fun! I’m not looking to force anyone into a box, I’m looking to capture your essence as individuals and as a family unit. Do what feels best for you!
“Ok, that all sounds good Steph, but what about colors? Or patterns? Can we just wear white and keep it simple?”
Great questions (that I asked myself on your behalf ;) )! I have a few thoughts on this. First, let’s talk patterns. Patterns on clothing are perfectly fine with me! I do recommend staying away from patterns that are super busy, though, because they don’t always read well on camera. I also highly suggest avoiding brand logos. Let’s not turn your family photos into an ad (unless you’re getting paid for #sponsored content!). If you do go with a patterned outfit, use that pattern as color inspo for everyone else’s outfits. White is perfectly fine to wear if you’re really feeling it, but I generally tend to avoid it in family photos because it reads bridal/baptismal. If you do opt for white, try to keep it more casual than formal to avoid the wedding vibes.
One last note on color - if you really want to go all out and ensure whatever you’re wearing is the most flattering, I highly recommend getting your colors done. Hold up, I can already hear you moaning about your grandma doing that back in the 80s but hear me out. I had mine done by Your Color Guru back in the spring and, at the time, I did it hesitantly because my mind was telling me “this is gonna be a waste of money.” I told my mind to shut up and go think about coffee while I do my thing, and I ordered my Color Card anyway. Turns out, it’s my favorite thing I’ve done for myself recently! They have actual human beings with brains looking over your photos and reviewing your survey answers so you can trust your results are accurate. I did an AI one before this and it classified me as a Dark Winter. Yet every time I wore those colors, I felt washed out and like the dark circles under my eyes were even darker than usual. Turns out, I’m actually an Autumn thanks to the golden undertones of my hair and eyes! The winter colors are some of the least flattering on me! People > AI all day everyday. I use my color card every time I go shopping now, even if I’m just buying a t-shirt from Old Navy. And I used it to purge my closet and donate or sell all the items that were not the right color for me. This is not a sponsored post. I used my own dolla-dollas to order my color card and makeup card, but I did reach out to them and ask for a discount code for my clients. If you want to get your colors done either for a photo session or just for fun, you can enter ‘Stephanie’ at checkout for 10% off!
If you do end up booking a session with me, I am always available via text and email to help you through every stage of the planning process. Outfit selection, location selection, tips to help get your kids excited … guiding my clients is one of the things I love best about my job. That, and the beautiful photos I get to make, of course!
Happy planning!
xo
