A year and a half ago, I posted a blog with this same title.  I’ve often sent clients to the link when they need suggestions on what to wear. I definitely used it a lot, and it was a helpful, informative blog post for me to have written. Well worth my time to look through my images and take the time to find families who I thought have done an incredible job choosing cohesive outfits.  Did I miss many well dressed families? Yes, of course.  But I chose a handful that stuck out at me and wanted to make an updated post.  Much of my wording will remain the same from my last post.

Summer is over, and fall is here!  Fall is always my busiest season–lots of families want a session now that the heat of summer is over.  Weather gets tricky around here this time of year, so for your upcoming session, you never know if it’s going to be fifty degrees or eighty!  Rochester is a tricky, tricky place.  Obviously one of the biggest concerns with clients is what to wear at their session.  Being that you only get your pictures done every once in awhile, it’s important to dress for success with your session.  You want something that reflects your family’s personality, and something that’s going to make a statement in your images.

For the whole family, make sure you plan your outfits completely a few days before your session–or a few weeks if you are super excited, like I normally am when I am planning on getting pictures done. The tricky part it the weather, of course, so it’s important to have an option for warmth if need be–weather that’s a long sleeve shirt underneath the outfit, or something of the like to keep those kiddos warm in the case of a chilly day.  Here are some general rules of the road for making picture-perfect fashion decisions: Choose a palette of three to four colors and mix it up, including both pants, skirts, dresses, etc. You want a cohesive feel to your outfits, but without being too overly ‘matchy-matchy’. Picture a page in a clothing catalog where everyone coordinates, but nobody stands out more than the rest. Layered clothing looks fabulous. Arrange your outfits ahead of time on a big bed, including accessories/tights/shoes. Make sure all clothes are clean and ironed and on hangers a few days before your session. Remember, shoes should be clean and stylish, too.  In the summer, barefoot is great. . . but make sure those little piggy toes are clean!

Babies and kids can be bold with color and style. Show off their fun style with layered clothing.  Colors and patterns that are bold are some of my favorites.  Make sure their clothes fit properly–you don’t want flood pants or overly baggy shirts.  Definitely for the girls, hair accessories are wonderful.

For adults, make sure you choose clothes that flatter your body type and coordinate well with the rest of the group.  Layers and accessories are great for you too!  Avoid overly dressy clothes–ties and suits are not necessary, though a snazzy sports coat and jeans on a guy would look fantastic if it went with the rest of your outfits, and if that were normally your style!

Overall, have a fun time choosing your outfits.  Most of the time, during full sessions, there is even time for an outfit change if you just can’t decide between a few options.  Also, if you wanted to coordinate your whole family’s outfits for your together shots, but then wanted a separate outfit for your child(ren) during their sibling or separate shots, that’s definitely okay!  I want you to be able to have something in the end that you absolutely adore–and if that means a couple of different outfits, I am all for it.

With the addition of Pinterest into our everyday lives, there are so many neat outfit ideas out there if you are still struggling with how to dress for your session.  And I will leave you with a few final last thoughts to sum up the post:

Fun, colorful, layers, accessories, cohesion and not too matchy-matchy!