What to Wear For Your Family Photo Session
Congratulations — you’ve booked your family photo session! 🎉
Now comes the big question: “What in the world do we wear?”
You’re definitely not alone — this is one of the most common questions I get from families once they’ve scheduled their session.
What you wear truly helps set the tone for your photos. The right outfits can bring out your family’s personality, connection, and style — while the wrong choices can be distracting or clash with your location.
The good news? I’ve got you covered! With a few simple tips, you’ll feel confident choosing clothing that looks amazing, feels comfortable, and photographs beautifully.
Keep reading — this guide will walk you through exactly what to wear for your family photo session so your photos turn out absolutely stunning!
#1 Make Sure You Are Comfortable
Start with Comfort
The very first thing to keep in mind when choosing outfits: make sure everyone feels comfortable.
Skip anything that feels too tight, itchy, or just doesn’t feel like you. If you’re uncomfortable, it will absolutely show in your photos — and we want your family to look relaxed and happy, not distracted by scratchy tags or stiff clothes.
Before picture day, have everyone try on their outfits to be sure everything fits well and feels good. You can even snap a quick phone photo to see how it all looks together — sometimes a quick test picture helps you spot what works best!
And don’t forget the finishing touches: clean, wrinkle-free clothing always photographs better and makes a big difference in your final gallery.
#2 Complement Colors
This is a big one. Selecting color combinations that complement each other will be pleasing to the eye and make your photos look even better. The complementary colors are:
- red and green
- blue and orange
- yellow and purple
Use one of these color combinations as a starting point when choosing what everyone will wear. You don’t have to be exact- shades within these color combinations will give you the best results.
Do NOT choose all solid colors or all of the same color, but rather use these as your color palate. One family member might wear a solid color, while another one might incorporate the color in stripes, plaids or another pattern. Below are three great examples of coordinating colors. See if you can pick out the color scheme in the three families below
#3 Add Accessories
Adding accessories can also make your photos really stand out. Once again, only if you are comfortable with the accessory. Add some jewelry or a hat. Flower crowns or even using loose flower bouquets photograph well- especially in maternity or child photos. On boys or men; bow ties, suspenders, handkerchiefs or watches make for cool accessories. If you have visible tattoos or piercings let me know so we can show those off too!
With child sessions, adding food or toys in can make for really cool shots. Check out the jewelry, headband, hats, and sunglasses and more in these accessories shots! (and color complemented)
#4 Don’t forget the DETAILS!
These are things you might overlook:
- shoes
- fingernails/toenails
- clean AND wrinkle-free clothes
- things in your pockets
- hair ties on your wrist
- gum in your mouth
All of these things will show your photos.
If you are wearing old, dirty shoes, it won’t look good. Make sure they match with what you are wearing. High heels on women will make your legs look longer and you look taller.
If you choose to wear open toes shoes, think about painting your toenails (just make sure the color compliments your outfit!) Also, look at your fingers make sure the polish is not chipped and nails aren’t dirty.
What NOT to Wear
There are a few things to avoid as much as you possibly can:
- words or big logos across your clothing
- wearing solid black or white
- having everybody in identical outfits
- white t- shirts and jeans
- neon colors
- dirty or wrinkled clothing
Hope this helps get you thinking about what to wear for you family photo session! Please contact me if you have any questions! emily@cozyclicks.com
