What to Wear for Your Family Session
Coordinate, don't match. Stick to soft, natural tones. Skip anything with loud logos or busy patterns. If you're stuck on what to wear yourself, the Motherhood Wardrobe is included with Signature and Premium packages.
The single biggest mistake families make is trying too hard. Matching white shirts and khakis photograph stiff. Themed outfits photograph forced. The goal is for everyone to look like they belong in the same photo, not like they were assigned a uniform.
Don’t want to think about? Check out my Motherhood Wardrobe
01 · Start with Color
Build the whole family's wardrobe around two or three colors in the same general tone family. Soft, neutral, earthy tones photograph best: creams, tans, soft whites, muted blues, dusty pinks, sage greens, warm browns. Pick a base color (cream, tan, soft white) and a couple of accent tones that work with it, then dress everyone within that range.
For mom: Lean into soft, flattering tones that look good against your skin. Cream, blush, soft sage, warm tan, dusty blue.
For your partner: Match the same tone family. If you're in cream, he's in cream or tan. If you're in sage, he's in olive or warm taupe. The two of you should read as connected without being matchy.
For your kids: Same color family, looser rules. A toddler in a slightly different shade of cream or a soft accent color is fine. Don't try to dress your three-year-old in the exact same outfit as your six-year-old. Variation within the palette photographs more natural than matching.
02 · Fabrics Matter More Than You'd Think
Soft, flowing, draping fabrics are what photograph best. They move with you, they catch natural light beautifully, and they let the focus stay on your family.
For mom: Soft knits, jersey, modal, flowing dresses, wraps, kimono-style layers. Anything that drapes and moves naturally.
For your partner: Soft button-downs, henleys, fine knits, linen, sweaters. Skip anything stiff or boxy.
For your kids: Soft cottons, knits, linen, anything that moves with them. Kids fidget. The wrong fabric (stiff, scratchy, restrictive) becomes a problem fast.
What to avoid across the board: Anything stiff, anything boxy, anything bulky. Thick sweaters that hide everyone's shape. Anything with elastic waistbands cutting in. Polyester that catches light in a weird way.
03 · What to Avoid
A few things photograph poorly no matter how good the rest of the outfit is.
Loud logos and graphics. Even a small logo on a t-shirt pulls focus. Same with character prints on kids' clothes (Spider-Man, Disney, sports teams).
Busy patterns. Florals, plaids, stripes that compete with each other across people. One person in a small subtle pattern is fine. Three people in different patterns at once is too much.
Neon and electric brights. Even one person in a neon piece changes the color of the photos around them.
All black or all white. Black absorbs light and reads heavy in outdoor sessions. All white tends to look like a Christmas card photo from the 90s.
Brand new shoes that don't fit yet. Speaking from experience watching toddlers refuse to walk.
04 · The Motherhood Wardrobe
If you're stuck on what to wear yourself, you can borrow from the Motherhood Wardrobe.
The wardrobe is a collection of dresses I've hand-picked to photograph beautifully in natural light. Soft tones, easy fits, styles that work whether you're pregnant, postpartum, or chasing a toddler. You don't need to buy anything new, you don't need to spend hours shopping, and you don't need to figure out what "photographs well" means. Just pick a piece and I'll bring it to your session.
Wardrobe access is included with Signature and Premium family packages.