Lacey’s Rules for Family Photo Outfits
Not sure if it’s just me but I don’t feel accomplished if I haven’t taken family photos by the end of the year. It is absolute agony to get my kids and myself dressed and ready for photos but it is always SO worth it and I’ve never once regretted putting my family through the trauma.
Quick photographer plug for Atlanta girlies: My favorite Atlanta photographer that we have worked with since Lucy’s maternity shoot is Grace Emily Photography. She also offers mini sessions for families and unique shooting locations, including her personal family farm and a studio in Roswell. Tell her I sent you :)
This post is dedicated to my cardinal rules for family photo outfits. Remember - these are my personal rules. If you disagree with something, we can still be friends! At the end of the day, you should be happy with how you show up in photos so take the bits you want to take from my advice and leave the bits you want to leave.
Something I’ve done recently is work with a Virtual Stylist to help me put outfits together for upcoming trips, and this is something I highly recommend if you aren’t super confident in your ability to make outfit choices. I loved my experience with Avri Lauren and her styling fee is super reasonable and customizable.
My general rules for family photo outfits:
No animal print, no bright colors, I generally avoid metallics, nothing too trendy, no bras showing, nothing ill-fitting. No statement pieces, no flashy jewelry, women’s shoes should always have a heel.
Everyone should not be wearing the exact same shade of the same color. Pick a color family and allow everyone to choose things that are relatively close to that color.
Avoid patterns but don’t avoid textures - this is especially true for fall/cold month outfits. Find ways to incorporate different textures: below you’ll see textures including Evie’s green velvet dress, my dad’s knit sweater, my blue lace dress, and the girls wearing ribbed tights.
Only one person should be wearing all white/cream/beige. For example, if mom is in a white dress, dad shouldn’t be wearing an all white polo or button down.
Mom’s Outfit:
Sue me for this, but mom’s outfit is the most important outfit for family photos. It’s important that you feel good but also pick something that is flattering and non-offensive so when you look back on these photos in a few years you don't curse yourself for your fashion choices (hello 80s bridesmaid dresses). Kids look good in anything and honestly kids being forced to wear ugly outfits by their mom is a rite of passage that everyone should experience. So prioritize yourself and spend that money honey. You can always resell on Poshmark.
Neutrals are your friend: Beige, white, creams are my favorite. I also like solid soft colors (blue and green examples below).
Patterns are okay but be careful: Patterns are okay in moderation. I included some examples below - look at Mal’s black dress and my white dress with pink florals. Dainty florals are just about the only pattern you’ll see me in.
Highlight your best feature: For example, I think my best feature is my arms/collarbone so I don’t typically shy away from sleeveless. Mal hates her arms so she always wears dresses with sleeves in family photos. For postpartum photos I like a flowy dress.
Neutral shoes with a heel: This is not the place for your shoes to be star of the show. Wear nude heels year-round, a neutral color boot in cold months, or closed toed heels. Don’t wear flats please I am begging.
With jewelry, less is more: You’ll see in the photos below that I am not wearing jewelry in most of them. TBH this is likely because I don’t have enough time to plan outfit details for myself but I also think that jewelry should be minimal in photos. Don’t wear your statement necklaces or earrings. And for the love of everything, take the hair tie off of your wrist!! See if you can find my black hair tie in the photos below… I hate myself for that.
Places I shop for dresses: Zara, Shopbop, Reformation, Gap/Banana Republic, Rent the Runway, Sleeper, Lulu’s, Self Portrait, Solai the Label.
Dad’s Outfit:
Khaki pants, button up shirt for cold months, short sleeve polo for warm months. No shorts. Shirt tucked in with a belt that matches shoes. Nice, leather shoes. Combed hair. Maybe a quarter-zip lightweight sweater on top of a polo if it’s really cold (see my dad, above). That’s it! NO ONE CARES WHAT DAD IS WEARING. He’s there to complement Mom.
Kid’s Outfits:
Here’s where I think you can get a little more fun and experimental because again, an everlasting photo of a bad outfit gives kids character. For my kids, I actually mostly follow the same rules that I follow for myself but I do allow myself to get more creative with patterns, etc. Matching outfits work here but I also like to find brands that have a variety of styles in the same patterns.
Girl outfits
My favorite outfits for girls are floral print sets with collars that evoke the Spanish way of dressing children. I love a diaper set, even for Evie who is 4. I think chunky thighs are one of the things to memorialize about childhood so I like a short dress that shows their cute little leggies.
If it’s cold, I recommend tights for girls. My favorite are ribbed tights.
If you’re not wearing shoes, the baby doesn’t need to wear shoes. If you are wearing shoes, a t-bar or mary jane shoe is perfect for girls. Amazon has cheap ones. Don’t wear white shoes for winter photos. I do like T-Bar metallic shoes for kids.
Hairbows are a must for me and my girls. My favorites are from Shrimp and Grits, called the “Biggie Bow.”
Boy outfits
For boys, I would recommend sticking to something that is more solid but you can get creative with textures (knits, etc.).
Stay away from graphic t-shirts or shirts with something on the front of it. Something small and inoffensive (train, for example) is fine but I would avoid the giant appliques like this.
Again, closed toed shoes. If it’s cold, have them wear pants. I am also a fan of shorts with high socks for boys but I know this look isn’t for everyone.
Places to shop: La Coqueta (expensive as hell but it’s my favorite), Feltman Brothers, Dondolo, Cygnet Living, Sal and Pimenta, Cecil & Lou, Smockingbird, Zara
Okay girlies, I think that’s it from me! Thanks for reading. I’ll follow up soon with another post on suggestions for fall family photos :)
