What to wear for your family portrait

Tips on selecting clothes for your session:

Be Timeless -
Clothing can easily date your portrait.  For that reason, simple clothing with a timeless cut and style works best.  Single colors work best.  Avoid busy patterns and text on shirts.  If you would like to choose a pattern, plaid is a timeless pattern that can work well.  Long-sleeves are a good call for most portraits, taking attention away from the arms and keeping it on the faces and expressions.  Jeans, khaki, black or grey pants can be timeless and casual.  Darker clothing recedes in the image and can appear slimming.
 
Color & Style -
A good place to start is to pick a color that is flattering to your skin tone.  For example, maroon, pink and khaki dominate my closet.  Another good choice is blue and white.  Different hues of the same color family, or complimentary colors work great together. Instead of looking for top-to-bottom looks for everyone in your family, decide on a color scheme that works for all, like white shirts and blue jean bottoms or black pants with light blue tops.  Ideally, keep your clothing selection within the same style (dressy, casual, sporty, etc.). For a soft, timeless look, choose neutral colors in classic styles. Bold patterns and bright colors can detract from a portrait, but if it’s your style you may want to consider pairing a single pattern (like stripes or plaid) with solids. 

Layering -
Layers will not only provide more visual interest in your photos but they will also allow a lot more variety in your shots and poses.  Layering also lets you easily and quickly vary your look; simply add a sweater, jacket, or hat and you have an entirely different look without changing your entire outfit.

Comfort Counts -
​Remember: the goal of your photo shoot is to capture the members of your family as they are today. Consider that you might be sitting or leaning in different poses. If you are having an outdoor session, be sure to wear shoes that you can walk around in the grass or woods in.  High heels do not work well outdoors and will sink into the ground.  Also, shoes are not the main focus of a portrait and are often not included in the picture.  They will show up at some point, so please try to match these also with the same guidelines as the clothes.  Brown or black usually works best and will blend in with most outfits.  Another option to consider is going barefoot.  This natural look is cute, especially for young children's portraits and indoor family pictures with kids. 

Try this. Lay out everyone’s clothing together in the room where your portrait will be displayed so that you can see how the colors, patterns, and textures of the photo will complement those of the room itself. Replace outfits and add accessories until you achieve a fresh and exciting look for that room.

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