Family Portrait Outfits: How to Coordinate Without Matching
A simple method for family portrait outfits — color palettes, patterns, fit, and indoor vs. outdoor looks — so your family looks pulled together, not uniform.
By imaginLIGHT Photography · · 2 min read
The goal of a family portrait is to show a family that belongs together — not a team in uniforms. Identical outfits were popular for years and still work for a playful, graphic look (think matching jerseys on a white background), but for most families, coordinated beats matched. Here's a method that works every time.
1. Pick a palette of three or four colors
Choose two main colors and one or two accents. Navy, cream and rust. Denim blue, white and olive. Burgundy, gray and blush. Then dress everyone from that palette in different combinations. The family reads as a group, and each person still looks like themselves.
2. Dress the most particular person first
Start with whoever is hardest to dress — often Mom's favorite dress or a teenager's one acceptable outfit — and build the palette around it. It's much easier than finding a dress to match five shirts you already bought.
3. Mix textures, limit patterns
- Knits, denim, linen, corduroy and lace add depth without clutter.
- Allow one or two people in a pattern at most, and keep patterns at different scales.
- Avoid logos, words, neon and very small stripes or checks.
4. Match the formality — and the setting
Everyone should look like they're going to the same event. One person in a suit next to another in a T-shirt looks accidental. Then consider where you'll be photographed: earth tones and denim look natural in the woods or a pasture, richer and darker tones feel elegant indoors, and soft neutrals are lovely against light, simple backgrounds.
5. Think about the wall
A family portrait usually hangs somewhere specific. If it's going over a sofa or in a hallway, choose colors that will live comfortably in that room — the portrait will be there for years.
Practical tips for families with little ones
- Dress small children last, and bring a backup outfit.
- Pack snacks that don't stain and wipes for hands and faces.
- Schedule around naps — Jack will work with your child's schedule.
- Bring a favorite small toy to help with attention (and a smile) behind the camera.
Don't forget the sub-groupings
Every imaginLIGHT family session includes special sub-groupings — just the kids, each couple, grandparents with grandchildren, each family unit. Make a list beforehand of the combinations you want so no one is missed, especially at big multigenerational sessions.
Ready to plan yours? Book a family session or see recent work in the family portrait gallery.