What to Wear for Family Portraits | A Styling Guide for the Whole Family
From color palettes and patterns to shoes, accessories, and personal style, here's how to coordinate the whole family without making everyone look alike.
When Everyone Has Their Own Idea of What to Wear
Coordinating outfits for family portraits can be a little overwhelming, especially when you're trying to dress five people with five different personalities, opinions, and ideas about what looks good. Add a toddler who refuses to wear anything but their favorite dinosaur shirt, or a teenager who would rather be just about anywhere else, and things can get interesting pretty quickly.
But here's the good news. Putting together a great wardrobe for family portraits doesn't mean everyone needs to match, wear neutral colors, or suddenly develop an entirely new sense of style.
In fact, some of my favorite family portraits happen when everyone's individual personality comes through in what they're wearing, while the overall wardrobe still feels connected.
Whether you're planning portraits with young children, teenagers, college students home for the holidays, or a family of adults, these family portrait styling tips will help you put together outfits that look great together without making everyone look exactly alike.
Choose a Color Palette That Brings Everyone Together
One of the easiest ways to coordinate family outfits is to begin with a color palette rather than trying to find matching clothing for everyone.
Think of three or four complementary colors that work well together, then build individual outfits around those tones. You might combine earthy greens, warm browns, cream, and muted blue, or go with a richer palette of burgundy, navy, camel, and soft neutrals.
And don't feel like you're limited to subdued colors. Rich jewel tones, bright colors, and even bold combinations can photograph beautifully when they're balanced across the family.
The important thing is that the colors complement one another without competing for attention.
You also don't need every color represented in every outfit. One person might wear a patterned dress that incorporates several colors from the palette, while another wears a solid shirt that picks up just one of those tones.
This creates a sense of connection without making everyone look like they purchased their clothes from the same rack.
Mix Patterns, Textures, and Layers
This is where family styling can become much more interesting.
Patterns are absolutely welcome. Florals, plaids, stripes, and other prints can bring personality and visual interest to your portraits. The trick is balancing them rather than having every outfit compete for attention.
For example, if Mom is wearing a floral dress with several colors, those colors can become the foundation for the rest of the family's wardrobe. Dad might wear a textured button-down, one child could wear a solid sweater, and another might wear a subtle stripe that complements the overall palette.
Textures are equally important. Linen, denim, knits, corduroy, lace, and other fabrics add dimension even when the colors are relatively simple.
Layers can also make an enormous difference. A jacket over a dress, a cardigan, a vest, or an open button-down can add depth and give us a little variety throughout the session.
Of course, we don't need to pile on layers just for the sake of having them. In Central Texas, especially during the warmer months, there's a fine line between looking stylish and looking like you're about to mel
Let Everyone Bring a Little Personality
Family portraits should look like your family, and that includes allowing everyone some room to express their own style.
This becomes particularly important when you're photographing families with teenagers, college-age children, or adults.
A family of five adults presents a very different styling challenge from a family with three young children. Everyone has established tastes, favorite clothing styles, and perhaps a few strong opinions about what they absolutely will not wear.
And that's okay!
One person might prefer a more classic look, while another gravitates toward something modern or a little edgy. Those styles can absolutely work together when the colors, textures, and overall level of dress complement one another.
The goal isn't to make everyone look identical. It's to create enough visual consistency that the portraits feel cohesive while still allowing each person to look and feel like themselves.
I would much rather photograph a teenager wearing something they genuinely love than spend the entire session trying to convince them that the outfit someone else chose is wonderful.
Trust me, teenagers have a way of communicating their opinions without saying a word.
Don't Forget the Shoes and Accessories
Shoes and accessories are often the last things people think about, but they can make a surprising difference in the finished portraits.
A beautifully coordinated wardrobe can feel completely different once everyone puts on their shoes.
Think about how footwear complements both the clothing and the location. Boots, sandals, loafers, dress shoes, and even sneakers can work beautifully depending on the overall styling.
And while we may spend part of a session photographing from the waist up, we will almost certainly create full-length portraits too. So yes, the shoes matter!
I've seen some beautifully coordinated outfits over the years, only to discover at the last minute that someone's footwear apparently didn't get the wardrobe memo.
Accessories are another opportunity to add personality. Jewelry, belts, hats, scarves, and other details can help complete an outfit.
Sometimes a delicate necklace or a simple pair of earrings is all an outfit needs. Other times, a bold piece of jewelry can be exactly what brings everything together.
There's no universal rule that less is always more. It depends on the outfit, the person wearing it, and the overall aesthetic we're creating.
Just be mindful of accessories that require constant adjusting or become distracting, particularly with younger children.
Comfort Matters, Especially for Younger Children
If you've ever tried convincing a three-year-old to wear an itchy sweater for an extended period of time, you probably already know where this section is going.
Comfort is important for everyone, but it's especially important for babies, toddlers, and younger children.
Clothing that scratches, pinches, rides up, or restricts movement can quickly become the center of attention, and not in the way we want.
