10 Picture-Perfect Christmas Family Photo Outfit Ideas for Women
Start with your outfit, then build the family's colors around it.
You are usually the one planning the photo, and the one who ends up squeezed in at the edge of the frame.
So choose the piece you love first, and pull the palette from it.
Coordinated, not matching, is the rule most photo studios give: a palette of three or four colors, with everyone in a different piece. Below are ten outfits for you, each with the palette it sets for the rest of the family, from a cream cable-knit sweater dress to a tartan midi skirt as the single print. For the rest of the day, our Christmas Day outfits pick up after the photo, and the Christmas party outfits cover the evenings.
How to plan the palette
- Coordinate, do not match. Shutterfly's photo guide recommends colors that complement each other rather than identical outfits.
- Three or four colors. Pull them from your outfit, then give each person one of them.
- One print at most. If you wear the tartan, everyone else wears solids.
- Texture over pattern. Cable knits, velvet, and wool give depth in a photo without a busy print.
- Check the backdrop. Pale colors disappear against white walls and snow. Deep colors disappear against a dark tree.
Then dress for the pose. Photographers often seat the family on the floor or a sofa, with children on laps, so choose something you can sit, kneel, and lift a toddler in.
Classic Christmas palettes (1 to 4)
1. Cream cable-knit sweater dress
A cream cable-knit sweater dress with brown boots. Family palette: camel, cream, and denim. The cable texture photographs with real depth, and cream glows next to the lights of a tree. Against a white wall, it can wash out, so shoot by the tree. Our knee-high boot guide covers the hem-to-boot gap.
2. Burgundy velvet midi
A burgundy velvet midi with long sleeves. Family palette: burgundy, forest green, and cream. Velvet is rich in photos, though it can catch a shine under a direct flash, so ask the photographer to bounce the light. Our burgundy outfits have more shades to choose from.
3. Tartan midi skirt as the one print
A tartan midi skirt with a solid cream sweater. Family palette: the red, green, and cream from the tartan, in solids. You wear the only print, and everyone else picks a color from it. That is the simplest way to plan a photo that looks coordinated without matching. Our winter skirt outfits have more tartan pairings.
4. Fair Isle sweater and black trousers
A Fair Isle sweater with black trousers, for a relaxed photo at home. Family palette: red, green, cream, and black. The sweater pattern is large enough not to shimmer on camera, unlike a fine check. Our black jeans outfits work as a base too.
Soft and neutral palettes (5 to 7)
5. Emerald satin midi
An emerald satin midi with long sleeves. Family palette: emerald with dark neutrals, navy, charcoal, black. One jewel tone among dark colors makes you the clear center of the photo. Satin creases when you sit, so steam it just before the shoot. Our satin skirt outfits have more satin options.
6. Camel turtleneck and a camel wool skirt
A camel turtleneck with a camel wool midi skirt. Family palette: camel, cream, chocolate, and soft white. An all-neutral palette looks calm and ages well, the photo you will still like in ten years. Our fall old money outfits use the same tones.
7. Dusty-rose knit dress
A dusty-rose knit midi dress. Family palette: dusty rose, sage, and cream, a softer alternative to red and green. It suits a daylight shoot by a window better than a dark evening one.
Outdoor shoots and small kids (8 to 10)
8. Long faux fur coat over a knit dress
A long faux fur coat over a knit dress, for an outdoor or snowy shoot. Family palette: chocolate, grey, and cream. A dark coat stands out against snow, where pale colors disappear. Faux fur was one of the big coat stories in our winter fashion trends.
9. Flowy camel maxi with long sleeves
A flowing long-sleeve maxi in camel, for a floor pose. The skirt spreads out around you in the photo. The catch: a long hem can catch under your knees when you kneel, so sit first and arrange the skirt after.
10. Wide-leg trousers and a fitted sweater
Wide-leg trousers with a fitted sweater, for a shoot with small children. You can kneel, crouch, and lift without a hem riding up or a wrap opening. Family palette: navy, cream, and red. Our dresses for moms cover more outfits for photo-heavy days.
What photographs badly
- Tiny checks, fine houndstooth, and thin stripes. They can create a moiré effect, a shimmering pattern where the fabric's weave clashes with the camera sensor.
- Large logos and busy graphics. Shutterfly's guide lists both.
- Neon and colors that clash with the palette.
- A true wrap dress, which opens when you bend to pick up a child.
- Pale colors against a white wall or snow.
Family pajamas that match are the one exception to "coordinate, do not match," if the photo is meant to be playful.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear for Christmas family photos?
Choose your own outfit first, then pick three or four colors from it for the rest of the family to wear in different pieces. Solid colors and texture, like a cable knit or velvet, photograph well. Avoid large logos, neon, tiny checks, and thin stripes. Choose a dress or trousers you can sit on the floor in, especially with small children.
Should families match in Christmas photos?
Most photo guides, including Shutterfly's, recommend colors that complement each other rather than identical outfits. Coordinated outfits look more natural and let each person look like themselves. Family pajamas that match are the one exception, if a playful photo is the goal.
What colors are best for Christmas family photos?
Classic red, green, and cream, rich jewel tones like burgundy and emerald, warm neutrals like camel and cream, or soft shades like dusty rose and sage. A single plaid or tartan worn by one person can anchor the palette, with everyone else in solids pulled from it.
What patterns should you avoid in photos?
Very small checks, fine houndstooth, and thin stripes can create a moiré effect, a shimmering pattern that appears when the fabric's weave clashes with the camera sensor. Large logos and busy graphics also draw the eye away from faces. Keep patterns to one person and choose a medium or large scale.
