How to coordinate Family Outfits for Pictures

1. Start with Mom. You should choose your outfit first! I always recommend women wear the style of clothing that they feel most confident in. Being true to you is the most important thing! Your outfit should be a style you feel great in and in the family of colors you’re aiming for.

2. Choose a Dominant Color + Accent Colors. You have already chosen the color palette you want your family photos to be inspired by, now comes the easy part. I find when a family member wears any color in that palette , you will all look cohesive without feeling the need for everyone to match. Each of the colors in the palette are meant to be complementary, so you wont have to worry too much about clashing of colors. If you have a shirt/pants/dress that has a majority of the color or colors in the palette its good bet that it will be cohesive with the rest of the family. Having a bit of variation in clothing styles among family members can offer a more natural and candid form of family pictures and allows for each other the member’s personality to shine. Although there is also nothing wrong with everyone wear the same/similar outfit as well. Just another way of using what you may already have in your closets without spending more on outfits.

3. Pick your Partner’s Outfit. If you’re hoping to use pieces your family already has in their closets, choose your partner’s outfit next. Children’s clothing is usually less expensive than adults, so if you have to get a few new items, it will be less expensive to get kids clothes. If your partner is a man, you can’t go wrong with well-fitting pants, a button down, and a blazer or jacket. Layers flatter men! Men’s clothing can be fairly neutral (like light gray pants, a white button down, and a navy jacket) and always look great.

4. Mix it up for Kids. Once the adults are set, head to your kids’ closets. Matching outfits for kids can be cute, but consider showing a bit more personality by mixing the colors and styles! Whatever is truest to them. In the fall, mix it up with different styles of shoes (boots, tennis shoes, moccasins) and jackets (vests, knit quarter-zips, denim, etc.). The more variety, the more the personality of each person will shine.

5. The little details that can truly make or break a picture. Take a moment to pick out shoes to match each person’s outfit so an old pair of sneakers or flip flops don’t get thrown on last minute on your way out the door. You can also use your choice of shoes to add a pop of color to your outfit or to help pull two outfits together.

6. Think about family groupings. Think about if you are wanting to do small breakout groups of family members together and that can help piece together who should wear what. If grandma, mom and daughters are going to take a picture, think about how each of your outfits could coordinate/compliment each other. For example, if you daughter plans to wear a burnt orange and white sweater with blue denim jeans, mom could wear a burnt orange sweater with jeans, and grandma could wear a denim or burnt orange, or olive dress.