Planning family photos is exciting… until you’re standing in your closet wondering what everyone should wear, especially yourself. If you’re a busy mom searching for what to wear for family photos that you’ll feel confident and comfortable in, you’re not alone and you’re in the right place. With a few simple guidelines, you can easily create a timeless, coordinated look that feels comfortable, photographs beautifully, and lets you focus on what matters most: enjoying your family and being present in the moment. As a Utah family and newborn photographer who specializes in guided, stress-free portrait experiences, I help style families and moms for family photos with outfits that feel timeless, flattering, and elevated.

If you’re a mom preparing for family photos and find yourself thinking “I just want to look good and feel comfortable”, you’re not asking for too much, and it’s entirely possible to feel good and look good. But I get it — it’s a stressful task! Because what you wear truly matters in photos. Not only does the right clothing help you feel confident and relaxed, but it also helps set the tone for your photos to turn out cohesive, clean, and timeless.

As a Utah family photographer who works with busy and overwhelmed moms every day, I’ve seen how thoughtful outfit choices can completely change the experience and the final images. Below is my simple, proven guidance to help you choose outfits that photograph beautifully, look elevated, and feel like you.

If you’re still feeling unsure about what to wear or how to pull your family’s look together, I’m here to help. I love guiding moms through outfit choices that feel effortless, timeless, and photo-ready.

Flattering, Comfortable Styles (Especially If You’re Picky About Fit)

If you’re selective about how clothing fits — and most women are, including myself! — you’re not alone. Comfort and confidence go hand in hand, and the goal is to choose silhouettes that feel pretty, comfortable, and easy to move in.

Here are styles I consistently recommend because they photograph beautifully:

• Sleeves that cover the upper arms
  Short sleeves, flutter sleeves, elbow-length, or loose long sleeves offer coverage without feeling heavy. They help you feel confident without drawing attention to your arms.
• Dresses that come in under the bust or at the natural waist
  Empire-waist or gently cinched styles create shape without clinging and are incredibly flattering on many body types — especially postpartum or during pregnancy.
• Looser, flowy fits
  Dresses and tops that skim the body (instead of hugging it) allow you to move comfortably, sit with your kids, and breathe. Movement photographs beautifully and feels natural, so styles that allow for comfortable movement are a must!
• Soft structure over stiffness
  Look for dresses with gentle gathering, wrap styles, or subtle pleating. Avoid stiff fabrics or anything overly tight to avoid showing discomfort in photos.

When you feel physically comfortable, it shows in your posture, expression, and connection with your family, and that’s what creates true, timeless images of connection, love, and joy.

Colors & Patterns That Photograph Timelessly

Color choice has a huge impact on how your images feel — in fact, probably the biggest one. For family photos that feel bright, clean, and will pair well with however you style your home now and in the future, softer tones always win.

• Best Colors to Choose
  Pastels, neutrals, and earthy tones reflect light beautifully and keep the focus on faces and connection.
• Colors & Patterns to Avoid
  Darks, especially black, can photograph heavy and harsh, especially outdoors.
  Neon or very vivid colors pull attention away from faces.
  Logos, words, and graphics are distracting and date photos quickly.
  Bold, high-contrast patterns can distort and overpower the image.
• What to Choose Instead
  Soft florals or botanicals.
  Subtle patterns like pointelle.
  Textures for depth such as lace details, ruffles, knits, or tulle adds interest without distraction and gives your images a layered, elevated look.

When putting together your family photo outfits, the best rule is not to match, but to coordinate. The easiest way to do this is to start with two or three main colors and build around them. Choose a soft, neutral base and add complementary tones through each family member’s outfit rather than dressing everyone in the exact same shade and style. For example, if mom wears a white and blue floral dress, dad can wear a blue dress shirt and gray slacks, and daughter wears a ruffled white dress. Wearing different textures, layers, colors, and soft patterns gives a satisfying dimension to your portraits. These helpful outfit tips create visual balance, keeps the look timeless, and feels beautifully cohesive.

Mom’s outfit: blue and white floral, softly comes in at the waist, lightly flowing sleeves
Dad’s outfit: solid blue dress shirt, belt for added layer
Child’s outfit: solid white dress with ruffles for texture

Dressing for the Weather & Season

Choosing season-appropriate fabrics and layers makes a big difference in how relaxed everyone feels during the session! Read on for what to wear for different weather types.

• Warm Weather Tips
  Look for lightweight, breathable fabrics and loose-fitting styles that don’t restrict movement. Avoid thick or clingy materials that show sweat or feel uncomfortable.
• Cold Weather Tips
  Opt for clothing that covers the legs — pants, dresses, tights. Layered tops, sweaters, or cardigans are useful for creating depth in your photos, while also allowing to shed layers if it gets warm.
  
  
  Comfort matters—if you’re cold or overheated, it will show. Dressing for the season allows you to stay present and enjoy the experience.

A Must-Know Tip for Toddlers & Infants

If your baby or toddler is wearing a dress, always put bloomers over the diaper.

Diapers aren’t very pretty, and with all the movement toddlers do, unfortunately they show pretty often and can’t be edited out (looking natural, anyway.) Bloomers keep everything polished and photo-ready while allowing your little one to move freely. This small detail makes a big difference in the final images!

Bonus Tip: Moms, Dress Yourself First 🤍

This might be the most important advice I can give you.

Start with your outfit first. When you choose something you love and feel confident in, it becomes the anchor for the rest of the family’s outfits. From there, coordinating colors and textures feels simple instead of overwhelming.

Dressing yourself first:

• Eliminates last-minute outfit stress
• Helps the family look cohesive without being “matchy”
• Allows you to show up feeling confident, beautiful, and ready to be fully present

You deserve to be in the photos too, and to absolutely love them.

Outfits don’t need to be another thing on your mental load. When you book a session with me, I provide clear, personalized styling support to help you choose pieces that feel flattering, comfortable, and true to your family, including providing pieces from my client closet for ease and style.

Create images you’ll cherish for a lifetime — reserve your family session today and let every detail be effortless.

I’m Christina, a family and newborn photographer in Provo serving Utah County and surrounding areas, and I specialize in creating a simple experience and timeless portraits for families who want to feel taken care of every step of the way. From guiding you with stress-free planning to finished artwork, my goal is to make this experience easy, thoughtful, and personal. If you’re ready to plan your own family or newborn photos, I’d love to connect.