How to Coordinate Stylish Neutral Outfits for Elevated Family Photos

Choosing outfits for a family photoshoot can be a daunting task. You want everyone to look good, and the whole family to be cohesive, plus showing the personality of each person. Luckily, when you stick with neutral color tones, this equation becomes much easier to solve. The beauty of choosing neutrals for family photos is that they combine so well together and you can mix all kinds of clothing styles, fabrics, and fits easily.

What are natural colours for photos?

Neutral colors for photos are hues that lack strong chromatic intensity or have muted undertones. Pure neutrals encompass black, white, grey, and brown.

Additionally, there are neutrals with subtle colour undertones such as:

• taupe

• beige

• cream

• ivory

• tan

Within each of these categories, there is a range of shades, allowing for flexibility in choosing the perfect neutral palette for your photoshoot. Whether it's a light grey, medium grey, or charcoal grey, the versatility of neutral colors offers a broad spectrum of options to suit any aesthetic or mood.

What do you wear to a neutral photoshoot?

When preparing for a neutral photoshoot, opt for a diverse array of neutral tones or stick to a unified color scheme for a cohesive, monochromatic aesthetic. Mix and match casual pieces like jeans and sweaters, or elevate the look with formal attire such as dresses, trousers, blouses, and collared shirts.

I recommend dressing for the photographer's style when selecting outfits. Bold colors like black, navy, and charcoal grey complement moody aesthetics, while light hues shine in light and airy photography. Tailoring your wardrobe to match the photographer's aesthetic ensures stunning results that harmonize with the overall vibe of the photoshoot.

Colour combos I love

Airy & crips whites

Keep things light and airy with crisp whites and anchor with a pop of black or dark brown. I love this mix of feminine white dresses and the dark pants and light t-shirt on the dad. These light and airy colours look great against the brown field which could ordinarily look drab, but here looks like the perfect backdrop.

Light linen & subtle stripes.

The neutral hues look effortless in this sweet family photo with mom in a striped neutral dress (yes you can totally wear neutral patterns!), baby in a white dress, and dad in a white shirt with muted This casual, yet elevated neutral family outfit combination is one of my top picks. You can easily recreate this look for a photoshoot in any season and keep it indoors, or take the look outside (so long as it’s not a blizzard!).

Dreamy ivory.

Having someone in an oatmeal color soft knit dress with a white cardigan, another in a simple white shirt and brown pants, and the little babies is in a flecked grey and white jumper with ivory booties is a SHOW STOPPER!

For an overall neutral look you can still include light wash or dark wash denim, I just recommend you avoid bright saturated blue denim as it will take away from the neutral tones.

Should everyone wear the same colours?

When it comes to family picture outfits, it’s completely acceptable for everyone to wear the same color! If everyone is in white, black, or a muted tone like ivory or cream, it creates a cohesive look.

For non-neutral colors, we don’t recommend everyone be in the same color as it can overwhelm the photos. If you don’t want to go with all neutrals, be sure to mix and match softer colour tones with neutrals.

Kristine's Wardrobe Guide for Photoshoots-2.pdf

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xo Kristine