What to Wear for Fall Family Photos
Rochester Hills, MI
“What should we wear?”
Probably one of the first questions I get after a family books their session.
And I get it. You finally get family photos on the calendar… and then realize you have to figure out what everyone is going to wear.
The good news? You do NOT need to buy everyone a completely new outfit or have your entire family match.
Actually, please don't.
The goal is to coordinate — not match.
Here’s how I recommend putting together outfits for fall family photos that feel natural, photograph beautifully, and still feel like your family.
Start with a color palette
Before choosing individual outfits, choose 2–4 colors that work well together.
For fall family photos, I love colors that complement what we already have outside instead of competing with it.
Fall family photo color palette ideas for Metro Detroit family photos
Fall doesn't mean everyone has to wear brown, orange and mustard.
Soft blues, dusty pinks, navy, cream and muted greens can be beautiful against Michigan fall colors too.
Coordinate. Don't match.
This is probably my biggest styling tip.
Matching can be beautiful, especially if you love a clean and simple look. But if everyone is wearing the same thing simply because you don't know what else goes together, there are so many other options. Start with one outfit you LOVE — maybe Mom's dress, a patterned little girl's dress, or even a shirt you already know you want someone to wear.
Then pull colors from that piece to dress everyone else.
For example, if a dress has cream, rust and olive in it, someone else might wear a cream sweater, another person olive pants, and another a rust top.
Same family of colors. Completely different outfits.
Patterns are good — just not on everyone
Please don't be scared of patterns!
A subtle floral, plaid, stripe or small print can add so much personality to your photographs.
The trick is balance.
If Mom is wearing a floral dress, everyone else doesn't need another pattern.
Use that dress as your starting point and pull solid colors from it for the rest of the family.
With a larger family, you can absolutely introduce another subtle pattern — just make sure the patterns aren't competing with each other.
Patterns and textures to wear for fall family photos
Texture can make a HUGE difference
This is one of the easiest ways to make simple outfits photograph beautifully.
Knits. Linen. Corduroy. Denim. Wool. Layers.
Even if your family is wearing mostly neutral colors, mixing textures keeps everything from looking flat.
A cream chunky sweater next to a linen dress, corduroy pants and a soft knit cardigan can photograph beautifully without needing lots of different colors or patterns.
And fall is basically made for texture.
Here's how to mix everything together
This is where people tend to overthink it.
You don't need a formula, but a good starting point is:
2–4 main colors + neutrals + 1–2 patterns + different textures.
So instead of:
Plaid + floral + stripes + another plaid...
Try:
One floral + cream knit + olive solid + denim + camel.
Or:
One plaid + rust + cream + navy + corduroy.
The pattern gives you interest.
The solids give your eyes somewhere to rest.
The textures give the outfits depth.
How to mix colors patterns and textures for fall family photo outfits
A few things I would avoid
There aren't many hard rules, but there are a few things that can become distracting in photographs.
I usually recommend avoiding neon colors, large logos, characters, very busy patterns and having everyone in exactly the same color.
I also wouldn't automatically put everyone in black just because it's easy. A little black can absolutely work, but very dark outfits on the entire family can feel heavy, especially against the softer colors we have outdoors in fall.
And don't forget about shoes!
They don't need to be fancy, but make sure they work with the rest of the outfit. Shoes are much more noticeable in a full-body family photograph than people realize.
Most importantly, you should still look like YOU.
These are guidelines, not rules.
If your daughter refuses dresses, don't put her in one because Pinterest told you to.
If Dad would never wear a cardigan in real life, family photos probably aren't the moment to convince him.
Your clothes should help your photographs feel cohesive, but they shouldn't make your family feel like completely different people.
And if you're one of my clients, you don't have to figure this out alone.
Send me photos of what you're considering. Show me the dress you're building everything around. Ask me if two colors work together.
I'd much rather help you before the session than have you stressing about outfits the night before.
Because when session day comes, I don't want you thinking about whether everyone's clothes are perfect.
I want you loving on your people, playing with your kids, and letting me photograph everything in between.
LET'S PLAN YOUR FAMILY SESSION
Lore de Cosio Photography | Rochester Hills & Metro Detroit Family Photographer
