What to Wear for Family Photos in Dallas: A Photographer’s Style Guide

Friend, if you’ve ever stood in front of your closet the week before family photos, holding up the same three sweaters and feeling your stomach sink, I see you. I’ve been there too, as a mama of two trying to get everyone dressed, fed and out the door with clean faces.

Wardrobe is the question I’m asked most often, and honestly? It’s the one I love answering. Because what your family wears isn’t really about the clothes. It’s about how you’ll feel when you hold these portraits years from now, when the kids are taller and the house is quieter, and you want to remember exactly who you all were in this season.

Here’s how I style the families who walk through my studio doors.

Think in colors, not matching outfits

Please don’t feel like everyone needs to wear white shirts and jeans! I like to choose three or four colors that feel like your family, then let each person wear their own mix of them. Coordinated, never identical. That’s what keeps a portrait feeling timeless instead of tied to a certain year.

The palettes I find myself coming back to again and again:

• Cream, oat and soft sage. Quiet and luminous. I adore this for newborn and milestone sessions.
• Dusty blue, ivory and warm taupe. Gentle and classic, and so pretty in our Texas golden hour light.
• Rust, camel, cream and a whisper of olive. Rich and cozy for autumn in the fields.
• Deep green, burgundy and ivory. Elegant for holiday portraits, without feeling like a costume.

One little trick I share with every mama: lay everyone’s outfits out on your bed together. If one piece jumps out at you first, it will jump out in the photographs too. Swap it for something softer.A simple test: lay every outfit on the bed together. If one piece pulls your eye first, swap it for something softer.

Texture is everything

This is my favorite part! Linen, soft knits, velvet, a little tulle, a sweet lace collar on a little one. Texture is what makes a printed portrait feel rich in your hands; you can almost feel it when you look at it. Big logos and busy prints compete with faces, and the faces are the whole story.

Mama, wear something that moves

I say this with so much love: you deserve to feel beautiful in these photos, too. So much of our time together is spent close, sitting in the grass, snuggling in, scooping up a toddler mid-giggle. A dress with movement in the skirt frames your babies so beautifully and catches the light as you walk. Stiff fabrics and tight fits only make it harder to relax into the moment.

Fall and holiday outfit ideas for DFW families

Our autumn light here is warm and low, and warm neutrals simply glow in it. For outdoor sessions in Flower Mound, I love a knit sweater dress for Mom, a soft button-down or fine sweater for Dad, and corduroy, knits or velvet for the kiddos. You can leave the heavy coats at home. Our Texas Novembers rarely call for them, and they hide the shape of a hug.

For holiday portraits in the studio, think velvet, satin ribbon, deep greens and burgundy. Festive, but never themed. Sometimes a single hair bow or a pair of white tights does all the work.

The little details (from one mom to another)

• Simple shoes, or none at all! We go barefoot in the studio and in soft grass all the time.
• Slip the hair ties off your wrist before we start. (I catch myself doing this, too.)
• Steam everything the night before. Wrinkles show up in large prints.
• Pack a backup outfit for your littlest. Snack accidents happen to the best of us.

You don’t have to shop at all

This is the part that makes mamas exhale. My studio has a client wardrobe with dozens of dresses and gowns, plus clothing for kiddos up to size 10 (and a few pieces for older girls, too). I chose every single piece with you in mind. So many of my families arrive with just Dad’s and the boys’ outfits planned, and we style everyone else right from the closet.

When you book a Signature Session, we plan wardrobe together during your consultation, so the morning of your session feels calm instead of chaotic. Calming piano playing low, coffee in hand, nothing rushed. Including you.

Frequently asked questions

Should our family match for photos?
Coordinate, don’t match! Pick three or four colors and let everyone wear their own mix of them.

What colors should we avoid for family pictures?
Neons, big logos and really bright primary colors tend to steal attention from your faces or reflect colors onto your skin tones.

Do you provide outfits for family sessions?
Absolutely YES. Dozens of gowns and dresses for Mom and clothing for kiddos up to size 10, all included with your session.

When should we book fall family photos in Dallas?
At least six weeks ahead. Outdoor sessions in Flower Mound wrap up at the end of November, and fall dates go fast!

Let’s plan your family’s portraits

I would love to hear about your family: who they are right now, and what you hope to hold onto from this season. Wardrobe, location, every little detail, I’ll help with all of it. Fill out my contact form here, and we’ll begin the conversation from there.

With love,
Kate