What to wear for family photos
10 tips to look your best
YOUR STYLE
First and foremost, these photographs are all about you. They should convey your personality and style preferences. If you’re bohemian and casual, stick with that. If you prefer glitz and glam, play it up. It’s important to be yourself during your session, so wear something that reflects you. Word to the wise: If you wear something you’d typically never put on, you’ll probably feel uncomfortable.
PLAN YOUR OUTFITS
I recommend finding one piece that you love and working from there. Then choose coordinating outfits, not necessarily matching. Normally I recommend letting Mom choose her outfit first and then build around that. You can choose everything from the same color scheme or find one piece with a pattern and pull the other colors from there.
Limit logos and patterns that may compete with each other. If you have more than one pattern, make sure they are subtle and complimentary. I personally prefer medium and lighter colors for a Hawaii setting.
MAKE IT POP
You can still have fun and amplify your personal style by playing with colors and textures. Find a nice mix of neutral colors and then add a few pops of color where you can.
KEEP IT NEUTRAL
Neutral colors are always flattering and can be one of the easiest ways to coordinate outfits. Stick with creams, browns, and greys. Blacks and navy blues are harder to edit and tend to look blocky, so I recommend staying on the lighter side. One the opposite end, try to avoid all white outfits as well.
LAY IT ALL OUT
When planning your wardrobe, lay everything out together. How does it look overall? Can each piece be photographed with every other piece? Here are some examples of different possible combinations.
ALL ABOUT LOCATION
For your family session, we will be shooting on location. If you chose a lush green backdrop, avoid wearing green so you can stand out from the background. If there are a lot of trees, lighter solid colors will probably look better. Light and medium colors look great on the beach.
DETAILS
Feel free to wear accessories, as they can really add to an outfit. Just keep in mind that children aren’t always going to want to wear things like hats, ties, and bows. Be flexible and make sure they are still comfortable. Happy, comfortable kids make for better photos.
PRESSED AND POLISHED
Plan ahead for your session. A few nights before your photo shoot, lay out all the clothes you’ll wear. Make sure everything is clean, pressed, and ironed. This will take some of the stress out of the day, especially for Moms.
WEATHER
Hopefully we will have a perfect, lovely day with nice light, but take the location and weather into consideration. It gets windy at the beach, so plan accordingly for your hairstyle and outfit choice. Super short dresses can be a little revealing on a very windy day.
ALOHA PRINTS
We are in Hawaii and it’s traditional to wear matching Aloha wear for special occasions. I do have a few suggestions if you want to go this route. Break up the pattern by having some solid colors as well. If everyone is in the same bold print, everyone blends together and it is not as flattering. Big bold prints also take the attention away from your lovely faces. Insider tip: If you have never worn Aloha prints in your life, don’t start now. And please beware of mismatched aloha prints. If they are bold, the prints clash with each other. When in doubt, go with a very subtle pattern.
Some of my favorite places to shop for outfits:
Reverie Threads for the most adorable baby-toddler clothes
Target usually has great options for kids clothes
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