Summer is seriously my most favorite time of year to photograph families. If you follow me, it’s no secret that I am obsessed with the colors and light this time of year. It’s the perfect time to have some fun with what to wear for family pictures in the summer. I’m sure I’ve gotten the attention of many of you at this point, because so many of you ask, “What should we wear for family pictures??”

I’ve pretty much given up on dressing my kids in cute outfits. They look like a hot mess most of the time. They wear whatever they want— read: mesh shorts, tshirts, and tennis shoes (if they wear shoes at all). I’m really lucky if they match most of the time. Last week, my daughter (who DOES like to dress cute, wanted to wear 2 different rain boots to church with her dress, and I LET her!)

Obviously, I am not able to get my kids to wear whatever I want them to wear. I tend resort to all kinds of bribery or compromises just to get them to wear a shirt with a collar or a pocket on it on a day that isn’t a church day. You’d think i was forcing them to rip each of their toenails off of their little toes. True story.

What to wear for family pictures

in the summer

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Wear something comfortable.

It’s great to look cute, and you absolutely should, but if you (or your children) are wearing something that is uncomfortable or needs to be readjusted every time you move, it will show in your pictures.

Trust me on this one, make sure it’s comfy!
Don’t dress everyone in the same outfit or color.

Instead choose a color family, and then go from there. It’s ok to mix solids with patterns as long as you don’t go overboard and the colors coordinate. In fact, I’m a fan of patterns in clothing. It adds dimension to your images.
Choose a color scheme that suits YOU and your family.

I have this thing with dressing my family in blues and teals. Despite the fact that we live in west central PA, our home has a very coastal feel to it.

I wouldn’t hang large images of our family wearing Christmas colors because it would clash terribly in our home. It’s a definitely something I think about when choosing what to wear for family pictures in the summer.
Socks.

Let’s talk about socks and shoes. They matter. This often becomes just another thing to think about when shopping. If you’re not into shopping for cute shoes, or making sure everything matches down to socks, just go barefoot!! It’s summer!
Lastly, when you’re choosing your family’s individual outfits, make sure they each suit the person you’re dressing.

One of my kids refuses to wear anything sleeveless. I could force him to wear a tank top for pictures but at the end of the day, I want to remember who he is at that time.

If I forced him to wear a tank top, it would totally go against “him”. My daughter is so much more girly than I am. If it were up to me, I would typically choose an outfit that was a little less frilly, but again, that’s who she is right now.

Try to keep personalities in mind when deciding what to wear for family pictures in the summer! You can see, I put a lot of stock in showing the real person in front of the camera.
Do your kids wear what you tell them to?? I’m not talking about picture day or Sundays either, I’m talking about regular days! Do they??

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