What to Wear for Your Photo Session
Look Like You. Just a Little More Put Together.
One of the biggest questions I hear before a photo session is, “What should we wear?” The good news? You don’t need perfectly matching outfits or an entirely new wardrobe. The goal is to choose clothing that feels like you, coordinates beautifully with your family, and works with the setting we’ve chosen for your session. I’ve put together styling guides for some of my most popular Chicagoland photo locations to make planning a little easier.
Choose Your Location Style
Perfect for forest preserves, wildflower fields, trails and other natural settings.
Earthy tones, soft neutrals, texture and layers photograph beautifully against greenery, prairie grasses and fall foliage.
Beach sessions call for a softer, more relaxed approach.
Think light neutrals, muted blues, soft pastels, flowing fabrics and outfits with movement that complement the sand, water and sunset.
Downtown locations are perfect for a slightly more polished or modern look.
Denim, structured pieces, dresses, jackets, boots and richer colors work beautifully against brick, stone, architecture and city streets.
A Few Styling Tips That Work Anywhere
Coordinate. Don’t Match.
Instead of putting everyone in the same color, choose a palette of approximately three or four complementary colors and mix them throughout everyone’s outfits.
For example:
Cream + denim + camel + muted blue
or
Olive + rust + cream + warm brown
This creates a coordinated look without making everyone feel overly matched.
Start With One Outfit
If you’re styling a family, start with the person whose outfit is usually the hardest to choose.
Often, that’s Mom.
Choose something you feel great in first, then pull colors from that outfit to build the rest of the family’s wardrobe.
A patterned dress can be especially helpful because it gives you several colors to work from.
Add Texture & Layers
Texture photographs beautifully. Layers also give us an easy way to change up your look during the session without doing a full outfit change.
Think:
Knits
Linen
Denim
Suede
Corduroy
Flowy fabrics
Cardigans
Jackets
Subtle patterns
Think About Movement
Your session won’t consist of everyone standing still and smiling at the camera.
We’ll walk, play, snuggle, sit and move.
Choose clothing that allows you and your children to move comfortably.
Flowy dresses and skirts are especially beautiful because they naturally create movement in photographs.
Things I Recommend Avoiding
A few things tend to pull attention away from the people in the photograph:
Large logos or graphics
Neon colors
Very busy patterns
Everyone wearing exactly the same color
Athletic sneakers unless they intentionally fit the look
Wrinkled clothing
Clothing that constantly needs adjusting
And while white can photograph beautifully, you don’t need to put the entire family in white shirts and jeans.
Variation creates much more interesting photographs.
Most Important: Feel Like Yourself
These photographs should still look like your family.
You don’t need to dress everyone in clothing they would never normally wear just because you’re having professional pictures taken.
Think of it as an elevated version of your everyday style.
Comfortable. Coordinated. Intentional.
And if you’re ever unsure about an outfit, send me a photo before your session. I’m always happy to help you pull everything together.
Already Chosen Your Location?
Head over to my Photo Location Guide to explore some of my favorite forest preserves, beaches and downtown locations throughout the Chicagoland area.
Ready for Your Session?
Beautiful photos start with a little planning, but you don’t have to figure it all out yourself. From choosing your location to coordinating outfits and guiding everyone through the session, I’ll help you every step of the way.