What Should I Wear to My Family Photos?
If you've started Googling this, I bet you've already fallen down the Pinterest rabbit hole. There are a million boards out there full of inspiration, and if you look closely at any photographer's portfolio, you can usually tell exactly what's sitting in their "client closet" or what they tell people to wear. Neutral. Earth-toned. Maybe a little warm, maybe a little dark. Safe.
I'm probably in the minority here, but I'm not going to tell you to wear beige.
I want my clients to feel like *themselves* in their photos — like their clothes actually resemble their personalities. My goal is to represent your family so well that you can't help but print the photos and hang them in your home. And here's the thing: your clothing style usually isn't too far off from your decorating style. So I want your outfits to complement your home and feel like *you*, not like a color palette you borrowed for one afternoon.
A Few Wardrobe Tips I Always Share
That said, there are a handful of things I remind almost every client, no matter what colors or style they're drawn to:
- **Graphic tees usually don't age well.** They tend to be one of the things people regret most when they look back at their family photos a few years later.
- **Bold patterns can steal the show** — literally. They pull the eye toward the pattern instead of toward your faces.
- **Clashing colors do the same thing**, competing for attention instead of letting your family be the focus.
- **All matching makes portraits feel flat.** When everyone wears the exact same thing, the photos lose dimension.
- **Never underestimate texture.** Tulle, sweaters, velvet, scarves, gauze, linen — texture adds so much richness to a photo, even in a simple color palette.
Let's Build a Palette Together (A Real Example)
When I start putting together my own family's wardrobe for photos, I usually start with one piece — often something on me or one of my girls.
Right now, I have this dress I love. It's long and flowy, really flattering, and it has a pattern without being too flashy or distracting. That dress becomes my starting point, and I pull the rest of the family's colors straight from it.
From there, I might add a nice green polo for one of the kids, and another subtle pattern — like a striped dress — for a sibling. That stripe keeps things from feeling too plain when I'm photographing the kids together.
For dad, I'll keep his shirt simple, especially in photos where it's just the two of us, so our patterns aren't competing for attention. And for the baby, I want something that complements everyone else while adding a little texture of its own — a swiss dot dress works perfectly, and it looks good no matter who's holding her.
Throw in some denim and a good pair of shoes, and just like that, you have a cohesive, put-together family wardrobe that still feels like *your* family — not a template.
Color Is Not the Enemy
I really don't shy away from color, and I love working with all kinds of palettes:
- Light and neutral
- Bold and colorful
- Pastels
- Dark and moody
- Warm and rich
- Shades of blue
They all have a place, and Rachel Chamberlain Photography welcomes them all. Your family photos should look like *you*, not like whatever's trending on Pinterest this month.
Need Help Planning Your Outfits?
Wardrobe planning is genuinely one of my favorite parts of working with a family before a session. If you're a Turlock or Central Valley family getting ready for a photo session and you're staring at your closet unsure where to start, I'd love to help walk you through it — piece by piece, just like I did above.
[Reach out here to book your Turlock family photography session and get personalized wardrobe help]
