One of the unexpected joys I’ve experienced since becoming a parent is how much fun I have dressing my kid. I mean not actually getting him dressed — that part can be tough. But buying nice clothes and enjoying how cute he looks in his outfits — that part has been fun.
But as I’ve focused on my kid’s clothes, my attention to my own wardrobe has diminished. My son is dressed better than me pretty much every day. And shout out to all the moms who wear leggings every day! I am one of you! Utility and comfort for the win!
My mom uniform is fine for daycare drop-off and getting thrown up on, but when I need to dress for a special occasion, I realize how little I’ve focused on myself when it comes to clothes. Dressing nicely is a form of self-care that can fall by the wayside when your kids are little.
I’m forced to confront this when I take my family’s portrait. I step into my clients’ shoes and go through the process of deciding what we should wear. Picking my kid's clothes is easy because I’ve already been buying him nice clothes throughout the year. My husband’s outfit is easy because he pretty much always wears blue or gray. But what am I supposed to wear?
After going through this process a few times in a way that was more difficult than it needed to be, I figured out a formula for success when it comes to selecting outfits for a family portrait. So, I wrote it all down in a guide, which includes my best tips.
Here we go:
1. Coordinating colors not matching
Long gone are the days of everyone wearing a same colour shirt and matching. You don’t have to have everyone buy the same shirt and jeans. Allow personalities to shine with colors. Pick a couple of colors and choose clothes that will fit in this color scheme.
2. Look at your home decor
This may seem odd. What does your home decor have to do with family picture outfits? A lot actually.
Do you like bright colors? Neutrals? Since you will be hanging these photos in your house you want to make sure the colors of your clothes go with the color scheme of your home.
Walk around your home and think about where will you display these photos? If they are going in the living room look at the colors in there. Do you have bright decorative pillows or more of a neutral palette?
3. Don’t forget accessories to go with your family picture outfits
Accessories not only add to your outfit but they can be fun to use in photos. Have the man wear a tie for the woman to hold. Necklaces for the kids to play with or hats to hide behind.
Remember the idea is not to create these perfect photos. Family photos are a time to capture who your family is at that time. Most people take family photos in the fall which means there are plenty of accessories you can add. Consider a fun scarf, cute coat, or stylish hat. The possibilities are endless.
4. Limit patterns
Personally, I enjoy having an outfit in the mix that has all the colors in it. However, not everyone in the photo should wear patterns as it may distract the final image.
5. Say no to characters
Yes, your little one may love their Toy Story shirt but you may want to skip it for the family photo session. Just like patterns, characters on shirts can be pretty distracting. Characters, like too many patterns, can make your photo look too busy.
6. Plan ahead for your family photo outfits
Once you book your session, start thinking what to wear for family photos right away. You may think certain clothes will fit your kids or that one dress is clean. If you wait until the day of or day before you may run into an issue of clothes not fitting, being dirty or need to be dry cleaned.
7. Textures are your friend
I am a huge fan of a cotton fitted shirt. However, in photographs I like to add textures like scarves or belts to add a little more to the image. Don’t shy away from different textures.
By adding different textures through the material of your family outfits or your accessories you are adding depth and interest to your photos.
8. Think classic for what to wear in family photos
These photos will be hanging on your walls and treasured for years to come. By choosing simple, classic clothes you will help give your images a timeless feel.
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