It’s only two weeks before Shaun, Giuliana and I have our first professional family portraits taken and I’ve been shopping for our shoot since January.  Outfits have come and gone and I’ve changed my mind at least 100 times.  Now I understand how my clients feel.  You know you’re about to make a big investment on artwork in your home… you want to coordinate, but not overly match… you want to show your style, but still appear timeless… you want colors that flatter you, but also look good on your wall.  So much to consider.  It’s no wonder that clients often resort to all white!

Perhaps my biggest problem in selecting family wardrobe is that I am a match-a-holic.  I want everything to coordinate perfectly.  Unfortunately, that makes for a pretty boring portrait.  So I had to stray from my compulsive need to seek out exact dye lots and choose items that varied in tone, texture, and value.  Well, not surprisingly, me and my credit card were up to the challenge.  Blush was a big color this spring, and given the style and processing of my photographer, and the colors in my home, I decided to run with the color.  It’s also relatively neutral (baby steps with the color mixing!).

Usually my designer Christina comes up with our what to wear guides, but after spending months picking out my family’s outfits for our photo session, I thought I would share them on the blog with you.   So here are my summer portrait picks… well almost… Some of the items that I bought this spring are no longer for sale so I had to find similar replacements when preparing this post.  I also added in my picks for a little boy to round out the selections so they can be applied to any family.  Mom’s wedges wouldn’t be my first pick of all the shoes out there, but I already have them in my closet, so that’s what I’ll be wearing.  Just a note on my love for wedges as I must give them their due respect.  I often refer to wedges, even the 5 inch variety, as my “flats.”  Wedges are my short girl flip flops.  Comfier than stilettos, but still provide me the height I need to not blend in with the 8 year old crowd.  I appear taller, yet can still chase after my daughter if necessary.  Win, win!  If your photoshoot is outdoors and you are mortified by the thought of getting photographed next to your husband in flats, wedges are certainly the way to go.  A few other notes: Giuliana’s actual skirt for our shoot is closer in color to the ruffle chucks and has a bow on the side.  It was originally purchased at Jcrew where I found the similar one pictured below.  I’d make dad and son a bit more casual by cuffing the sleeves of the sport coat and shirt. Even leaving them unbuttoned and layering with a pop of color from a t-shirt underneath would look great.  And of course I still need to decide on accessories… but that’s another can of worms!    You’ll get to see how these outfits look in our portraits in just a few months!

Vendor List

Girl:  Outfit: Jcrew, Shoes: Nordstrom

Mom: Tank top: Gap Skirt: Free People, Shoes: Nine West

Dad: Jcrew

Boy: Jcrew