Timeless Fashion and What to Wear for your Next Photoshoot!

One of the key elements of a successful photoshoot is your outfit selection, which can truly enhance or detract from your final images. Since you’ve invested in professional photography, giving a little extra attention to your wardrobe is crucial—you'll want to look back at these photos for years and still love what you’re wearing.

Let’s dive into what’s trending and how to style your family for a timeless, yet on-trend look that complements the beauty of this season!

Start With What Makes You Feel Beautiful

First off, the most important rule is this: wear what makes you feel beautiful and confident! Whether that’s your favorite shade of green or a go-to silhouette, make sure you feel good in your outfit, because confidence always shines through in photos.

Timeless Fashion:

To embrace classic and timeless fashion here are some styles and tones I love to consider:

• Neutrals: Timeless and perfect for any season, beige, taupe, cream, and soft whites will always photograph well, always!!

• Earthy Warm and Muted Tones: Think terracotta orange, olive greens, sage green, muted dusty blues, and mustard yellows paired with creamy neutrals.

• Brown Tones: From rich chocolate to caramel, browns. I especially love brown tones right now!!

• Black and White: Classic and elegant, these colors are great year-round. They are also timeless. But avoid stark white as it can reflect light too harshly on your face.

• Plaids and Stripes: Both timeless and trendy, plaids in particular pair perfectly with fall foliage. Stripes are very trendy right now in 2026. I've been seeing them everywhere.

• Subtle Florals, Herringbone, and other Patterns: If you like a touch of pattern without going overboard, these are a great option but stay away from large print. Make sure the print is small

• Textured Fabrics: Textured fabrics like tweed, blue jean material and corduroy bring that cozy, earthy feel to your look. Velvet looks fancy and adds shadows and depth I especially like for late fall and winter photos!

Choosing Outfits for Your Photoshoot

When planning for a family photoshoot, I recommend starting with your outfit first (especially if you're the mom) and building the rest of your family’s look around that. For outdoor fall photos, I typically lean toward solid-colored dresses or outfits with subtle patterns such as a subtle small print floral. The goal is to let the beautiful fall environment shine while still standing out.

Balancing Patterns and Textures

If one family member is wearing a patterned outfit, I recommend keeping the rest of the family in solids or neutrals to avoid the look becoming too busy. A subtle pattern, like a small floral or plaid, can add interest, but it’s essential to balance it out. Fabrics with texture, such as velvet, tweed or lace, are fantastic for adding dimension without overwhelming the photo.

Fabrics That Work Best

I love working with dresses in materials like satin, tulle, silk, lace, chiffon, taffeta, polyester blends, and especially velvet during the colder months. These fabrics photograph beautifully and have a luxurious, timeless quality to them. On the other hand, I tend to avoid 100% cotton or linen in dress form as they don’t always lay well (unless you steam and iron out all the wrinkles). Additionally, I’ve found that cheaper viscose rayon fabrics don't hold up after washing and steaming, so I usually skip those.

Where to Shop for Your Outfits

Here are some of my favorite places to shop for family photoshoot outfits:

• For Moms: Petal & Pup, Lulus, Ann Taylor Loft, White House Black Market, Altar’d State, Baltic Born, Abercrombie & Fitch, Petallush, Ivy City Co, Tuckernuck, Anthropologie, Macy's, Nordstrom, Old Navy, Nordstrom Rack, Amazon

• For Dads: L.L.Bean, Marshalls, Macy’s, Nordstrom Rack, Eddie Bauer, Amazon.

• For Kids: H&M Kids, Gap Kids, The Children’s Place, Old Navy, Janie and Jack, Target, Nordstom Rack, Zara, Amazon, and sometimes I find great things at thrift stores like Once Upon a Child, but you have to dedicated time to really dig (leave the kids at home)!

Styling Tips for a Cohesive Look

The goal is cohesion, not uniformity. Your outfits should harmonize rather than match identically. For example, if you're wearing a jewel-tone dress, you could dress the rest of the family in coordinating earthy tones or neutrals. Adding accessories like scarves, hats, or boots can bring an extra layer of style while maintaining that cohesive look.

Also, keep in mind the location of your shoot. If you’re in a field of yellow flowers, avoid wearing yellow—contrast is key! Similarly, for a beach shoot, a flowing dress can create a dreamy, ethereal effect.

Final Preparations for Photo Day

Once you’ve selected your outfits, I recommend laying everything out, including shoes and accessories, to ensure everything works together. Make sure all clothes are steamed or ironed to avoid wrinkles showing up in the photos. You should be happy with the color palatte of family outfits that compliment each other, when you lay them all together.

For parents of young children, I always suggest dressing them at the location or just before the session starts to avoid any mishaps on the way. Trust me, this tip can save a lot of last-minute stress!

Lastly, if you have a vision in mind or want to run your outfit choices by me, feel free to send them over! I love seeing my clients' ideas and helping refine them to ensure you get the most stunning photos possible.

Embrace the beauty of fall fashion, and I can’t wait to capture your family in this vibrant season!