“Do you have any suggestions for what we should wear?” This is one of the most-asked questions I get from clients in the process of booking their family photography session. I get it– it’s not easy to coordinate outfits! I recently had my own family portraits taken, and it took so much time to figure out a wardrobe that would look simultaneously effortless and coordinated.
When you book a family session with Aimee Liz Photography, your session fee includes free access to Style & Select, an online wardrobe planning service. This can be incredibly helpful to visualize your clothes together and they have links to a huge variety of different styles and stores. But I thought I’d also take the time here to outline some general suggestions for outfit planning.
The family featured in the session below did a wonderful job picking outfits. Take a scroll through these and read some tips along the way on how to plan your wardrobe for your family photo session!
Firstly, it’s easiest to start off with one definite outfit, and build the others around that. Have a dress you absolutely love on yourself (Roolee has TONS of beautiful options, AND a whole line of nursing friendly options)? A little romper that looks so darling on your child? Start with that.
Here are some basic rules you can go by!
1. Neutral/ muted/ faded tones are king. Go for the ones that aren’t standard colors of the rainbow (i.e. dusty blue instead of bright blue, terra cotta instead of red, mauve instead of pink, oatmeal/ ivory instead of white, brown instead of orange, mustard instead of yellow). Soft colors are flattering and keep the focus on the moments instead of only drawing the eye to the clothes. Linen photographs spectacularly as well as textured things like knits.
2. Don’t be afraid of patterns! Simple, non-bold patterns like faint stripes or vintage florals can add a lot of interest without detracting from the focus of the photo–you. Just make sure to avoid things like bold/ loud patterns, bright colors, and logos.
3. Accessories can add a lot of interest to your wardrobe without being over the top. Think: suspenders (works for kids, but also dads too!), flat-brimmed hat (Gigi Pip and Free People have GREAT hats, but you can also find nice ones at places like Target), scarf, etc.
4. Don’t pick your husband’s outfit as an afterthought. Okay, we all know it’s harder to dress men– whether it’s because they aren’t so into being fashionable, or just because it seems like there are fewer options. Honestly, I love a casual approach. Henley tees are AWESOME– comfortable but still a bit more interesting than just a plain t-shirt. If this is too casual for you, but you want something different than a typical button-down, go for a mock neck, a camp collar, or a half button-up. Abercrombie has a variety of options in some great muted colors that work really nicely for men.
Something important to remember: you don’t have to be dressed formally in order to have your photos look high end! Most of the time I prefer more of a semi-casual look, as it meshes well with the adventurous candid/ lifestyle feel of the portraits I’ll be taking of you.
Massachusetts has a huge variety of weather depending on when you are booking your session. Make sure to dress everyone seasonally appropriate so you don’t have freezing kids in the winter or extra sweaty parents in the summer. Also consider the location we’ve decided on. For example, if we’ll be on the beach or a river, wear something that you can splash around in easily enough.
I’ve compiled a list below of a bunch of shops that I’ve found to have really great options for photography session outfits. Click through, and if you’re stuck planning outfits for your session, I’m just an email away! Feel free to send me snapshots or links to options and I’m happy to make suggestions.
FOR BABIES, KIDS & TODDLERS
Zara – zara.com
Go Gently Nation – gogentlynation.com
Jamie Kay – jamiekay.com
Rylee & Cru – ryleeandcru.com
Fin & Vince – finandvince.com
H&M – hm.com
FOR WOMEN
Madewell – madewell.com
Anthropologie – anthropologie.com
Free People – freepeople.com
H&M – hm.com
Not Perfect Linen – notperfectlinen.com
Piper & Scoot – piperandscoot.com
Roolee – roolee.com
FOR MEN
H&M – hm.com
Madewell – madewell.com/mens
J. Crew – jcrew.com
Target – target.com
Nordstrom – nordstrom.com
Abercrombie – www.abercrombie.com
With all this being said, in the end, your interactions will stand out more than your clothes. It can be stressful to try to plan a coordinating wardrobe for the whole family, but just remember– I will make beautiful pictures of you even if you show up in pajamas. When in doubt, keep it simple, and always reach out to me with questions!