What to wear for family photos: coordinate, don’t match.

Start with a palette, not outfits

Pick three or four colours: one or two neutrals, like cream, grey, navy or denim, and one or two accents, like rust, olive or dusty blue. Everyone wears something from the palette, in their own style. In the photo, the family reads as one group, but nobody looks like a uniform.

An easy way to start is with one outfit someone already loves, often the only one with a pattern, and take the palette from it. Then send a photo of it in the family chat so everyone can check what they have before anyone buys anything.

Colour palettes by season

• Autumn: cream, rust, mustard, olive and denim. Warm tones glow in low sun and next to orange leaves.
• Winter and Christmas: navy, burgundy, forest green, cream and grey. Knitwear and scarves add texture.
• Spring: sage, blush, soft blue and white. Light colours look fresh against new green.
• Summer and the beach: white, sand, light blue and pale linen. Avoid black, which looks heavy in bright light.
• At home on the sofa: pick colours that go with the room, not against it. A red jumper on a red sofa disappears.

What to avoid

• Logos, slogans and big graphics. They are the first thing anyone sees in the photo.
• Small busy patterns and thin stripes. On a screen they can shimmer or blur.
• Neon and very bright colours. They reflect onto faces and pull the eye away from them.
• Everyone in black, or everyone in white. Black loses its shape in shadow; all-white makes faces look grey.
• Clothes you have never sat down in. Family photos involve sitting on grass, steps and floors, so try the outfit sitting.

Dressing a big family

The bigger the group, the simpler the palette. For ten or more people, two colours plus denim or neutrals is enough. Spread the strongest colour across the group, not all on one side, so the eye moves over the whole photo.

Vary shades and textures instead of matching exactly: a cream knit next to a white shirt next to an oatmeal cardigan looks richer than three identical tops. Layers, like a cardigan, a jacket or a scarf, also give people something to do with their hands.

Think about shoes and the ground: boots on a muddy path, bare feet on the beach, socks are fine on a sofa. And for glasses, tilt them very slightly down to avoid the reflection.