Styling Tips for Family Photos

Ready to take those annual Fall family photos and looking for a little help putting together outfits? Look no further! I’m sharing my 3 styling tips for family photos. Plus a little outfit inspiration from some of my favorite affordable retailers!

Family photo sessions look quite a bit different than I remember as a kid. Back in my day (and yes, I know that makes me sound old), I can remember getting the whole family together and the adults deciding everyone would wear the same color bottoms and the same color top.

With fashion and style becoming so much more accessible, in large thanks to social media, our monochromatic approach wouldn’t cut it these days. Instead, the family photos you see all over Instagram look more like something out of a magazine spread.

And whether you plan to frame your photos, put them on a holiday card, post them on social media, or all of the above, creating those Insta-worthy family photos is as easy as 1-2-3 with my styling tips. Just keep reading to see!

Tip 1: Start With One Outfit

Save yourself the headache of trying to think of the big picture (pun intended) and focus on just one outfit to start. Maybe you have a particular top you really want to wear, or a pair of pants that give you a major confidence boost. Maybe there’s a special outfit you want your child to wear. Or, maybe you’ve had your eye on a dress that you’re just waiting for an excuse to buy.

Either way, take that piece first and style an outfit for that family member before trying to figure out what to put everyone else in.

Tip 2: Choose 3-4 Complementing Colors

Once you have your first outfit, decide on a color palette. If your first outfit has more than 1 color in it (different colored top and bottom or a print with different colors) start with those. But don’t keep your palette too limited! By incorporating 4-5 colors, it’s easier to create outfits that work together without being too matchy-matchy. Also look for different shades of the same color.

Bonus Tip: If you need a little inspo for a color palette, turn to Pinterest! Search for a color palette based on a color you’ve already chosen. For example, rust has been super popular this year. So, if you want to use it for an outfit, just search “rust color palette” on Pinterest and you’ll see tons of ideas for complementing color schemes.

Tip 3: Keep Prints/Patterns to a Minimum

There are tons of trendy prints and patterns this season from leopard print to fall florals to plaid. But if you try to incorporate too many patterns, it gets too busy and the focus will be on the clothes rather than your loved ones. But that doesn’t mean you should avoid prints altogether! They can be a great way to tie together a color scheme. Stick to incorporating one that you love or even two if it’s a more subtle pattern.

Happy styling!

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