Every year the same question arrives a few days before the session: what should we actually wear? It is worth thinking about, because clothing is the single biggest thing you control in a portrait — more than posing, and far more than retouching. The good news is that the rules are simple, and most of them are about what to leave at home.
Here is how I advise families booking Christmas mini sessions at the Vaughan studio, and the reasoning behind each suggestion so you can adapt it to what is already in your wardrobe.
Start With the Set, Not the Outfit
Most outfit advice online is generic because it has to be — the writer does not know what you will be photographed against. That is the wrong way round. The background is fixed, so choose clothing that works with it.
This year’s Christmas set at the studio is built around deep burgundy and wine red, rose gold and antique gold, cream and soft grey, with a flocked tree, velvet drapes and a white mantel. It is a warm, traditional palette rather than a bright primary-red one, and that genuinely changes what works in front of it.
Click any image to see the set full size — it is worth a look before you go shopping or start pulling things out of the wardrobe.
Colours That Work With a Burgundy Christmas Set
Think in terms of a small palette for the whole group rather than one outfit at a time. Three or four colours across the family is plenty.
| Colour family | Why it works | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Cream, ivory, oatmeal | Lifts faces and separates cleanly from the deep background | Knitwear, dresses, shirts — a reliable default for anyone |
| Burgundy, wine, plum | Echoes the set without disappearing into it, as long as the tone differs slightly | One or two people in the group, not everyone |
| Soft grey, charcoal, taupe | Neutral and calm; lets faces and the decor carry the image | Dads and older children who dislike standing out |
| Forest green, deep teal | A classic partner to red that stays sophisticated rather than novelty | Dresses, cardigans, a tie or bow tie |
| Blush, dusty rose, mauve | Picks up the rose-gold ornaments and the blush cushions on the settee | Younger children, and softer family looks |
| Camel, tan, warm brown | Warm and current, works beautifully with cream | Jackets, boots, corduroy and knitwear |
Textures do a lot of quiet work here. Cable knits, velvet, corduroy, wool and satin all catch studio light and give an image depth that a flat cotton t-shirt simply cannot.
What to Avoid (and Why)
- Large logos and slogans. They date the photograph instantly and pull the eye straight off the face.
- Tight stripes, small checks and busy prints. Fine patterns can shimmer oddly in digital images, and several competing patterns in one family photo is visual noise.
- Neon and fluorescent colours. These reflect onto skin and cast a colour over the face that is genuinely difficult to correct.
- Everyone in identical outfits. Matching head to toe reads as a uniform. Coordinating is the goal, not matching.
- Head-to-toe bright primary red. Against a burgundy set it either clashes or merges. If you want red, lean to the wine end of it.
- Brand-new shoes on children. Uncomfortable children photograph exactly as uncomfortable as they feel.
Dressing Children for Holiday Photos
The honest rule with young children is that comfort beats everything. A child who is itchy, too hot or fighting a stiff collar will tell you about it in every single frame, and no amount of coaxing fixes it.
- Choose soft fabrics the child has worn before, not a scratchy outfit bought for the occasion
- Bring a second outfit — spills happen, and a change can reset a difficult mood
- Avoid anything that needs constant adjusting; you will spend the session fixing it
- Let older children have some say in what they wear — cooperation is worth more than a marginally better outfit
- Keep hair simple and do it just before leaving rather than the night before
For babies and toddlers, plain knits in cream, blush, sage or camel photograph beautifully and never look dated. More on photographing younger children on the family and kids photography page.
Coordinating a Family Without Matching
A simple method that works every time: pick one person’s outfit first — usually whoever is hardest to dress or has the strongest preference — then build everyone else around it using two or three colours from that outfit.
Lay everything out together on a bed before the session. Seeing all the outfits side by side immediately shows you if one person is too bright, if two patterns are fighting, or if the whole group has unintentionally gone grey. This takes five minutes and prevents the most common problem I see.
Vary tone rather than colour. A family all in shades of cream, oatmeal and camel looks considered. A family in six different strong colours looks accidental.
Couples and Grown-Up Portraits
For couple portraits, the easiest reliable combination is one person in a deeper tone and the other in cream or a soft neutral. It creates separation in the frame and stops you blending into each other and into the background.
Velvet, satin and knitwear all suit this set particularly well. If one of you is wearing a jacket, bring it even if you are unsure — it is easy to take off mid-session and it gives two looks from one outfit.
Practical Things Worth Doing
- Steam or iron everything the night before — creases show more in studio light than they do in a mirror
- Bring the outfits on hangers and change at the studio if you are travelling any distance
- Check the backs of outfits, not just the fronts; some photographs will be over the shoulder
- Think about socks and shoes if anyone will be seated — feet appear more than people expect
- Keep jewellery simple so it does not date the image or catch the light awkwardly
- Arrive a few minutes early so everyone can settle; mini sessions run to fixed time slots
Still Not Sure? Just Ask
If you are torn between two options, send me photographs of both before the session and I will tell you which will work better against this year’s set. It takes a minute and it is far better than guessing on the morning.
See Christmas mini session dates and packages — sittings start at $150 + HST for 20 minutes and 10 edited images, at the studio in Concord, Vaughan, with free parking at the door. Holiday dates are limited and the weekend slots go first.
Frequently Asked Questions
The outfit questions that come up most often before a holiday session.
