There’s something about a fall family photo shoot that just feels extra special. The changing leaves, cozy weather, and beautiful fall colors make the perfect backdrop, but then comes the question we all ask: What are we actually going to wear? I always think the easiest place to start is with mom’s outfit. Once you know what you want to wear, it becomes so much easier to build everyone else’s outfits around it without making everyone look overly matched. The goal is coordinated, not identical, and I love choosing pieces that feel like something you would actually wear outside of family photos, too.
Start With Mom’s Outfit
If you’re the one who is usually organizing the family photos, start with yourself! I know it can be tempting to pick everyone else’s outfits first, but choosing your own outfit gives you a starting point for the entire color palette. For fall, I love a beautiful sweater dress, a flowy midi dress, a feminine blouse with trousers, or even a great pair of jeans with a cozy cardigan. Dresses are especially pretty for a fall family photo because they add movement and photograph beautifully when you’re walking, holding the kids, or simply standing together.
Fall Dresses Are Always a Good Idea
A midi or maxi dress in a fall-inspired shade is one of my favorite options for family pictures. Think cream, camel, olive, rust, burgundy, chocolate brown, muted green, or even a soft floral print. You don’t have to wear traditional “fall colors” from head to toe, either. A neutral dress can look gorgeous with everyone else wearing richer shades around you. I also love a dress with subtle details like sleeves, texture, a pretty neckline, or a feminine silhouette because it makes the outfit feel special without being too trendy.
Don’t Be Afraid of Jeans
If dresses aren’t really your thing, you can absolutely create a beautiful family photo outfit with jeans. A great pair of straight-leg or wide-leg denim with a sweater, cardigan, or pretty blouse is an easy combination that still feels polished. Add ankle boots, loafers, or a pair of simple heels and you have an outfit that looks put together without feeling like you’re dressed up just for pictures. A blazer or long cardigan can also add another layer and make the outfit feel more intentional.
Add Texture With Layers
Fall is one of the easiest seasons for creating outfits with dimension because you can actually layer. Think chunky knits, cable-knit sweaters, suede, corduroy, denim, wool, leather, and soft fabrics. If you’re wearing a simple dress, someone else can incorporate a textured cardigan or sweater. If you’re wearing jeans and a blouse, the kids can wear sweaters or layered shirts. These little differences in texture help everyone coordinate without looking like they’re wearing the same outfit.
What Should Dad Wear?
Once mom’s outfit is decided, I like to keep dad’s look simple. If mom is wearing a dress, dad could wear chinos or dark denim with a button-down, sweater, or textured polo. A neutral sweater layered over a collared shirt is another great fall option. Browns, creams, olive, navy, charcoal, and denim are all easy colors to work into a fall family photo palette. There’s no need for dad to perfectly match mom. Instead, choose one or two colors from her outfit and subtly bring them into his.
What Should the Kids Wear?
For the kids, I love mixing classic pieces with a little personality. Girls can wear dresses, skirts with sweaters, cardigans, or even a pretty blouse with jeans. Boys look adorable in chinos or denim with sweaters, button-downs, quarter-zips, or layered shirts. If you have multiple kids, I wouldn’t dress them in identical outfits. Instead, choose complementary colors and different textures so they look like they belong together without looking like a uniform.
How To Coordinate Without Matching
This is probably my biggest tip when planning family photo outfits: coordinate your colors instead of matching your outfits. If mom is wearing a cream dress with a subtle floral print that has olive and brown throughout it, dad could wear olive or brown, while the kids wear cream, denim, tan, or another color pulled from the print. Everyone will look cohesive without everyone wearing the same shade. I also like to stick with a smaller color palette. Choose about three to five colors and work different shades of those colors throughout everyone’s outfits. This makes the photos feel intentional and timeless, especially when you’re working with a busy outdoor background full of fall leaves.
Think About Your Location
Your location can also help determine what you wear. If you’re taking photos in a field with lots of warm fall foliage, softer neutrals and earthy tones look beautiful. If you’re doing photos in a more urban setting, you can lean a little more polished with darker denim, leather, blazers, and boots. For a cozy lifestyle session at home, sweaters, socks, soft layers, and relaxed denim can make everything feel warm and natural.
Choose Outfits You’ll Actually Love Looking Back On
Trends are fun, but family photos are something you’ll probably look at for years, so I always recommend choosing pieces that feel like you. You don’t have to wear something overly formal or completely outside your comfort zone just because it’s a photo session. If you normally live in jeans and sweaters, create a beautiful elevated version of that. If you love dresses, wear a dress. If you love boots, add the boots! The best family photos are the ones where everyone feels comfortable and like themselves.
Fall family photos are such a fun excuse to get everyone dressed up and create a few memories together. Start with mom, choose a color palette you love, add layers and textures, and then build everyone else’s outfits around those pieces. You’ll end up with photos that feel coordinated and beautiful without looking overly planned—and, most importantly, outfits that still feel like your family.
xoxo,
Jena
