EVELYSS / Guides / Fashion Sense

What to Wear for Family Christmas Pictures

“Matching sweaters look like a uniform. A shared palette looks like a family. Choose the colors first and the clothes second, and the picture does the rest.”Her take

Should families match in Christmas pictures?

Matching outfits are fun for a joke card, but for a picture you'll keep, coordinating looks better. When everyone wears the same thing, faces blur into one block. When everyone wears different pieces in the same colors, each person stands out and the group still looks like it belongs together.

The simple method: choose a palette, then give each person a different garment and shade within it. One wears a burgundy sweater, one a cream knit, one a green dress, one dark jeans with a camel cardigan.

Which colors work best for Christmas pictures?

Deep, warm colors photograph richly and suit the season. Two or three main colors plus one neutral is enough. Match the palette to the setting so the clothes don't fight the background.

• Burgundy, forest green and cream: indoors by the tree or a fireplace. Classic, warm and rich.
• Cream, camel and burgundy: soft and warm, good at home or in a studio with a light backdrop.
• Navy, gray and cream: outdoors in snow or on a gray day. Calm and crisp against white.
• Red, denim and white: casual at home or a tree farm. Fresh, but keep the red to one or two people.
• Emerald, black and gold accents: an evening or dressier portrait. Use gold through jewelry rather than metallic fabric.

How do you spread the colors across the family?

Start with the hardest piece, usually a patterned dress or a child's favorite sweater, and pull the palette from it. Only one person should wear a pattern. Everyone else wears solids in its colors.

Spread the strongest color around the group rather than putting it all on one side. If two people wear burgundy, place them apart in the frame. Darker colors on the adults and lighter ones on small children usually balance well, and a neutral on someone in the middle ties the picture together.

Which fabrics and details photograph well?

Texture adds depth to a photo without adding noise. Cable knits, velvet, corduroy, wool, flannel and soft denim all look rich on camera. Smooth, shiny fabrics can bounce flash and string lights back as bright hot spots.

Avoid logos, writing and characters, which pull the eye from faces. Skip very fine stripes, small houndstooth and tiny checks, which can create a rippling effect on camera called moiré that is hard to edit out. If someone wears a pattern, keep it large and simple. Press everything the day before, check that sleeves and hems sit right when sitting down, and keep jewelry simple so it doesn't catch light.

What should you wear for each setting?

Indoors at home, wear lighter layers, because rooms with lights and a fire get warm. Soft knits, dresses and dark jeans work well. Socks show in sitting poses, so choose them on purpose.

At a tree farm or outdoors, add coats in the palette and treat them as part of the outfit, since they may stay on. Boots with grip matter on wet ground. In snow, mid tones like navy, gray, green and burgundy stand out; all-white outfits can disappear against it. In a studio, follow the photographer's backdrop and keep the palette tight.

What about shoes, kids and pets?

Shoes show in full-length shots, so choose them as part of the palette: brown or black boots, clean loafers, or kids' shoes in a neutral. Bright sneakers draw the eye straight to the floor.

Dress small children in what they'll tolerate for an hour. A comfortable child in a plain knit looks better than an unhappy one in a stiff outfit. Bring a spare top for spills. For pets, a collar or bandana in one of the palette colors is enough.

Questions people ask

The takeaway

One palette, two or three colors plus a neutral, a different piece for each person, one pattern at most, and texture instead of shine.

Read next