It’s that time of year again, families all across the country are gearing up to take have their family photos taken. And year after year many of you stress over your family photo outfits. You want them to stand out and shine by showcasing your family’s unique personality all while still looking natural. All the effort into planning each family members outfit can be time consuming. Some may find the process fun (a perfect excuse to play dress up!) while others may be overwhelmed and stressed out by it.
Regardless of which category you fall into, here are a few tips on choosing family photo outfits that are coordinated, allow for personalities to show, and don’t require a full new wardrobe.
A CONSISTENT COLOR SCHEME IS YOUR FOUNDATION
While it may be tempting to stick each family member in the same outfit to make sure everything flows, please don’t. For a more natural family portrait choose a consistent color palette and don’t feel restricted to one color. Embrace various hues or shades and blend the colors together. Earth tones and pastels are always great options – family portraits are aesthetically pleasing when colors coordinate.
If you are wanting your outfits to be neutral based think about mixing classic basic colors like blue and green with soft shades of brown and creamy whites. This family knocks a soft neutral color palette right out of the park.
CONSIDER YOUR SETTING
Use your setting as a source of inspiration. For the most natural looking family photos consider whether your location is formal or casual. Let your chosen location guide your color and style decisions.
Live in a big city? Glitz it up as if you were going out for a night on the town. Sparkly dresses, bowties, fancy jewels – they all add some wow to your photo.
Visiting a tree farm? Get comfy and casual in jeans, flannels, puffy vests, or even some cute pjs!
WEAR SPECIAL BUT COMFORTABLE CLOTHES
How formal or informal you go with your family photo outfits depends on the comfort level of you and your family members. Consider each family members personality and don’t stray too far from their normal everyday wear. Do your kids dress up regularly? Will they feel comfortable if you dress them in a jacket and bowtie or fancy party dress? Your goal is to have your kids act like themselves in photos, if they normally don’t wear fancy clothes they will most likely fidget and complain, which just makes the whole photo taking process painful for everyone.
If your kids are picky have them help you put their outfit together. Pull some options that easily coordinate with the others and let them have final say on what they wear.
LAYER AND ACCESSORIZE
Layering up and choosing textured materials for your family photo outfits adds depth to the photos. Think a puffy vest, chunky cardigan, or a collared shirt under a sweater. I love how this family integrates textures into their family photo outfits all while keeping within their neutral color scheme. A sparkly silver skirt paired with a chunky knit sweater, a puffy vest over a flannel shirt, a checkered collared shirt layered under a basic grey sweater – it all flows together so nicely!
When it comes to accessories, add them in last, but also keep in mind that this could be your solution to adding to your color scheme. If one member of your family doesn’t have a piece of clothing in a certain color hue choose a matching accessory to pull them in. This can be done with matching tights, a scarf, statement necklace, or even with a hair bow or hat.
Again, keep in mind your child’s temperament when it comes to certain accessories. Is it natural for him or her to wear it or will they play with it during your photos? My youngest niece looks adorable in headbands, but 9 times out of 10, she fidgets with it and ultimately takes it off within an hour of putting it on.
SHOP YOUR CLOSET FIRST
While it may be nice to go out and buy new outfits for each family member, it isn’t necessary to achieve a beautifully coordinate family photo. Start by choosing your color scheme and style direction then take inventory of what’s hanging in your closet. Plan your and your spouse’s outfits first (you’ll want to feel good in photos too!) and then think of coordinating options for kids – look through their drawers to see what they already have. Have kids who wear similar sizes, could you borrow from one kids wardrobe to dress another?
If you’re still missing a few key items, start shopping to fill in the gaps. Gap, JCrew Factory, and Target always have great options for every family member.
Most importantly when it comes to choosing your family photo outfits, choose an outfit that will make you feel confident and good about yourself. Don’t stray too far from your family’s normal attire – you want everyone to be smiling, having fun, and feeling like their wonderful selves!
A very special and heartfelt thank you to my beautiful sister and her family for being my lovely models for this post! It’s amazing how much my two nieces have changed over the past year, family photos are perfect for freezing their not-so-little anymore grins in time.
Happy picture taking friends!
xo, kaitlin
Are you local to Vero Beach and interested in family photos?
My friend Kim over at Kinosi Photography takes beautiful family portraits.
Contact her today about booking a family session!
PUT A PIN IN IT
Leave a Reply