And believe me, no amount of convincing is going to make an itchy sweater suddenly become a toddler's favorite piece of clothing. That's a negotiation we're probably not going to win.
Choose clothing that allows children to sit, stand, walk, run, and move naturally. Dresses should be comfortable enough for sitting and playing, while pants and shirts should fit properly without needing constant adjustments.
For babies, pay particular attention to clothing that bunches around the face or shifts awkwardly when they're being held.
And don't forget about shoes. A beautiful pair of shoes isn't going to help much if your child refuses to walk in them.
Younger children are often at their best when they're comfortable enough to forget about what they're wearing. That freedom makes a tremendous difference in how naturally they interact with everyone during the session.
Consider the Location, Season, and Weather
Your wardrobe and your portrait location should complement one another, and this is something I pay particular attention to when planning family sessions.
Sometimes I have a location in mind early in the planning process, but after seeing everyone's outfits, I realize another setting might work much better.
A wardrobe that looks beautiful against the stone architecture of an Austin landmark might feel completely different in a grassy field or along a wooded trail. Likewise, a more contemporary collection of outfits may work beautifully against clean architectural lines or an urban backdrop.
That's one of the reasons I like to see everyone's clothing well before the session. It gives me an opportunity to evaluate the entire wardrobe and, when necessary, adjust our location plans to complement it.
Seasonal considerations are important too.
In spring and summer, lighter fabrics and breathable clothing can make outdoor sessions much more comfortable. During fall and winter, richer textures, layers, and warmer fabrics can work beautifully.
But don't assume that fall automatically means everyone needs to wear rust, mustard, and brown, or that spring requires pastels. Those can be wonderful choices, but they're certainly not requirements.
And because we're photographing in Austin and the Texas Hill Country, we also have to be realistic about the weather. A heavy sweater might look fantastic in October, but if it's 88 degrees outside, we may need another plan.
What Not to Wear for Family Portraits
Let's talk about a few styling choices that can make family portraits more challenging.
First, the classic white shirts and blue jeans.
There was a time when a lot of family portrait seemed to feature this combination. And while there's absolutely nothing wrong with a great white shirt or a favorite pair of jeans, putting everyone in the exact same combination tends to eliminate much of the contrast and visual interest.
When everyone is standing close together, all those white shirts tend to blend into one giant, indistinguishable sea of white.
And unless we're photographing a family of snowmen, we can probably do a little better.
Instead, try varying the colors, textures, and styles while maintaining a coordinated palette. You can absolutely incorporate white shirts and denim without dressing everyone identically.
Large logos and prominent branding are another thing I generally recommend avoiding. They can pull attention away from faces and become the first thing someone notices in a photograph.
Graphics, on the other hand, aren't automatically off-limits. A vintage band tee or a thoughtfully chosen graphic shirt might work perfectly for someone's personal style, particularly when the rest of the wardrobe supports that aesthetic.
The distinction is whether the graphic contributes to the overall look or distracts from it.
I would also be cautious about having too many bold patterns competing in the same group. A little variety is wonderful, but when everyone is wearing a different large-scale print, the photographs can become visually overwhelming.
And finally, avoid waiting until the last minute to start putting everything together. Giving yourself time to coordinate outfits, check the fit, and make any necessary adjustments will save a lot of unnecessary stress.
Give Everything a Trial Run Before Session Day
One of the best things you can do before your family portrait session is have everyone try on their complete outfit.
And by complete, I mean everything: clothing, shoes, jewelry, belts, and any other accessories you plan to wear.
And preferably not five minutes before you're supposed to leave for your session. That's a particularly unfortunate time to discover that your son's pants are now three inches too short.
An outfit that looks great hanging in the closet may fit differently once it's actually on, especially if it's something you haven't worn in a while.
Make sure everyone can move comfortably, sit down, and interact naturally without constantly adjusting their clothing.
I also like to review everyone's outfits approximately two weeks before the session.
This isn't about approving or disapproving anyone's personal style. It's about seeing how everything works together, catching potential issues early, and making sure the wardrobe complements the locations we're considering.
Sometimes a simple adjustment makes all the difference. Swapping one shirt, changing a pair of shoes, or introducing another color can bring the entire wardrobe together.
And occasionally, the outfits are exactly right, but they inspire me to reconsider the location. That's why I prefer to have these conversations well before we're standing in front of the camera.
Bringing It All Together
The best family portrait wardrobes aren't necessarily the most expensive, the trendiest, or the ones that follow every styling rule you've ever read.
They're the ones that feel connected without sacrificing the personalities of the people wearing them.
Whether you're coordinating outfits for two parents and three energetic little kids or gathering your adult children together for the first family portraits you've had in years, the same general principle applies: choose clothing that complements one another, feels comfortable, and reflects who you are.
And remember, you don't have to figure everything out on your own.
When we plan your family portrait session, we'll talk through wardrobe choices, locations, and the details that can make a difference. Families who book a session also receive additional preparation and styling guidance to help make the process easier.
If you're considering family portraits in Austin or the Texas Hill Country, I'd love to hear what you have in mind.
Let's Plan Your Family Portrait Session
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