Coordinating a wardrobe for multiple people of different ages can be tricky! I recently had to do this for my own family and even with having experience helping other people figure out to wear, it wasn't easy finding the perfect clothing combo for my own tribe. I get it.

But this piece is so so important. The right outfits will make your image and the wrong ones, well not so much.

I've assembled a few tips to hopefully help make the process a little easier for you!

The below will help coordinate colors, textures and patterns along with some cute things I've found and where to find them. Also, think about your vision for the session. Elegant? Fun & spunky?

I encourage you to browse this Pinterest board for a little inspiration.

First, I love this article from The Concept Wardrobe. They cover finding colors to compliment your complexion and coordinating different colors in a way that's almost scientific and digestable.

Large family group gathered outside suburban home during golden hour.

Your Smile

I know (from very personal experience) that if you have little ones, picture day can feel chaotic, unpredictable and maybe a little stressful but if you can just smile through the crazy, we'll get some great images no matter what.

Keep It Timeless

It can be hard to resist the trendiest new thing, but you will thank yourself 20 years from now when that family portrait you still have hanging up in your living room isn't making you shutter with the "what was I thinking" feels.

Family portrait in a sunlit field wearing coordinated blue and white outfits.

Mama First

Pick mama's outfit first and coordinate the rest of the family from there. There's no shortage of children's options so find something you absolutely love, but most importantly feel great in first and go from there.

Accessorize

Accessories and layers for the win! Accessorizing keeps things interesting and gives your image that little something extra. Come with a wide brim hat, denim or leather jacket, sweater, jewelry like layered necklaces or statement earrings, cute suspenders for boys, hair bows or clips for girls, a bow tie for guys, etc. Not only do they look great, it gives you something natural to do with your hands! Think, holding your hat, fiddling with your necklaces, that sort of thing. Plus, it'll give us options - some with and without hat, jacket, etc.

Texture Over Patterns

Textures like a flowy skirt give the photo movement and life. Use caution with patterns though. Too many patterns can be distracting so be sure to keep those in check.

A heartwarming family moment on a beach with a mother and children in mustard yellow and rust-colored dresses.

Mixing It Up

Flannel is fun! Stripes are great! Polka dots are cool too. Just keep it in moderation.

Adding in different patterns and texture is a great way to add a little personality and just make the image more interesting overall. Putting everyone in the same color turtleneck is (thankfully) a think of the past, so don't be afraid to mix things up with your crew.

If you have five people in your picture and really love that fall flannel look, maybe put two people in flannel, two in the same accent color and one in another accent color.

By breaking it up a little bit, the picture won't be so busy and it'll draw your attention into each individual person in the picture. Don't get me wrong, you want the dimension that interesting patterns can bring. Just keep it in check by balancing it out.

Educational color pyramid diagram showing hierarchy of colors from base to metallic finishes.

Neutrals

Big fan. Big big fan of neutrals. Neutrals should make up the bulk of your wardrobe - but this doesn't mean you can't use color. You'll see what I mean below.

"As a general guideline (as outlined in the colour palette pyramid above), you want to have more neutral and complementary colours than accent colours and metals to create a harmonious wardrobe. You can also apply this rule of thumb to your outfits. This is because an accent colour paired with neutrals will stand out more and can draw the attention to certain body features. If your entire outfit consists only of accent colours, your outfit might appear overbearing and disharmonious."

What to Avoid

1. Avoid neons, run. It takes away from what's going on in the picture and can actually make your skin tone look different than it looks in real life.

2. Stripes that run horizontally can be unflattering. If you love stripes, go for vertical ones to elongate your figure.

3. Being too matchy matchy. Think coordinating instead of 100% matching.

Keeping Clean

You'll obviously want to do your best to avoid any wrinkles or spilling coffee on yourself before the session, but once we get rolling try not to fret over keeping your outfit pristine anymore. In my work, I really try to capture the experience and interaction between the people I'm photographing. We may sit on the ground, run around, get in the water or walk through some tall grass to achieve this.

Be True To You

Like I mentioned, I'm looking to capture your family - not the posed/catalog version of your family; so let your personalities show through. You can have family members with totally different tastes in style stick with a basic color scheme and have it both look nice but more importantly, be true to who they are.