Dressing in layers is one of the great things about cooler weather, at least when it comes to photography. Starting with red, white, and blue outfits for summer, we’re going to add layers as we work our way through a few variations of this color theme. For these examples, I kept it simple with a family of four in relatively casual outfits so we can focus on layering. I found all of the following items from Old Navy and Target. Feel free to ask me about any of them if you’d like the link.
What to Wear for Family Photos
Formal/Casual/In Between?
First, consider how formal you want to be: ties and dresses, polos and khakis, or t-shirts and shorts?
What Colors?
Next, I suggest starting with a color palette–a simple one. What colors of clothing does your family wear? For example, almost everybody owns a pair of jeans, and something white or black. After that, add a few more colors for more variety. Red, white, and blue is a fantastic combination, and it usually doesn’t take much to pull together. Navy, dark blue, or denim items are pretty common; add in some basic white and a few red accents and you’re good to go.
Preview It
Now it’s time to start building your family’s outfits. Lay out some items in the living room floor for each person and see how they look together. Solids work best, but it’s okay to have stripes or patterns here or there, as long as they aren’t too busy. Personally, I think it looks nice when one or two in the group have a patterned piece. If your family is large, you might have more than two people, but you get the idea. As you can see in the examples above, wearing a vest, sweater, or cardigan over a patterned shirt (or even a solid shirt that’s an accent color) can provide a touch of variety without your clothing stealing the show.
Ask a lot of questions: Are we wearing too much of one color? Are all of our shirts the same color, or is there some variation between tops and bottoms? If Mom’s going to hold the baby in most of the photos, is there enough contrast between her blouse and what the baby is wearing? How will that look if we take shots of Dad and the boys?
If you’re taking photos with extended members of your family, don’t worry too much about the other members. If each couple or family looks good together, we can always arrange those who match too closely to be farther away from each other.
Finishing Touches
Finally, consider your shoes, socks, and other accessories. Boys’ and men’s shoes, socks, and belts tend to be pretty straightforward. However, girls and women generally have more options (including accessories like headbands, scarves, and jewelry) to help tie in the color scheme, so don’t neglect the little things as you’re planning what to wear.
