Look...when it comes to myself, I'm NOT the best dresser. I actually have a lot of stylish friends helping me out when I have an important event for which I need to look my best (Thank you LIFESTYLED by Kelly Tieben for help styling ALL of my TV news segments).
So if you're anything like me, you might sometimes need help with wardrobe...
Dressing for a photoshoot (like the rest of the shoot!) should be super fun, and not a source of drudgery. Chances are, you and your family already have a plethora of options to choose from your own closet. But a photoshoot could also be a welcome excuse to go out and find some new duds.
Start with one. My super-stylish, stylist friend Kelly, suggests starting with one piece that you LOVE and select everyone's outfit to coordinate with this garment. For my family photos last year, I began with a gorgeous green skirt with attached suspenders that I had recently bought my daughter. We hired a photographer who shot us in a very green park area, so I knew I could really go with any color . My husband and son were easy to style: jeans and khakis with blue shirts. While I had initially another outfit in mind for myself, I came across a perfect fall colored dress the last minute at Target.
The takeaway here is the fact that the object is not to match outfits-the emphasis should be on coordination. Here are just a few easy ideas (while avoiding that super 90s "jeans and white shirts" look):
-Earth tones (olive, beige, mauve, brown, mustard, burnt orange, navy)
-Jewel tones (Emerald, turquoise, amethyst purple, citrine yellow, bright red)
-Neutrals (beige, gray, greige, denim, khaki, navy, white, black)
-Brights (rainbow colors!)
Patterns. Another way to nail that perfect outfit set is to mix and match some patterns. Not everyone needs to be in a solid color! I love seeing leopard prints in with some fall colors or earth tones. Also a striped bright dress looks awesome when you have a more rainbow palette. Combine someone else in a bright floral and its win-win! If an exact formula is helpful, when styling for a family of five, two of those members in solids are all you need.
Layering. Layering can elevate your style choices (though it may be tougher in the Florida heat we all know and love). A button-down on a man can be enhanced when a long sleeve plain shirt peeks out at the collar and the forearms just past the rolled sleeves. Vests are also exceptional for everyone!
Textures. Play with textures! Believe it or not, a full tulle skirt is wildly flattering in photos on any size woman or girl. Fur is also a super cool addition. One of my favorite farms shoots last year was with a woman wearing her grandmother's fur stole atop a flowy minidress.
Footwear. Lastly, another piece of advice from LIFESTYLED is to try your best to take charge of your family's footwear. If your son is like mine, he'd love nothing more than to wear his beat-up tennis shoes 24/7, but those memories are much better in your iPhone photo library. Same goes for those light up shoes...do yourself a favor and just don't... Ice cream is a great incentive for dressing your kids in something they'd not normally pick for themselves!
Be you. But most importantly-wear what YOU feel good in. Be as creative as you like. It will be so much fun looking back for years to come on your creative decisions.
I personally have big plans to one day photograph my family's Christmas cards in nearly black tie attire in the parking lot of a Taco Bell (<-----this is for real).
(Photo by the lovely and talented Suzanne Corneliussen)
