What To Wear For Family Photos
What to wear for family photos, you ask? If you’re planning your family photos, chances are you’re also trying to plan the perfect outfits. I mean, these photos will be remembered for a lifetime—you have to make sure you and your family look amazing!
Today, I’m going to share my top secrets for looking your ABSOLUTE BEST while flattering your best features. We’ll also talk a little about how to coordinate outfits well, but only briefly, since I’ll save color coordinating for another post.
On to the secrets!
Pick Your Outfit First
I see this often—Mom buys everyone’s outfits first, then leaves hers for last. Then she’s frantically searching for the perfect outfit for weeks and still can’t find one that matches the family well and minimizes her arms. Hey, it’s me. I’m Mom.
Yes, I used to make that mistake every time we got our photos taken. It was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made because I had to settle for what I found instead of buying the dress I actually wanted. This made me hate the way I looked in my photos, so I rarely posted them.
My biggest advice? Pick out YOUR outfit first, then start looking for the kids’ outfits. You will always find something for the kids—trust me. So PICK YOUR OUTFIT FIRST!
Find Outfits That Hide Insecurities
SpSpeaking of never wanting to post my photos because I hated my arms… my next secret is to be mindful of any insecurities you have.
Before I continue—every woman is beautiful in my eyes, and you should love yourself no matter how you look. I am not saying I don’t love myself, but I know I am insecure about my arms and belly. If you can relate, keep reading!
My best advice is to find an outfit that minimizes the area you’re worried about. For me, this is a flowy dress (hides the belly) with fluffy arms (hides arms). If you want, you can also wear a loose cardigan—but you can never go wrong with a flowy dress!
My favorite place to shop? Baltic Born.
(Photo credit: Baltic Born website)
Layer Up!
Next time you walk by the mall, take a look at the mannequins—you’ll notice most of them are wearing multiple layers. Layers on men look amazing on camera! Even when it’s hot outside, it’s worth an hour or two of discomfort for photos that will last a lifetime.
Adding extra layers brings depth and visual interest to your photos. When it’s cooler out, you could even add a v-neck sweater with a pop of color from a long-sleeved collared shirt and tie underneath, or bring a leather or denim jacket.
Don’t be afraid to get creative with layers—they always look SO GOOD on camera!
Do Not “Match”
Lastly, for the love of all things color, do not—I repeat, DO NOT—match colors.
“But Gabby, whatever do you mean?” Well, the camera and the human brain love when outfits are coordinated in colors, not perfectly matching.
For example, we don’t want everyone to wear blue jeans and black shirts. Yikes. Please don’t. Instead, we want everyone to have a dominant color.
This is how I do it:
(See photo for reference) Let’s say I find my dress. It has beautiful pink flowers with accent colors of browns and greens. My dominant color is off-white.
- My daughter can wear a pink dress with tan lace, making pink her dominant color.
- My husband can wear tan (matching the accent color in my dress) or green.
BOOM! Outfits are coordinating perfectly—not matching. Making sense?
That’s it for now! I hope you find these tips helpful in your next search for family photo outfits. Read more tips on the blog.
Blog was created by Gabby Canario Photography. Family & Portrait Photographing In Scottsdale AZ. Want to book a family session? Contact us for more details!
