What to Wear for Urban & Downtown Family Photos
Urban and downtown locations are perfect for families who want their photos to feel a little more modern, polished and timeless.
Brick buildings, stone walls, bridges, storefronts and city streets give us plenty of variety, and your wardrobe can be a little more structured and elevated than it might be for a nature session.
Think denim, dresses, sweaters, jackets, boots, loafers and layers.
The Easiest Way to Coordinate Your Family
STEP 1 — Start With Mom
Choose Mom’s outfit first.
A dress, skirt, elevated sweater and jeans combination or jumpsuit can establish both the color palette and how dressy or casual the rest of the family should be.
STEP 2 — Choose 3–5 Colors
Pull colors from Mom’s outfit or choose complementary shades.
You don’t need every person wearing every color. The goal is simply for the colors to work together.
STEP 3 — Add Dad
Keep Dad simple.
A solid button-down, henley, sweater, polo or casual jacket paired with chinos or dark denim works beautifully downtown.
STEP 4 — Dress the Kids
Pull different colors from your palette rather than putting siblings in identical outfits.
Let each child have their own look while still coordinating with the family.
STEP 5 — Add Layers + Texture
This is where urban sessions really shine.
Denim jackets, blazers, cardigans, sweaters, leather or suede details, corduroy, linen and textured knits give your photos dimension and make outfits feel finished.
Want Me to Check Your Outfits?
You don’t have to figure this out alone.
Once your session is booked, send me photos or screenshots of the outfits you’re considering. I’ll help you coordinate colors, spot anything that may photograph awkwardly and pull the entire look together.
And please don’t feel like everyone needs a brand-new wardrobe. We can often create a beautiful, coordinated look using pieces you already own.
Urban Family Photo Color Palettes
SPRING
Dusty blue • cream • blush • camel • soft gray • muted sage
SUMMER
Cream • denim blue • tan • warm white • dusty rose • soft navy
FALL
Camel • burgundy • cream • chocolate • rust • navy • olive
WINTER
Black • camel • cream • charcoal • burgundy • deep green • navy
What Should Each Person Wear?
MOM
Urban locations are a great place to go slightly more polished.
Try:
- Midi or maxi dresses
- Sweater dresses
- Jumpsuits
- Flowy skirts with fitted tops
- Dark jeans with an elevated sweater or blouse
- Blazers or cropped jackets
- Boots, loafers, heels or simple flats
- Simple jewelry
- Structured pieces mixed with something soft
Melissa’s Tip: Don’t save your outfit for last. Start with something you feel confident wearing and coordinate everyone else around you.
DAD
Keep it ridiculously simple.
Easy Dad Formula
Dark denim or chinos + solid henley, button-down or sweater + clean neutral shoes.
Want something a little more elevated?
Add a casual jacket, quarter zip or sport coat.
Dad does not need five layers and a carefully styled scarf to look good in family photos.
Simple almost always photographs better.
KIDS
Comfort still comes first.
Great options include:
- Simple dresses
- Sweaters
- Cardigans
- Chinos
- Dark jeans
- Corduroy
- Overalls for younger children
- Boots
- Loafers
- Clean simple sneakers
- Jackets and textured layers
Make sure your kids can comfortably walk, sit, hug, run and play in whatever you choose.
yes
Texture
Layers
Denim
Rich neutrals
Dresses with movement
Dark jeans
Chinos
Boots + loafers
Simple accessories
Black used intentionally
USE SPARINGLY
Busy florals
Plaid
Very bright colors
Large patterns
Stark white
Multiple competing patterns
Trendy statement pieces
skip
Neon colors
Large logos
Athletic sneakers
Character clothing
Large graphics
Everyone wearing the same color
Distracting slogans
Can We Wear Black for Downtown Photos?
Absolutely.
Unlike a heavily wooded location, urban settings are one of my favorite places to incorporate black.
Black can look polished and timeless against brick, stone and lighter architecture.
The trick is to mix it with other colors and textures rather than putting the entire family in solid black.
Try pairing black with: Cream • camel • denim • burgundy • gray • olive • tan
For example:
Mom — black midi dress
Dad — camel sweater + dark jeans
Daughter — cream dress
Son — denim + charcoal henley
The contrast keeps everyone coordinated without looking overly matched.
Think About Your Location
Downtown locations already have visual interest.
We may photograph against brick, stone, painted walls, storefronts, bridges, stairs and sidewalks all during the same session.
Because your background can change several times, your clothing should work with all of it rather than coordinating with one specific wall or building.
That’s another reason neutrals, rich muted colors and simple patterns work so well.
Melissa's Favorite Places to Shop
Old Navy — Dad + kids • sweaters • chinos • denim • simple dresses
Abercrombie & Fitch — Mom + Dad • elevated basics • denim • dresses • sweaters
Quince — Mom • dresses • linen • sweaters • elevated basics
H&M — Kids + parents • affordable layers • knits • dresses • neutral basics
Nordstrom — Dresses • shoes • sweaters • accessories • elevated pieces for the whole family
You're Ready!
Don’t overthink it.
Urban family photos don’t mean your family needs to suddenly dress like you’re headed to a formal event.
The goal is simply to take what you would normally wear and polish it up a little.
Choose clothing you feel good in, coordinate rather than match, make sure everyone is comfortable, and leave the rest to me.
And remember: send me your outfit photos anytime. I’m happy to help.
Session Day Checklist
✓ Outfits steamed or ironed
✓ Shoes cleaned
✓ Pockets emptied
✓ Hair ties removed from wrists
✓ Phones, wallets and keys out of pockets
✓ Kids fed before the session
✓ Lip balm or lipstick packed for touch-ups
✓ Backup layer for chilly evenings
✓ Comfortable walking shoes if we’re moving between locations
✓ Relax…I’ll take it from here