HELP! What should we wear!?

So you’ve finally decided to embrace the chaos, and book family photos. But your kids, in typical fashion, are refusing to wear matching outfits! Now what? Thankfully, all denim matching outfits went out with the eighties, and neon colors got left in the last century as well.  Your family photos should represent you, and your family.  For the most part, that means what your family would typically wear for an outing or occasion, so you probably already have clothes in your closets that will work just fine. 

LET’S GO OVER A FEW TIPS.

Match the season. Don’t wear your best fall colors for spring photos.  Now, I’m not saying avoid all dark colors, black is very versatile. But if everyone shows up in it, it’s going to look like Halloween, not Easter.

Choose complementing colors. If you didn’t take Color Theory, and don’t remember your color wheel from school, don’t be afraid to Google it.  There are many great resources out there for helping you choose colors that go together.  When in doubt, you can always just stick with variations of the same color, in different shades and textures. But try to mix it up a little, or little Johnny might just get lost standing in front of someone else’s shirt.
Staying within one color family, and adding neutrals, will give you a more cohesive look.
This gallery required extensive editing to remove the orange glow off the surrounding clothes and skin tones.
Avoid bright colors.  Bright colors, just like the full afternoon sun, do not photograph well, and can reflect color and light onto your face, or those around you.  And, nobody wants to be the glowing beacon in the center of the image.


Avoid bold prints. Those big bold flowers might look cute at a garden party, but they are not flattering through a camera lens.

Avoid too many patterns.  Subtle patterns, and plaids can give your photos some nice texture.  But too many of them can clash and become overwhelming. Try to limit plaids and big textures to one.  Smaller more subtle patterns can be mixed in along with solids to create nice balance in your pictures.

Leave the screen printing at home. Words and images on shirts are way to distracing in photos, and not flattering at all.  Besides, you won’t see all of it, and we really wouldn’t want to accidentally spell something different because we cut the end off…

Wear sleeves.  Now, I’m not going to say everyone has to wear long sleeves in the summer, but everyone should be wearing some type of sleeve. Even if you’re a size 0, with perfectly golden, toned skin, it may make you stand out as if you were wearing a neon shirt.  And, if you’re like me and have under arm flab, choose a shirt that will help hide some of it. 

Wear fitted clothes.  Just like your bathroom mirror, the camera doesn’t see how loose that baggy shirt really is, and can add ten pounds if you’re not careful. Tailored outfits will almost always be more flattering. If you still haven’t lost the winter fluff, don’t be ashamed to don the spanx. We won’t be able to tell, and if I can, it’ll be our little secret. 

Jeans and layers are our friends too. I don’t know who made the rule that you couldn’t wear jeans in your family photos.  If that’s what you’re comfortable in, then go for it! Sweaters, scarfs, and jackets can all add texture and interest to your photos, and make you feel more comfortable as well.  Just don’t over do it!

Do the bend over check. Check everyone’s outfits like it’s the first day of school.  If you lean forward, does your cleavage show?  Does your little girl’s dress pull up too far when she sits down?  A pair of matching shorts is always a good idea for girls in dresses.

Check the diaper. Not only do we not want a full one, most people prefer not to have it make an appearance in the photos.  Shorts, bloomers, or diaper covers will all help, as well as snap onesie type shirts.  Don’t assume that cute little button down is going to stay tucked in when your little sweetie starts squirming.  

More casual clothing can help capture the true essence of your family.
Even though they aren’t all sitting in the same “frame” as each other, we still want a cohesive color pallet so that everything blends once the images is completed.

Here is an example:

We did this three generation photo for Father’s Day as a surprise to my Father-in-Law.  Since it was a surprise, we couldn’t plan our outfits ahead of time, but I knew he always showed up in a button down. So, all we had to do was wait and see what he was wearing, and then (pray that we could) find something to match.

My Father-in-Law showed up in a dark navy and tan small plaid shirt. So, I grabbed a plain tan button down for my husband, that was easy.  Then for the two boys, I was able to rummage up a navy blue, white and green large plaid shirt for my youngest, and a navy long-sleeve shirt for my oldest.  The long-sleeve shirt we just rolled up the sleeves. Then I threw a pair of jeans and brown shoes on everyone, and we were good to go! So, you see each shirt had something in common with each other, but no one was in the same thing.  The two solid color shirts give the eye a nice break from the two plaids, and the plaid on my Father-in-Law’s shirt was so small it was more texture than pattern.

So, don’t be afraid to rummage through your closets and find clothes that you already own. You will be more comfortable, and this will translate into a fun, relaxed session, with better images!