What to wear for family portraits

I've had quite a few people ask me what to wear for their family portrait sessions and after doing some research I found this amazing article that pretty much nailed it! Keep in mind these aren't "rules" just a basic guideline:)

Author: Heather Mann of
Heather Mann Photography

Family portraits are something that we all love to get. It is a fabulous way to spend time with your family and capture the love that you share together. But for some reason, what to wear can cause a lot of stress on a lot of families. Here are just a few tips from a photographer’s point of view to help ease this part of the process.

1. Make sure you are comfortable. If you wear something that looks good, but you are not comfortable in, it will show in your pictures. Keep it simple. The key is to be yourself and keep it real. If you are most comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt, then by all means wear jeans and a t-shirt. There are ways to dress this simple outfit up. Bold scarves, fun hats, colorful jackets, funky jewelry, etc. Don’t try to be someone you aren’t…just for a picture! Your outfit should reflect who YOU are & YOUR personality!

2. Wear layers. Layers are interesting and really add depth to a picture. Think in terms of textures also when you are adding layers. Plus, with layers you can do a few different looks just by adding or taking away.

3. Match, but don’t be too matchy! You want to look like a family…but individuals as well. We don’t really want to look like we are all wearing the same uniform! So go for a color scheme. Jeans are a great base to start from and usually photograph well. Tip: darker jeans are a bit better than light jeans. Then add from there. Maybe choose 2 or 3 different colors. For example, grey, yellow, and blue. All beautiful colors. Make grey your base color, meaning everyone has some shade of grey in their outfit. Then build on with accent colors. Maybe a yellow scarf on mom, or a blue and yellow striped tie on dad. Usually having one fun color that “pops” is cool. Like the yellow…you get the idea.

4. Stay away from big labels and patterns. Labels are generally a no go For me anyway. Patterns are a little more ok…depending on the feel and mood you are going for in your portraits. If you want something fun and funky, then by all means…bring on the stripes, polka dots, and plaid! Playful tights on moms and daughters are fun. Splashy hats, or shirts are great for both boys and girls. Just don’t go overboard.

Now, I deleted her #5 because I didn't agree with it. I am adding my own #5!

5. I tend to photograph in natural, more rustic locations and so keeping that in mind dressing in solids with more natural, earthy, neutral tones works well.

Also, I wanted to add that an easy way to pick out your families outfits is to pick one outfit first and choosing the other outfits in colors that coordinate with that outfit. This way you are getting a seamless look that will be very classic but not too "matchy".

A few more things to keep in mind when picking your outfits:

A) Darker colors tend to be slimming and lighter colors tend to make you appear larger.
B) Avoid short sleeves and shorts: skin tones can vary & be distracting so half sleeves or long sleeves are usually best.
C) And most importantly avoid getting sunburnt or letting tan lines show! These two particular things are difficult to fix in photoshop!

I hope this helps with clothing choices for family portraits! And remember, it’s really not the clothes that make the picture…it’s the beauty of your sweet family all together!

If you have any further questions about what to wear please feel free to call me:)

Until then here are a few photos of me & my girl playing at the park last week.
xoxo, Jen