Family Photos: What to Wear
So you’ve made the decision to book family photos, and now your biggest question looms: "What do we wear?" I understand this predicament. I don't even know what to wear as I'm heading out the door to meet a friend for coffee or to go to a doctor’s appointment.
It's a good idea to follow some really simple rules and not overwhelm yourself.
I like to tell moms (because let's be honest, it's usually moms making these decisions) to pick one base color, one neutral, and one pop color and choose different clothing items that incorporate all three.
The Gonzalez family follows the three-color rule beautifully with soft pinks and khaki and jeans as the neutral colors.
An example of a base color is black, white, tan, or gray. A neutral is something that will go with anything. Denim, khaki, brown, olive, or gray work well as neutrals. A pop color is often something more vibrant, but it doesn't have to be. It's definitely something with color though. Use the pop color to have some fun!
The Jessop family was photographed in creams, pinks, and muted blue tones.
The other "rule" I insist upon is to wear something that makes you feel comfortable. If you or your family members aren't comfortable and confident, believe me it shows. Don't just try things on. Wear them once or twice before the session to be sure you love the way they feel.
The Lammers family was photographed in the fall and chose colors that reflected the landscape.
When you’re booking an extended-family session, meaning aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and immediate family are part of the session, the three-color rule doesn't apply, but don't go crazy. Try and stay within the same color family, so you all look like you're related and didn't just meet at the circus!
The Henkel family looks great in grays, blues, and greens.
Last thing! Don't stress out about clothes one bit. It's just not worth it! The point is to make memories, not win Project Runway. If nothing else, you can throw caution to the wind and let your kiddos pick their clothes and then coordinate around them. You’ll capture their personalities and unique sense of style at this stage of their lives. Brilliant!
A version of this article originally appeared here.
