What to Wear to Your Family Portrait Session
THE BEST DRESSED FAMILY AWARD GOES TO:
This family did a great job coordinating their wardrobe for their photo session! What really makes their outfits work is a color palette that carries through each outfit.
Here are my tips on how to create a great looking wardrobe for your family photo shoot!
FALL 2025 FASHION THOUGHTS
I love heading to the store this time of year and finding you all the hot colors and cool fashion trends so that you can dress your family and feel amazing for your sessions!
Denim is everywhere. It’s everything and everywhere. It’s probably the easiest place to start your hunt if you’re going more casual with your photos (highly recommended for all outdoor locations).
Talking with all the ladies in the mall stores this last week, they gave me the inside scoop on what’s hot for fall and what they’re seeing.
Slouchy, comfy styles are still QUEEN and you’re seeing it in sweat pants, jeans, even jackets with sleeves ruched to look relaxed. The oversized boxy jacket is also still hanging around if you love that look. I personally love a wide-leg slouchy style because it is so forgiving for larger body types.
NOTE: When styling the cozy oversized clothes, DO roll up the sleeves so we can see your hands in your photos!
Under-consumption core is IN, so re-wearing something from your closet is embraced, not embarrassing.
Quiet luxury like rich fabrics, clean looks, stripes, polka dots, are all trending.
Here’s a great write up – updated for 2025 – on trends that you probably already have in your own closet!
Keep reading for updates on the trending colors and my advice for your fall wardrobe..
Leather jackets are always trending in my opinion. Denim jackets are in this season.
FALL 2025 COLOR PALETTE
Greens, which have been around all season, browns, and denim are all in season this year. I’m also seeing a lot of this purple-ish, a mix between purple and burgundy, that’s looking lovely!. Pantone’s Fall/winter color report is here.
MY BEST ADVICE FOR YOUR 2025 FALL PHOTO WARDROBE & Trending Styles
Denim is in. Lean in to that trend for a timeless look or flip entirely to a sleek look of wide-leg linen (yes for fall) or corduroy pants with an oversized shirt.
Newly trending: Preppy clothes, but with more of a fit than the slouchy oversized shirts from years past.
Equestrian/Farm Jackets, basically anything you’d think to see in a modern Downton Abbey, trends this year (maybe a carryover from last spring’s farm/barn looks?). I love the luxurious look of these clothes while suggesting your horse is waiting just on the other side of a gorgeous field.
Knee high boots, trench coats, and blazers are also in season. Fringe, Faux-fur, and skirts are also trending.
THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE IN THIS YEAR’S FASHION TRENDS!
While the trends are always fun and sometimes easy to shop for….wear the colors that make you happy and don’t be afraid to dip into your closet and pull something out that you love and already own.
To read & watch more on trending colors and styles, here’s another site I love to reference:
https://www.glamour.com/story/2025-color-trends
Keep reading on how to pick your final wardrobe……
How to pick outfits for family photo sessions
*Start with one outfit for one person and build the other outfits around that
*Choose 2-3 colors and stick with those
*Don’t strive to be exactly matching! Coordinating through color brings it all together!
*If you get really stuck, wear your favorite things that really represent YOUR family. (one year we all wore college football sweatshirts) Here’s how great that can look:
What to wear for Family Photos
*Avoid large patterns, flourescents, logos, and white shirts
*Wear what makes you feel great! i.e. if you LOVE leggings, do it. If you LOVE dresses, do it. If you LOVE jeans, do it. Just not all at once. 🙂
*Carefully consider your shoes. They will be in pictures. Sandals and boots are especially nice. Running shoes are not. <–This should also be the LEAST of your worries though!
*Think seasonally: in spring and summer avoid green; it’s simply too much with the backgrounds that time of year. Dress for the weather no matter the time of year, you don’t want coats in summer and sleeveless in winter.
*Think LAYERS! In fall: layer on scarves, vests, & cute jackets that fit snug; In spring: layer on accessories like lightweight scarves, long necklaces, or belts. Even lightweight jackets, jean jackets, or lighter layering pieces look lovely.
*NOTE FOR MEN: the untucked button-down or sweater is your friend. Knit fabrics, especially t-shirts are not as forgiving.
What to wear for your photo shoot – Kid Edition!
*Choose clothes that fit perfectly
*timeless classic dresses or polos are great. Some of my favorite brands are Good Lad (seersucker dresses and beautifully appliqued clothing) and Bonnie Jean. You can even find fabulous coordinating clothes for girls and boys at Target!
*Avoid large patterns, flourescents, logos, white shirts, and character shirts.
*Small patterns, sweet appliques, and plaids are fabulous if you want prints in your pictures.
*Dresses with flowing skirts and a lot of movement are really fun for pictures
*Carefully consider shoes: NO flip flops, crocs, or character shoes; YES to boots, Toms, converse, mary janes, wellies, or even barefoot!
*Think Layers: hats, glasses, bows, headbands, vests, sweaters, and tights finish off outfits and bring it all together.
FINALLY, A HUG FOR YOU IN WORD FORM…
FINALLY, A HUG FOR YOU IN WORD FORM…I know many of us have things about our bodies that we just don’t like. This is your gentle reminder that your body has done amazing things. It has lived through a pandemic, raised children, and folded mountains of laundry. Your arms give hugs. Your shoulders bear burdens. Your smile gives light and hope. Your body is just a vessel for your amazing self and not the defining characteristic of who you are.
And if that’s not convincing, this is your gentle reminder that showing up for these photos is a great act of love. Your children don’t notice all those things about you, but they do notice if you’re not there.
My daughter tucked a photo of us in her backpack on the first day of kindergarten. She carried it every day that first year. It was her way of taking us with her. I guarantee that she wasn’t checking my gray hairs or the size of my pants, but she sure did need that picture.
Dressing my family for a photo session is my biggest headache.
They all have different body types, different styles they love, and I have that one teen that always says “But WHY do I have to wear something nice?” I hope that this guide helped you overcome some of those challenges.
If you’re still stuck or need some advice or just want a second opinion, feel free to text me your outfit ideas or we can zoom call together to chat all things photo wardrobe!
—-
Need wardrobe advice for your Newborn Photo Session? Check it out here.