Winter Wardrobe Ideas!/ Portland Family Photography

Almost everyone asks what to wear when they schedule a session because of course you want to look your best in pictures. And truth be told, pictures that have been "styled", at least a little bit, always tend to look better in the end. One of my suggestions is to think layers and textures, especially for kids. Leave the suit coats and fussy dresses at home, and just let them be kids (good lookin' kids that is)! Don't be afraid to use bold colors, stripes, polka dots, hoodies, and my personal favorite, hats. Winter is the perfect time to try the layered look and stay warm at the same time. When it comes to coordinating family pictures, try to be coordinated instead of being "matched". Having everyone in jeans and a white button down shirt might be your thing, but in the end, it doesn't show your personality and can be just plain boring. Try to first choose a level of formality (dressy, casual, etc.), and then choose a color family (jewel tones, earth tones, etc.). From there, play around with different colors and textures to create a look that's coordinated. Jeans look great in pictures, so maybe have everyone in jeans and different colored shirts in the same color family. Or, perhaps you choose one color as a common theme that plays a part in everyone's outfit (a yellow hat for baby, yellow tights for little girl, yellow shirt for mom, yellow scarf for dad...you get the idea). Solids are always a safe bet too, but maybe mix it up a bit and have everyone but mom in solids. Here are a few ideas to get you started (these are from Boden and Gymboree but some other great places are Hanna Anderrson, Gap, JCrew, or better yet, check out all of the local resale shops around town like Milagros, Mamas and Papas, Bella Stella, Sweet Pea's, and many more)...