What to Wear for Fall Family Photos: Outfit Ideas Without Looking Too Matchy

Fall family photos sound like a great idea until someone asks the inevitable question: What are we all going to wear?

The good news is that creating a beautiful family photo doesn't mean dressing everyone in the same color or buying an entirely new wardrobe. The best family photo outfits feel coordinated without looking overly styled.

Our favorite approach? Start with Mom.

Start With Mom's Outfit

Mom is often the person organizing the photos, getting everyone dressed and making sure everyone else looks good. This time, choose your outfit first.

Pick something you feel genuinely good wearing, whether that's a printed midi dress, a great pair of jeans with a beautiful blouse, or a skirt paired with a soft knit.

Once you've found your look, use it as the starting point for everyone else.

If your dress has touches of burgundy, cream and olive, for example, Dad might wear a cream sweater with darker pants while the kids pick up the olive and burgundy in completely different pieces.

Everyone belongs together without looking like they're wearing a uniform.

Color Coordination Tips for Fall Family Photos

Matching outfits can quickly make family photos feel dated. Instead, choose a loose palette of three or four complementary colors and let them move throughout everyone's outfits.

For fall, we love combinations like:

• Cream, camel, chocolate and denim
• Burgundy, blush, cream and navy
• Olive, rust, oatmeal and brown
• Dusty blue, camel, cream and chocolate
• Plum, navy, soft pink and warm neutrals

And you don't have to automatically reach for orange just because there are fall leaves in the background. A softer or unexpected color palette can look especially beautiful against autumn scenery.

Let One Great Print Do the Work

A print can actually make coordinating the rest of the family easier.

Start with a floral dress for Mom or a printed dress for your mini and pull two or three colors from that print for everyone else's outfits.

The trick is not putting everyone in a pattern.

One beautiful floral, check or subtle print gives the photo personality. Four competing prints give the eye nowhere to rest.

Mix Textures to Make Simple Colors Interesting

If you're keeping the color palette fairly neutral, texture is your friend.

Think chunky knits, denim, corduroy, lace, suede, soft cotton, quilted jackets and cozy cardigans.

Different textures give a family photo depth even when everyone is wearing relatively simple colors. They also make an outfit feel much more natural than trying to perfectly color-match everyone's clothes.

Let Kids Look Like Kids

Your mini doesn't need to look like a tiny adult for family photos.

Choose pieces that feel special but still allow kids to move, sit, run and be themselves. A printed dress with a cardigan, a great sweater with comfortable pants, or a sweet set can photograph beautifully without feeling overly formal.

This is where our Mini Wardrobe comes in. We love finding children's pieces that coordinate with Mom's outfit through color, print or mood rather than creating an exact matching look.

How to Accessorize Your Fall Family Photo Outfits

Family photos aren't the time to remove everything that makes an outfit feel like you.

A favorite necklace, stacked rings, vintage earrings, a beautiful belt or a great pair of boots can turn a simple outfit into something personal. Explore our curated Jewelry Collection for modern and vintage pieces to finish the look.

We especially love mixing vintage jewelry with contemporary pieces. A vintage necklace, ring or pair of earrings adds character and can make even a simple dress or knit feel distinctly yours.

Just remember that the photograph is about your family. Choose accessories that finish the look rather than compete for attention.

Think About Where You're Taking the Photos

A family photographed among colorful fall leaves needs a different wardrobe than a family taking pictures on a Jersey City brownstone-lined street.

For a park, orchard or wooded setting, warm neutrals, denim, burgundy, cream and muted blues work beautifully.

For an urban setting, you can go a little more fashion-forward. Think darker denim, a great jacket, black mixed with camel, interesting knits and stronger accessories.

And if you're taking photos at home, lean into the personality of your space rather than trying to create an artificial "fall" wardrobe.

The Most Important Rule: Look Like Yourselves

Years from now, the best family photos won't be the ones where everyone's sweater perfectly matched.

They'll be the ones where you recognize yourselves.

Choose clothing that makes everyone comfortable, build a palette rather than a uniform, and don't be afraid to let individual personalities show.

And Mom, pick your outfit first for once.

Shop Fall Family Photo Outfits

Find women's clothing, Mini Wardrobe pieces, jewelry and accessories online at Nouveau & Vintage.

Prefer to put everything together in person? Visit 301 Collective at 301 First Street in Jersey City, where you can shop women's fashion, Mini Wardrobe pieces, vintage jewelry and accessories and create a family-photo look that feels coordinated, personal and completely your own.