Perfectly Imperfect

You want your family to look coordinated, but not matchy-matchy. You want to looked pulled together, but not overdone. I’ve got some tips and tricks to save yourself the headache! This blog post will walk you through how to approach your family’s outfits so that you feel beautiful and confident during your family photos. Leaving you the space to focus on the love and connections with your family – not the itchiness of your sweater or the drama of your kids not wanting to wear what you picked for them. Let’s get your crew camera ready; and answer your question “what to wear for in-home family photos?”.

No More Clothes Drama, Mama

No more drama & lost battles fighting your kids on what to wear for photos. The best way to avoid last-minute meltdowns is to include your kids in the process of choosing their clothes – if they are old enough.

Start by involving your kids in the shopping process – if possible let them pick from two or three options (already narrowed down by you, of course!) Plan to have their outfit washed and ready to go in their closet ahead of time.

Another tip is to make a big deal of showing their outfit to your partner, other siblings or grandparents. With a little planning, your little ones will be so excited to wear what you chose together!

If your little one is too tiny to be involved in picking their own clothes, they will most likely look better in a diaper or onsie. Babies are often held, snuggled, and loved on a lot during an in-home photo session; so clothes tend to get bunched up and tangled. Plus who doesn’t love a baby bod?

The Number One Rule

The number one rule for family photo sessions is that mom gets to choose what she wears first, then everyone else coordinates around her. Mamas, photos are your rare chance to be seen in all the invisible work that you do day in and day out. It’s time to ditch the mom guilt, and put yourself first! Select something that you can comfortably move around in, sit, stand, lie down, twirl, tickle and run around in! But most of all, choose something that makes you feel AMAZING!

What About Clashing with My Home?

Most people overthink this and worry too much about clashing with their couch – but you chose your home, your furnishings and your clothes. If you have bedding with big patterns or a bright color couch, of course you’ll need to consider what colors and clothing will complement it, but overall focus on choosing clothes that you love. As your family photographer, if I notice something that needs to be adjusted, I may pull the pillows off your bed or stay in part of the house that has the most complementary background or most appealing lighting.

Outfits for the Whole Fam

For a coordinated-but-not matchy, perfectly imperfect vibe. Since you’ve started with what you’re wearing mama, you’ve got 1-3 colors to pull from already. Use these as your color palette and dress your family members in each of the colors pulled from your outfit, or add more colors if yours doesn’t have enough. You can also consider lighter or darker shades of those colors. Try to avoid having any two family members dressed in the same color unless it’s broken up between top/bottom. Example: One family member is wearing blue pants, another can wear a blue shirt.

Small prints & textures add variety and complexity to your outfits. Examples of texture are eyelet, stitching, ruffles, knit, thick denim.

Do’s & Don’ts

• Simplicity is always best, so when in doubt keep in mind that “less is more.”
• Warm, earthy and neutral tones complement your skin tones and don’t conflict with common background elements.
• Avoid excessive patterns and stripes.
• Avoid clothing with logos, pictures, words, as they can be distracting.
• Wear clothing that fits properly. A proper fit that allows you to move and feel comfortable will help you look more confident in your photos.
• Ditch the shoes. Socks or bare feet always look best when indoors.

Don’t Forget

Your family photo session should be about you, you family and the love you have for each other. Your clothes should support the feelings you want to feel and create during your session.

What to Wear for In-Home Family Photos?

Every RMP client receives full styling assistance for the whole family! Whether you have outfits in mind or are starting from scratch; together we will create a beautiful and cohesive look for your family photo session. Contact me to find out more about planning a session. For more tips and info about Spokane Family Photography sessions, follow along on Instagram!

I am a family photographer based in Spokane, WA; serving Spokane and the surrounding areas.