What to Wear for Family Photos

What to wear, what to wear, the struggle of what to wear for family photos?! One of THE most irritating parts of the family photo process. I know how it is to be on the photographer side as well as the client/mom side of a photo session and the right outfits can really make the shoot!

My best advice: start with mom. If mom looks hot and feels confident in what she is wearing, things are a lot easier! I tend to stick to a pretty neutral color palette leaving focus on interactions and faces, not clothes. I am a color girl all day long, but this is one time I’ll stick to blush and taupe. These tones flatter all skin and don’t leave color casts which can make skin appear green, blue, red, etc.

Please try on everything prior to your session. Frumpy clothes that don’t fit right are a no no. Also avoid zip up vests or anything that. gets up really close to a child’s face. It will block their face and it’s such a pain in my butt. You can’t photoshop on a whole new chunk of face, or at least not for an entire session. If you have little ones, make sure when you pick them up their diaper doesn’t show or their belly isn’t hanging out. I run my sessions quick with a lot of direction and a lot of playful movement, so watch for bra straps and butt cracks if you choose pants.

I usually prefer my moms in skirts and dresses, they are feminine, look great in the light I choose and I love the movement they create. Dads can get away with dark jeans and a button down, polo or sweater year after year. And they do, trust me, I see repeat clients every year and some just have a go to. If you know what works, stick with it! My husband would typically wear cowboy boots with this look, but we both loved the laid back vibe of the sneakers too!

How to use this little guide: Click on anything you like, it will take you to the item so you can purchase. Or use it for an overall color scheme inspiration. I chose three options for mom, one lone option for dad, 3 little girl looks and 2 little boy looks. My hope is that if you have multiple children of one gender, you can pick a couple of things from this and just be done with it. I have three girls and a boy so getting outfits ready is a complete and total WHIP.