Pictures are memories, and coordinating the entire family is hard! Read on for 10 Tips for What to Wear in Family Pictures that will look good for a lifetime.
10 tips for What to Wear in Family Pictures
It’s a little overwhelming to dress the entire family for pictures and make it all look good! No matter if you have a large or small family, it can definitely be a challenge.
Here are 10 tips to think about when putting your family’s outfits together for family pictures.
We have lots of resources for families, like How to Create a Budget.
Related: Photo Essentials for Beginners
1. Take Some Time To Plan It Out
Think about what look and feel you want the photos to have. Go online to get inspiration. Do you want a vintage or more modern and simplistic look? Do you want to be more casual or dressy?
Tip: search Pinterest for ideas and create a board to put them on.
We usually lean towards a more casual look, so we go for nice clothes but have a more lived-in, timeless look. Stores like the Gap or JCPenney usually have shirts or jeans that fit the bill at reasonable prices.
Or better yet, shop your closet. We often forget this one, but there may be a great outfit you’ve forgotten about. No need to buy a new one!
Related: The First Day of School Photo Ideas
2. Pick A Color Scheme
It helps to have complementary colors for family pictures, so picking a color scheme you like works best.
We would say 2-3 main colors (for example - tan, gray, and blue or blue, white, and yellow), and then adding some pops of colors looks really good in photos.
Other colors we like in pictures include rich and deeper greens, purples, and of course, all different types of blue. If a neutral is preferred, gray and tan are the best, even better than black.
If you’re planning on hanging the pictures in your home, you might find inspiration there. What colors do you decorate with? What colors make you feel good? Stores like the Gap or Old Navy are also good places to spark ideas for selecting your colors.
3. Don’t Try To Match Everyone
Sure, if you have some adorable little ones, matching can be cute, but usually, matching everyone in the picture just doesn’t work. (Hello, Hawaiian shirts) The images can look dated as this trend has passed.
For example, have some of your family wear collared shirts while others don’t.
If you want your photos to have character and depth, then coordinate, don’t match your outfits!
This also lets everyone put a little piece of their personality in the picture.
4. Go For Classic If You Can
You will have your photos hanging on your walls for years to come, so keep it simple and classic to make your images more timeless.
5. Think Texture And Layers
We think it adds dimension to have some texture and layering in your outfits.
For boys, this could mean a couple of shirts - maybe a plain tee under a cool checked shirt, knit sweater, or vest.
That could mean a skirt, shirt, sweater, tights, and maybe a hair accessory for girls. A striped scarf over a plain shirt is a great layering piece without adding too much.
6. Limit Patterns
Personally, we like to see a little pattern in the clothes we choose for photos, but too much can ruin the look altogether.
For example, a couple of the members could wear complementary patterns in varying sizes, but everyone wearing a pattern in the photo would be too much.
7. No Graphics
Your little one might love his superhero shirt, but graphics can be very distracting in a photo…just say “no” 🙂
Save those for more candid shots of your family.
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8. Accessories Can Add A Lot
Scarves, necklaces, hats, hair bows, and socks can also bring a lot to your images.
It’s the finishing touches that bring everything together.
This is also where you can add your pops of color. We usually have our girls wear a colored headband, belt, or bow that matches each other if we want to bring the color scheme altogether.
9. Lay It Out And Take A Pic
This is the best idea!
Lay out everyone’s outfits on the floor and how they're going to wear them and see all the colors and textures next to each other. This tells you a lot! It helps to see the whole picture (no pun intended :).
This way, you’re not guessing what it will look like in the end. Taking a picture of what you laid out is even better.
You can see how your family looks without dressing everyone in their clothes or even having to be in the same room!
Trust us, for a busy family, this is a time and hassle-saver!
This is the camera, and this is the lens we use to take all our family photos. They're inexpensive compared to some but good enough to create beautiful pictures.
10. Consider Your Background
Where are you taking pictures?
Is it more industrial or urban? Or out in nature?
What you choose to wear should somewhat go with your setting. Also, if you’re taking pictures in a studio and using a black background, wearing black will make you disappear, so not a good idea. The same goes for white 🙂
{Bonus tip: don’t forget the makeup! - Yep, that’s right mom, don’t forget to think about your makeup for family pictures! And don’t be afraid to put on a little more than usual. It’s true what they say, you need a touch more makeup to make your face come to life on camera 🙂 }
More Family Picture Tips
- Have either a fresh coat of nail polish on your nails that coordinates with your outfit or don’t have any nail polish on at all. You don’t want chipped nail polish in your photos.
- Bring along makeup for touch-ups. And bring a brush and hairspray, just in case!
- Don't wait until the last minute to put your outfits together. It's too stressful to try and come up with something on the day of the photoshoot!
Don't forget to grab your FREE outfit ideas and color combinations for family pictures!
What to Wear
Subscribe to get the best color combinations and what to wear in your family pictures!
