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By RubyClaire Boutique
Remember when family photos meant everyone wearing white shirts and khakis? Those days are gone, and for good reason. When you flip through a family album years later, those identical outfits can look more like uniforms than a reflection of your actual family. The stiff poses, the forced smiles, everyone looking slightly uncomfortable in clothes they'd never normally wear together.
Here's the thing about coordinating instead of matching: it actually makes everyone look better. When each person wears something that flatters their coloring and fits their comfort level, they naturally relax. They smile easier. They look like themselves. And that's exactly what you want to capture in family photos.
The secret isn't picking one color and making everyone wear it. It's about building a color story that flows together while letting each person's personality shine through.
Pick one person's outfit first—usually whoever has the strongest opinion about what they want to wear. This becomes your anchor piece, and everything else builds around it.
Let's say your teenage daughter feels most confident in a rust-colored midi dress. Perfect. Now you've got your anchor color. Look at what's already in that dress: maybe there's a subtle floral print with hints of cream and sage green. Those secondary colors become your palette for everyone else.
Your partner might wear cream pants with a sage henley. You could wear a rust cardigan over a cream tank with dark denim. The kids might mix cream tops with rust or sage bottoms. Nothing matches exactly, but everything speaks to each other.
This approach works because you're not forcing anyone into an outfit they hate. You're working with preferences and building around them.
There are three foolproof color palette approaches that photograph beautifully without looking matchy-matchy.
Start with neutrals as your base—cream, camel, soft gray, or warm taupe. Then add one accent color that everyone incorporates differently. Maybe it's dusty blue. One person wears a full blue sweater. Another adds a blue scarf. Someone else wears blue shoes or a belt. The youngest might have blue in a patterned shirt.
This works because neutrals naturally complement each other, and that single accent color ties everything together without being obvious about it.
Pick a color family and let everyone choose different shades within it. Think about variations of blue: navy, denim, dusty blue, and cream with blue undertones. Or earth tones: rust, camel, chocolate brown, cream, and olive.
The key is varying the intensity. Don't put everyone in the exact same shade of anything. Light, medium, and dark values create visual interest and depth in photos.
This is for families who want a bit more color play. Choose two complementary color families that naturally look good together: blues and oranges, greens and pinks, or purples and yellows (think soft lavender with buttery tones).
Distribute these colors across the family in different proportions. Some people lean heavier into one color, others into the opposite. Add in neutrals to break things up and you've got a sophisticated, coordinated look.
This is where comfortable, quality pieces really shine. Instead of focusing solely on color, think about how different textures photograph together.
A chunky knit cardigan photographs completely differently than a smooth cotton tee, even in the same color. Soft denim has a different visual weight than ponte pants. A linen button-down creates different lines than a fitted henley.
Mix these textures intentionally. If one person is wearing something drapey and soft, balance it with someone in something more structured. Pair smooth fabrics with textured knits. This creates visual interest without anyone matching.
Layers also give you options during the actual photo session. Too warm? Someone can remove their cardigan. Need to nurse or wrangle a toddler? Layers give you flexibility while maintaining the coordinated look.
Your outfit coordination should complement where you're taking photos, not compete with it.
Fall photos with changing leaves? Earth tones, rust, olive, and cream will photograph beautifully without blending into the background. Winter sessions with snow? Deeper jewel tones or rich neutrals create gorgeous contrast. Spring and summer? Softer, lighter tones feel seasonally appropriate.
Think about the actual location too. Photos in an urban setting with brick or concrete can handle bolder colors. Natural outdoor settings often look best with softer, more muted tones that don't fight with the environment.
The season also dictates your fabric choices. Fall and winter photos mean you can play with cozy knits, soft sweaters, and layering pieces. Spring and summer call for lighter fabrics that still photograph with enough visual weight—think linen blends, soft cotton, and flowing materials that move naturally.
Patterns can absolutely work in coordinated family outfits, but they need strategy.
Limit patterns to one or two people maximum. If three people are wearing solids and one person wears a subtle floral or stripe, it creates a focal point without overwhelming the photo. The pattern should include colors that appear in other people's solid-colored outfits.
Keep patterns subtle and small-scale. Large, bold prints can be distracting in group photos. Think delicate florals, thin stripes, or subtle textures rather than loud geometric patterns or large-scale prints.
If you're nervous about patterns, skip them entirely. A well-coordinated family in all solids looks incredibly sophisticated and timeless.
Now for the practical part: what does this look like on actual bodies?
Focus on pieces everyone already feels comfortable wearing. The goal is elevated everyday style, not costumes. Soft, quality basics form the foundation: well-fitting denim or neutral pants, simple tops in coordinating colors, layering pieces like cardigans or button-downs.
For women, this might mean soft tees or tanks layered under cardigans, comfortable dresses in coordinating colors, or flowing tops with well-fitted pants. Choose pieces with enough structure to photograph well but enough comfort to wear for an hour-long session.
For men, henleys, casual button-downs, and quality tees work better than anything too formal or too casual. Well-fitted chinos or dark denim beat both dress pants and athletic wear.
For kids, prioritize comfort above all else. Uncomfortable kids make for stressed parents and forced photos. Choose soft fabrics they actually want to wear, in colors that fit your palette. Let them have some say in the process—they'll cooperate better if they feel good in what they're wearing.
Lay everything out together a few days before your photos. Take a photo of all the outfits arranged together. This lets you see how everything actually looks as a group.
Look for balance. Is one person's outfit significantly more formal or casual than everyone else's? Does someone disappear into the background while another person's outfit screams for attention? Make adjustments until everything feels cohesive.
Check that everyone's outfit actually fits well and feels comfortable. Nothing ruins family photos faster than someone tugging at uncomfortable clothes or a toddler melting down over scratchy fabric.
Think about shoes too. They often appear in full-length family photos, so make sure they work with the overall coordination. Neutral shoes almost always work, or you can use shoes as another place to bring in your accent color.
The best coordinated family photos happen when everyone feels authentically themselves, just in a carefully considered color palette. You're not creating matching robots—you're creating a visual story where everyone belongs together while still standing out as individuals. That's exactly what makes these photos worth hanging on your wall for years to come.
Matching means everyone wears identical or nearly identical outfits (like all white shirts and khakis), which can look stiff and uniform. Coordinating means building a cohesive color palette where each person wears complementary colors and styles that flatter them individually while still looking unified as a group.
Start with one person's outfit as an anchor piece, then build around those colors. You can use the Neutral Plus One method (neutrals with one accent color), the Tonal Approach (different shades within one color family), or the Complementary Mix (two complementary color families with neutrals).
Patterns can work if used strategically—limit them to one or two people maximum and choose subtle, small-scale patterns that include colors from other family members' outfits. If you're unsure, all solids create a sophisticated, timeless look that's always safe.
Your outfits should complement, not compete with, your setting. Earth tones work beautifully with fall foliage, deeper jewel tones contrast nicely with winter snow, and softer muted tones typically photograph best in natural outdoor settings.
Lay out all outfits together a few days before and take a photo to check for balance and cohesion. Make sure everything fits well, feels comfortable, and that no one outfit is significantly more formal or casual than the others—including checking that shoes coordinate with the overall look.