We all know that wardrobe planning is one of the hardest things about preparing for a family portrait session. As a mom of 3, I totally get it! For us, five outfits is a lot to try to pick out so that they photograph well together. And of course, the more people that are in your family, the harder it is to coordinate outfits so that you look flawless for your session.

But today, I’m hoping to help you take a bit of stress out of family wardrobe planning!

Now, before you even start choosing your family’s wardrobe, the very first thing you should do is determine the overall style you’re going for.

Once you’ve answered those questions, you can begin the actual process of pulling your family’s wardrobe together.

5 tips to help you nail your wardrobe for your next family portrait session!

Wardrobe Tip No. 1 | Choose Mom’s outfit first.

There are a couple different reasons I tell clients to choose Mom’s outfit first.

Generally speaking, moms are the ones who care the most about the photos, and the ones who’re likely to feel the most insecure about themselves. (Not always, but usually.) So I recommend that you, Mama, should pick an outfit that you look and feel amazing in, because once you feel confident, the rest is so much easier!

Second, you need one person to serve as the “anchor” for your family’s wardrobe. This is usually you, Mama. Once you have the “anchor” outfit, it’s soooo much easier to start picking everyone else’s pieces to coordinate. If you’ve chosen a floral dress, for example, then select shirts for everyone else that will pick up some of the colors in your dress, giving you a cohesive look.

Wardrobe Tip No. 2 | Choose coordinating, cohesive colors, NOT matching outfits.

I cannot stress this enough: the match-matchy look of the 90s is over. Please don’t come to your session with everyone in jeans and the same shirts!

Instead, think in terms of color palettes.

Want fall colors? Each person should wear a different color within the same fall palette. Think browns, oranges, olive greens, and maroons. They go together exceptionally well, but they don’t match.

The only exception to this tip should be in the case of twins. I won’t be mad if you want to dress your twin kiddos the same.

Wardrobe Tip No. 3 | Include lots of texture, layers, & accessories.

Okay, so Mom, you’ve picked your beautiful outfit, then you’ve pulled other outfits together that coordinate to form a cohesive – not matching – color palette.

Now think of those outfits as your base.

It’s time to accessorize! You absolutely don’t have to go overboard with this, especially if you’re not an accessory-heavy family (we’re not). However, adding in bits of texture and a few accessories can really take your outfits from looking good to looking absolutely amazing in photographs!

I pinky promise.

In terms of texture, think a dress with ruffles, a vest layered over a solid shirt, scarves, and a variety of fabrics. This will really add visual interest to your photos that you absolutely won’t regret!

In terms of accessories, think jewelry, headbands, hats, and belts.

Wardrobe Tip No. 4 | Use patterns carefully.

It’s totally okay to have patterns in your family’s wardrobe. In fact, you SHOULD have at least 1 pattern to break up the solids. BUT you do want to be sure the patterns aren’t too busy, or if you have more than 1 person wearing a pattern, they aren’t clashing patterns.

When choosing 1-2 patterns for your session, think about how they’ll mix with each other and with the solids you have chosen. Because I always photograph families in various groupings (mom with each kiddo, dad with each kiddo, mom and dad together, siblings together, the whole family), you will have some photos where the patterns are right next to each other. So just make sure they jive.

Wardrobe Tip No. 5 | Don’t forget about shoes!

Of course you’ll be wearing them! But other than the general awareness that you’ll have shoes on, they tend to get overlooked when pulling the whole wardrobe together. But I assure you, they’re important.

Your choice of shoes can either make or break your entire wardrobe, so be sure to give some attention to choosing the right pair.

And pro tip: make sure the shoes are clean – this is especially true for the kiddos.

Your shoes probably won’t have center stage during your shoot, but they will be visible. You don’t have to go out and buy new shoes for the whole family, but if I know we have pictures coming up, I do like to hold back the kids’ new shoes for the season until after our session is over.

One more pro tip for shoes: white shoes (like bright white sneakers) don’t usually look great in photos. They tend to really stand out and draw the eyes to the shoes, instead of your beautiful faces. There are exceptions, of course, but in general you’ll want something a little more subtle.

And one more note on shoes…and I mean this with love, so please don’t take offense, but don’t let your men show up in scruffy tennis shoes. It happens more than you think, and it totally derails all of that careful wardrobe planning! This is the time for nice boots, statement shoes (like Blake’s Vans), etc.

Pulling together a complete wardrobe for your family portrait session is hard, but I hope these 5 tips on nailing your wardrobe help!

And if you’re one of my photography clients, there are two specific services I provide that help you create a wardrobe that looks amazing and photographs well.

The first is Style & Select.

This service allows you to select the style and color palette, as well as the ages of your family members. From there, it gives you ideas for outfits that fit your selections. You can put them together and have a visual idea board, which gives you a great jumping off point to begin raiding your closet or shopping for new pieces.

The second service is me.

As a photographer, I know what does and does not look good on camera. I love when clients text me their choices and allow me to give specific feedback. These photos are going to be hung on your walls, gracing Christmas cards, and shared on social media.

I want you to love them and what you’re wearing in them!