Client Lounge: Styling
Figuring out what to wear could be one of the most stressful parts of this whole process, but I got you!
5 Steps To Coordinate the Perfect Outfits for Your Family Photos
1. Decide on the look you want.
Use the season to help narrow the look you are going for. Are you striving for something flowy and whimsical, comfy and casual or more formal? Each season is associated with its own colors, weather and landscapes. Spring and summer can be bright and flowy, while fall and winter lend itself to cozy layers and stylish accessories.
Example: I’m using my own family photos as an example but only because I relied heavily on this system to shop myself! We did our family photos in early fall and I knew that I wanted color and warmth.
2. Pick an inspiration Outfit
Start an outfit you love. This could be old or new. This will serve as the inspiration for your photos. Most of the time, I encourage mom to pick her outfit first. The MOST important thing to keep in mind when choosing outfits is choosing something that you love and feel beautiful in. If you feel good, it will translate to your photos and set the tone for the whole session.
Example: I used my daughter’s dress that I found at Macy’s as my inspiration. Her dress was cream with spots of teal, blue, and orange. This worked well with a dress I found for myself at Baltic Born in a deep teal color.
3. Plan to coordinate, not match.
Limit patterns but keep things interesting. Matching is outdated. Coordinating is far better! Start with your inspiration outfit or pattern. Determine what accent colors work best with it to formulate your family’s color palette. The palette will then guide everyone else’s outfits. Each person can have a different focal color. Try to limit patterns to one person.
Example: After finding dresses for both my daughter and myself, we coordinated the boys with our outfits. I pulled the coordinating colors from my daughter’s dress. My son had an orange with khaki shorts. My husband had a cream shirt with blue jeans. My daughter’s shoes were a camel brown that worked well with the overall color scheme.
4. Layer and accessorize.
Mix and match textures. Finish your look with layers that complement your outfits. Consider adding a statement necklace, scarf, hair piece or headband. Vests, belts, jackets, hats, suspenders, ties and bow ties also work great. Simple, subtle touches and fabric textures add visual interest to your outfits and polish to your photos
Example: I will admit that I didn’t do a great job with adding accessories but I did make sure there was a lot of variation in the textures of our outfits. My daughter and I had ruffles and layers that could add movement. Belts, hats or even a shall or cardigan could have been added to help add more depth to our look.
5. Shop using my Styling Service.
Make it easier on yourself. Use my complimentary styling service below. Use this to build, coordinate, and personalize the perfect outfits for your family with these tips in mind. When finished, you will have access to the links to purchase the clothing.
Pro Tip: Even if you don’t use this service to purchase your outfits, you can use it as an inspiration generator for your color scheme. It’s completely free with zero obligation to buy so take advantage!
Now that you have the basics down, it's time to shop!
I subscribe to a styling service called Style & Select. It’s a completely free service available to you. There is no obligation to purchase anything. You can simply use the tool as an idea generator to help you get started or use it to find outfits for the whole family. Here’s how it works:
1. Watch the video below to learn how to use the styling service.
3. Enter code: 5P28OP6N
4. Start styling your session. When finished, hit ‘Send Selected Items’
5. You will then get a copy of your style boards with links to purchase the items.
My Favorite Places
Shopping for Mom
© 2023 Danielle Blewitt Photography LLC.