Erin Clayton

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Family Portrait Resources: What to Wear (and Not Wear) for Family Photos

Outfit Tips for Your Family Session: Professional Photographer Victoria BC

Once you’ve scheduled your family session and have chosen a location, the next step is to decide what everyone in your family will wear. Clothes add an extra layer of personality and expression to your family photos, but it can also feel overwhelming to choose clothes for the whole family so that’s why I’m here with guidance!

What to Wear for Your Family Photos

  • Textures, colours, and layers can really add beautiful dimension to your images

  • Clothes that have movement and flow, such as maxi skirts and dresses, are a beautiful choice for women and girls.

  • Colour is wonderful! With that in mind, you probably won’t want a rainbow assortment of colours, so a good rule of thumb is to try to keep everyone within the same three accenting colors. Here are some starting colour points:

    • Spring/Summer:

      • Olive Green, Denim, Cream & Light pink

      • Light Blue, Tan, White

      • Blush, Teal, White

    • Fall/Winter:

      • Grey, Mustard Yellow, Navy

      • Denim, Tan, Brown

      • Purple, White/Beige, Blue

  • Mix and match neutral colors as much as you’d like. Neutral colors include gray, black, white, beige and navy.

What Not to Wear for Family Photos

  • Clothing with distracting patterns, brand logos and graphics, but plaid, stripes, and polka dots usually work well

  • Hoodies, loose fitting tops, and cargo pants

  • Short dresses if they prevent you from sitting comfortably

  • Neon colours

  • Hats or jewelry that can move easily during your session without you noticing can sometimes distract from an otherwise perfect image of your family

Where to Shop:

  • H&M

  • Anthropologie

  • Gap

  • Old Navy

  • Zara

  • Banana Republic

  • Carter’s

  • The Bay

  • J Crew

One Last Thing

These are just general tips for what to wear and this post is meant to be a guide and not intended to suggest that you need to wear only these clothes. I love that each family brings their own unique style and personality to these what to wear suggestions to make your session uniquely yours. At the end of the day, your family session is all about capturing the love and connection you share as a family so you can remember how this moment felt for years to come!


Additional FAMILY RESOURCES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Why Golden Hour for Your Family Session

What’s the Difference Between Lustre and Deep Matte Prints?

The Secret to the Perfect Family Photo Session


About Erin Clayton Photography

Erin Clayton Photography is a family and children’s portrait photographer based in Langford, BC and serves Victoria, BC (Vancouver Island) and surrounding communities.

Learn more about family sessions with Erin Clayton Photography here.

Contact Erin to schedule your session.