Putting together outfits for the whole family can be a bit of work. With these 10 easy tips for what to wear in family pictures, we're sure you’ll all look amazing! Let us know how it goes!
This post was originally published in 2015 and then updated on June 8, 2020.
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Sharon says
We are going to Unbrella alley where the colors are of the rainbow. I have no idea what to wear
Erin Henry says
Keep it simple, Sharon. Maybe pick a color like blue, tan, or gray so that you don't compete with the background.
wanda says
my family and I are having pictures done Oct 1,we have me my hubby,my 2 son's there spouce,my daughter he husband and between them we have 5 granddaughter s and 2 grandsons,most of us are blonds and3 with brown hair,.all have there own taste and one of my daughter in laws like to take and make it all hers,help.i do want my ideas,any idea of how to take control,with my ideas.
Erin says
Hi Wanda, sounds like you have quite a few people in incorporate in your pictures at varying ages. As well as strong personalities. Perhaps, you can share your vision for the pictures, so that your ideas can be heard. Maybe say you read online about the best way to dress a family for pictures, so that they don't think it's just your idea. Good luck. Remember, no matter who takes control, you'll have some lovely family photos to enjoy for years to come 🙂
Sarah says
I have an old red barn with white trim we are having our photos in front of. There are still fall colors on the trees, and I can bring up some hay or some straw to sit on, I was thinking blue jeans, boots either cowboy or knee high boots. My daughter is almost 3 and I have jean jackets a few knit dresses and leggings for her. what color shirt would you recommend for this type of setting. I have access to many colors of tops for myself and my husband. I figured a colored tee maybe brown or black for him with a blue or green plaid flannel over top (he also has green brown or dark blue solid colors) what might your thoughts be on this setup?
Erin says
I love the red barn! That's going to be gorgeous and a perfect backdrop! You can really go a couple different ways for colors with that setting. Depending on what colors are in your daughter's dress, you could definitely do navy, that's classic and goes well with fall colors. I think depending on the green in your husband's plaid, you could also wear that. I love the look of flannel, so If you could pick something to coordinate that for yourself, the photos would look really nice. Good luck!
Lynn Spencer says
Ah, the endless 'what to wear for the family photo' debate! We've had our fair share of challenges along this line, but your suggestions are great ones.Thanks ERin.
Hugs, Lynn
Erin says
Yep! It's always a challenge figuring out what to wear yourself, let alone the whole family. I love it when I all comes together and make a great picture, though! Thanks for stopping by, Lynn.
Ilka says
This is great advice to keep in mind when you have that important day for a beautiful family pic! Pinning for later!
Erin says
Yes! It takes a little thought to make it all come together and look good in the final picture. I love having family pictures around the house, so these tips help them look better longer 🙂
Katrin says
You have such a beautiful family Erin! Thanks for all these tips, I like that everyone is casual yet very nicely dressed, it looks natural! Very lovely!
Erin says
Thanks, Katrin!! You're so sweet. You're absolute right, I went with a casual look but made sure everyone looked good. I love the way it has a bit of a vintage look too.
Ashley says
Great tips!!! and pretty photos too 🙂 Thanks for sharing with us at FTAF!
Erin says
Ahh, thanks, Ashley! Thanks for hosting a great party! Cheers!
kristiina says
Fantastic tips! I always cringe when I see a family portrait and they're all wearing black t-shirts or white button downs 🙂 I'm going to pin this to my photography board, too. I'm taking classes with the dream of becoming a pro one day and this will be a handy sheet!
xo kristiina
Erin says
I have that dream too...but for now it's pictures on the blog 🙂 These tips have helped us the last couple of year take some great family photos! Hope they help you too!
Cathy Lawdanski says
Such great suggestions, most I have never thought of. I especially like the one of laying out all the clothes & taking a picture first. We have a family beach vacation & I want to get a family photo, so this helps a lot!
Erin says
Have fun on the family beach vacation...sounds wonderful! With a little planning you'll have a wonderful photo! Thanks for coming by, Cathy!
Nikki Frank-Hamilton says
I want to have our pictures taken and these are great suggestions, all of your family photos look great. I love the colors and the patterns, and you have a beautiful family! The pops of pink keep it interesting and keeps your eye moving through the photo. LOL The dog fits right in too. Love it!
Erin says
I like the pops of color too! And we couldn't take the pics without our dog..he's one of the family 🙂
Wendy says
I never would have thought to take a picture of all the outfits together to see how they look -- brilliant!Unfortunately, we did very few family photo sessions, but I do remember one very vividly which might make a good tip. If you have a small child who absolutely loves one particular piece of clothing (and you like it, too), consider planning around that one. When my daughter was two, she wanted to wear her purple dress, I wanted to coordinate with the red one. Every.Single.Picture. of her in the red dress shows a frowning little grumpus! At the end, she put on her purple dress and the photographer caught a great happy candid. ARGH! 🙂
Erin says
What a good suggestion, Wendy. Sometimes kids know best 🙂 I'm glad you ultimately got a good picture...and a good story out of the experience!