What to Wear for Fall Family Photos: A Simple Guide to Styling Your Family

What to Wear for Fall Family Photos: A Simple Guide to Styling Your Family

Fall is one of my favorite times of year for family photos. The warm light, changing leaves, cozy textures, and earthy colors create the perfect backdrop for photos that feel timeless and connected.

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A happy family enjoying a cozy autumn day outdoors, sitting together on a blanket amidst fallen leaves, with trees creating a serene background.

But if there’s one question I hear before almost every family session, it’s:

“What are we going to wear?”

I get it. Styling an entire family can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re trying to coordinate different personalities, ages, and preferences without making everyone look like they’re wearing a uniform.

The good news? You don’t need perfectly matching outfits to create beautiful family photos.

Instead, I recommend choosing colors, textures, and pieces that feel like you and work together naturally.

Here are some of my favorite tips for styling your family for fall photos in Sonoma County, Marin County, and Napa Valley.

Start With One Outfit You Love

Rather than trying to choose everyone's outfit at the same time, start with one person.

This might be a dress you absolutely love for yourself, your daughter's favorite sweater, or a pair of pants your partner already feels great wearing. Once you have that piece, build everyone else's outfits around it.

I especially love starting with a beautiful fall dress because it can give you an easy color palette to work from. From there, pull out one or two colors from the dress and incorporate them into the rest of the family's clothing.

The goal isn't to match exactly. It's to make everything feel like it belongs together.

A joyful moment in nature with a mother kneeling amidst autumn leaves, lovingly holding her son's hands while her daughter playfully hugs her, surrounded by a tranquil forest setting.

Think Coordinated, Not Matching

Gone are the days of everyone wearing the same white shirt and jeans!

For family photography, I prefer outfits that coordinate through color, texture, and overall feel rather than identical pieces.

For example, you might pair:

• A rust or cinnamon-colored dress

• Cream or oatmeal sweater

• Olive green pants

• Dark denim

• Brown boots

• Warm neutral accessories

  
  

Everyone is wearing something different, but the colors work beautifully together.

A good rule of thumb is to choose 3–5 colors and let everyone wear different variations of those shades.

Embrace Fall Colors

Fall is the perfect season for rich, earthy tones.

Some of my favorite colors for fall family photos include:

Warm neutrals:Cream, ivory, beige, camel, tan, oatmeal

Earthy colors:Olive, sage, rust, terracotta, mustard, brown

Deeper tones:Burgundy, plum, forest green, navy, charcoal

You don't need every person dressed in a different color. Instead, mix lighter and darker shades throughout the family.

And don't be afraid of neutrals! Creams, tans, browns, and soft grays photograph beautifully and keep the focus where it belongs: on your family.

Add Texture

This is one of my favorite styling tricks.

Fall photos are all about texture—knit sweaters, linen, corduroy, denim, wool, suede, gauze, and cozy layers all photograph beautifully.

Texture also adds visual interest without requiring bold patterns or bright colors.

Try pairing things like:

• A chunky knit sweater with a flowy dress

• Corduroy pants with a soft cotton top

• Denim with a cozy cardigan

• A linen dress with a textured sweater

• A wool coat over a simple outfit

These little details become especially beautiful in close-up photographs.

A family poses warmly together in a rustic setting, surrounded by vibrant cacti and wooden fencing, with picturesque vineyards and lush greenery in the background.

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Layers Are Your Best Friend

Fall weather can be unpredictable, especially here in Northern California.

Layers give you flexibility while also making your outfits look more interesting.

Think:

Dress + cardiganT-shirt + denim jacketSweater + coatButton-down + sweaterDress + boots + oversized sweater

And don't forget that you can always remove a layer during your session for a slightly different look.

A jacket coming off, a sweater being wrapped around your shoulders, or a child snuggling into a cardigan can also create those natural little moments I love photographing.

Don't Be Afraid of Dresses and Skirts

If you're comfortable wearing a dress, I say go for it!

Longer dresses and skirts create beautiful movement in photographs, especially when we're walking, playing, or moving through a field.

Flowy fabrics also photograph beautifully in the evening light.

For a more relaxed, editorial look, look for dresses with:

• Movement

• Soft or natural fabrics

• Interesting texture

• Subtle patterns

• Earthy or neutral colors

You don't have to dress “fancy.” A beautiful, relaxed dress can still feel completely natural for a family session.

