What to Wear

Borrowed from eHow.com

How to Dress for a Family Portrait:

1. Discuss the family portrait together with the entire group. Your family portrait should convey a sense of your family's personality. Talk about possible color schemes, settings and poses.
2. Choose clothes that fit with the setting of the portrait. If you are having your portrait taken on the beach, summer clothing is appropriate.
3. Coordinate colors. Everyone in the family portrait should wear colors that meld well together. Some families choose to match their colors exactly. While this is not necessary, you do need to ensure that all the clothing colors complement each other.
4. Avoid different shades of the same color. If one person is wearing a bright red shirt, you don't want another person wearing a light red shirt. It will just look like you attempted to match but didn't quite succeed.
5. Choose neutral or muted color tones. Bright colors tend to draw the eye away from the subjects.
6. Coordinate the style of clothing as well. Everyone should be dressed in a similar style, such as formal or casual.
7. Avoid stripes, plaids, logos and bold patterns as they will draw attention away from the faces in the photo. Likewise, avoid bright, shiny jewelry and large belt buckles. You want the main focus to be on your family, not your clothes.
8. Pick clothing that fits nicely. It should be neither too tight nor too loose. The clothes should hang on the bodies well, without folding or creasing.
9. Consider clothing that covers the knees and elbows. These areas don't photograph as well as the rest of the body so it may be wise to choose clothing that covers them.
10. Avoid trendy styles. Basic classics are better clothing choices for your portrait. Trends pass and you want your family portrait to be timeless.

Senior Portraits:

You may want to include one dressy outfit, several casual outfits, and/or a sports uniform if you are involved in sports, dance, cheerleading, etc. Try each outfit on in its entirety so you know what shoes and/or accessories you will need for each to complete the look you want. Be sure there are no loose buttons, torn hemlines or seams, stains, or holes on your clothing.

A few notes on clothing and accessory choices: Try to avoid clothing prints or styles that are too obviously trendy, shoes that will date your photo, or overly gawdy accessories. If you do want a truly trendy look, buy a couple of teen magazines and find a style that works for you. Try to incorporate at least a couple timeless looks, as well. What appeals to you may not appeal to your parents or grandparents in a photo or be suitable for use in the yearbook.

Children's Portraits


When having a portrait sitting done outdoors, you want to stick with solid and simple nature colors. It can be tricky finding an outfit to go well with the outdoor background, so by choosing one or two different shades, you can be assured everyone will coordinate well and blend in with the outdoor background as well.

Children should wear something that will not be outdated for many years to come. Depending on the child's age, they may have their whole outfit in the picture so you want to dress them accordingly from head to toe, just in case.