A mother and daughter share a tender moment in a sunlit field, surrounded by golden grasses and distant hills.

Let Kids Be Comfortable

This one is important.

Your child doesn't need to wear something stiff, itchy, uncomfortable, or completely unlike what they normally wear.

If they're uncomfortable, they're going to look uncomfortable—and that's not what we're going for.

Instead, choose something that allows them to run, sit, climb, cuddle, and play.

I want your kids to be able to be themselves during your session. A little dirt on the knees? Totally fine. Bare feet? Sometimes even better.

The best photos often happen when everyone forgets we're taking pictures.

Two young girls embracing in a sunlit, golden field, capturing a moment of sisterly affection and warmth.

Consider Your Location

Your outfits should complement the setting where we're photographing.

For example, if we're photographing your family in a field or among fall foliage, earthy tones and natural textures blend beautifully with the environment.

If we're heading to the Sonoma Coast, I might lean toward softer neutrals, denim, layers, and cozy textures.

For an urban or more editorial location, you can have a little more fun with structured pieces, boots, jackets, and fashion-forward layers.

Think about the overall feeling you want your photographs to have and choose clothing that supports that feeling.

A family enjoys a day at the beach, smiling together by the water's edge amidst a scenic landscape.

What About Shoes?

Don't forget about shoes!

Shoes can make or break an outfit, especially in full-body photographs.

For fall sessions, I love:

• Brown or tan boots

• Simple leather sandals

• Neutral sneakers

• Loafers

• Simple ankle boots

• Classic dress shoes

Try to avoid athletic shoes unless they are intentionally part of the outfit.

And please make sure everyone's shoes are comfortable. We're often walking, exploring, and moving around during your session!

What to Avoid

There aren't really any hard rules when it comes to what you should wear. But there are a few things I generally recommend avoiding.

Everyone wearing the exact same color.It can make the photos feel overly coordinated.

Large logos or graphics.They can quickly become the focal point of an image.

Neon or extremely bright colors.These can reflect color onto skin and compete with the natural surroundings.

Tiny, busy patterns.Small stripes and tight patterns can photograph strangely and become distracting.

Clothing that is uncomfortable.Beautiful photos aren't worth being miserable!

Everyone wearing jeans and the same color shirt.Unless that's genuinely your family's style, don't feel like you have to do this. There are so many more interesting ways to coordinate.

Don't Forget About the Little Details

Once you have everyone's outfits figured out, take a look at the little things. Hair accessories, jewelry, hats, belts, scarves, and jackets can all add personality.

For little girls, I love simple bows, ribbons, or delicate accessories.

For boys, a textured sweater, suspenders, a simple hat, or a great pair of boots can add a little personality without feeling overly styled.

And for parents—don't underestimate the power of a beautiful pair of earrings, necklace, watch, or favorite boots. Those little details help make the photographs feel like your family.

My Favorite Fall Family Photo Formula

If you're still completely overwhelmed, here's an easy place to start:

Mom: Flowing dress in rust, olive, cream, or another earthy tone

Dad: Neutral shirt or sweater + dark denim or chinos

Child 1: Knit sweater + pants or skirt

Child 2: Dress, overalls, or textured top + pants

Then add a few layers and accessories to bring everything together.

It doesn't need to be complicated.

A joyful family moment in the woods, as parents embrace their children under a canopy of trees and dappled sunlight.

Most importantly, wear something that feels like YOU.

Your family photos aren't supposed to look like a clothing catalog.

They're about your kids' personalities, the way your partner makes you laugh, little hands holding onto yours, running through a field, snuggling together, and all those in-between moments that you'll want to remember years from now.

So choose clothing that allows you to move, play, cuddle, and be yourselves.

I'll take care of the rest.

Need Help Choosing Your Outfits?

One of my favorite parts of preparing for a family session is helping my clients figure out what to wear. Once you book your session, I'm happy to offer styling guidance and help you pull your family's outfits together so everything feels cohesive without looking overly matched.

And remember: you don't need to have everything figured out before you book your session.

We'll work together to create a session that feels natural, beautiful, and completely your own.

Ready to plan your fall family photos?

Fall dates in Sonoma County, Marin County, and Napa County tend to fill quickly, so I recommend booking early. Let's create some beautiful photographs of your family while the leaves are changing and the light is golden.

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