Christmas Family Photo Outfits: What to Wear and Why

The best Christmas family photo outfits are coordinated, not matching. Pick two or three colors, let each person wear a different mix of them, keep to one pattern across the whole family, and choose fabrics everyone can sit, hug and breathe in. That is the whole formula.

If you're the one organizing everyone, you probably have a quiet fear. Either the photo will look like a forced matching-sweater cliché, or somebody will melt down twenty minutes in because their collar itches. Both are avoidable, and both come down to mechanics, not luck.

How should you dress for Christmas family photos?

Dress in a shared palette, not a shared uniform. Coordinated, not matchy is the rule I give every family, and it's the reason I send a detailed wardrobe guide with example palettes before a session.

Matching outfits fail for a practical reason. When everyone wears the same top, the eye reads a block of fabric before it reads a face. A palette does the opposite. The colors repeat across the frame, so the family looks like it belongs together, and the faces stay the brightest thing in the picture.

Comfort is the second half of the rule. If a child is pulling at a sleeve, you can see it in every frame, however nice the sweater.

Where to start: build the whole family around one outfit

Start with one person's outfit, usually mom's, because hers is typically the one with the most decisions in it. A dress or a patterned top is harder to match to than a pair of jeans. Settle that first and everyone else gets easier.

1. Choose the anchor outfit. Pick the piece with the most color or pattern. Everything else will be chosen to support it.
2. Pull two or three colors from it. Take the main color, one lighter and one deeper. If her sweater is deep green, that might be cream and a warm brown.
3. Dress the next-hardest person. That's usually a teenager or a toddler with strong opinions. Give them a say within the palette.
4. Fill in with neutrals. Dad and whoever's left can wear solids in the palette, which keeps the anchor outfit from competing with them.
5. Lay it all out together. Put every outfit on a bed, step back, and squint. If one piece jumps out, that's the one to change.

The squint matters. Squinting turns the outfits into blocks of color and tone, which is closer to how a photo reads them.

What colors look best in Christmas family photos?

Colors that are rich but not neon. Deeper versions of the holiday colors tend to flatter every skin tone in the family at once, which is the real test when you're dressing five people who don't share one.

Deep red, not bright red

A saturated red is the most Christmas color there is, and it's also the one that behaves worst. It throws a warm cast onto skin nearby, so red under a chin or on a sleeve can turn a neck or an arm pink. A deeper red, like cranberry or burgundy, gives you the same festive feel with far less of that.

If you love true red, put it on one person and keep it away from the center of the group.

Cream and camel

These two do quiet work. Warm neutrals sit close to skin tones, so faces look warmer next to them, not washed out. Cream is also gentler than stark white, which can pull the eye away from the face, especially in a studio.

Use them as the base of the palette and let the richer colors sit on top.

Forest green and navy

Dark greens and blues photograph with depth and hold their color in low winter light, when a bright green can turn flat or neon. They're also the safest colors for dads and teenagers who don't want to look "dressed up for Christmas."

Navy plays well with burgundy and cream, which makes it a good bridge color.

Jewel tones

Emerald, deep plum and sapphire read as rich and slightly formal, which is where "classy" Christmas outfits usually live. They need good light to look their best, and they pair well with metallics in small amounts, like a gold earring or a belt buckle.

Neutrals-only palettes

Ivory, oatmeal, camel and gray can look calm and modern, but they run flat if everyone wears the same texture. Mix a knit, a wool coat and a soft denim and the frame comes alive without adding a single color.

One thing I would skip is neon, and any very bright holiday color, near a face. It pulls the eye away from the people.

Which fabrics photograph well, and which ones don't?

Texture does what color does, only more quietly. Fabrics with some depth look rich on camera, while flat, thin or shiny ones can cause trouble.

Velvet and chunky knits

Velvet soaks up light and gives a deep, soft color, which is why it looks expensive in photographs. Chunky knits add shadow and shape, so a sweater reads as a sweater and not as a flat patch of color.

Both are warm. If your session is in a heated studio, plan for people to get hot and keep layers easy to remove.

Sequins and metallics

Sequins and metallic threads act like tiny mirrors. They bounce light back at the camera, and that can pull attention to a sleeve and away from a face. A little goes a long way, like a sequin skirt on one person or a metallic thread running through a knit.

Fine stripes and tiny checks

This is the one nobody warns you about. Very fine, tight patterns can shimmer or ripple on camera, a problem called moiré. The American Society of Cinematographers explains that a repeating pattern of fine detail, like woven fabric, can cause moiré, and that certain materials and patterns are more likely to set it off.

Changing the distance or lens can sometimes reduce it, but once it's in the file it's hard to remove. Choose a bolder plaid or a plain knit over a pinstripe shirt and the problem never starts.

Stiff, scratchy or tight fabrics

Wool that itches, a stiff dress, a waistband that digs: all of these show up on faces within minutes. Children can't hide it and most adults don't either. Test every outfit by sitting in it, hugging someone in it, and lifting your arms.

If you can't comfortably do all three, it won't survive a whole session.

When you're ready to plan the wardrobe with someone who'll look at your actual choices, Inquire about a family session and we'll go through the palette together.

Why one pattern is plenty

Pick one pattern and give it to one person, or repeat the same plaid in small amounts. Three different patterns in a frame fight each other, and the eye can't decide where to rest.

A good test is to count the busy things in the outfit lineup. If there are more than two, simplify. Solids don't look boring in a photo. They look like a family whose faces you can see.

If you want a plaid in the palette, make it the anchor and keep the rest solid. That's the same logic as the one-outfit-first rule above.

What should kids wear for Christmas family photos?

Kids should wear things they've already tested. Comfort is the thing that decides whether a toddler sits with you or takes off running, and I say that as a mother of three sons.

With children I usually take a more photojournalistic approach, so I'm watching for real interactions, and a child who is comfortable in their clothes gives me far more of them. A child tugging a tight collar gives me a frown.

• Have them wear the outfit first. An hour at home tells you everything. Tags, seams, stiff waistbands and long sleeves all announce themselves quickly.
• Vary siblings slightly. They don't need to match. Same palette, different pieces, and each child can feel like themselves.
• Choose soft, familiar pieces for babies and toddlers. Anything that bunches when they sit is going to bother them.
• Bring a backup. A spare outfit in the palette covers spills and last-minute refusals, which is a common reason a family outfit plan falls apart.

If a family session isn't going right, it can be rescheduled at no charge. That tends to relax parents, and relaxed parents make for calmer kids.

What shoes should you wear?

Wear shoes that fit the palette and have already been worn in. Brand-new dress shoes are a common cause of grumpy children and sore feet, and a limp or a scowl is hard to hide.

In a studio session, shoes often show for only part of the time, so comfort comes first, then color. For a session on location, plan on closed shoes or boots that can handle uneven ground, and keep them dark and simple so they don't pull the eye down. Location work is part of a full session, since a mini session is studio only.

What to wear for a December session outdoors: coats and layers

For an outdoor session, plan for layers, not one heavy coat. Dress for the cold first and the photo second, because a family that's shivering can't look relaxed.

The CDC's cold stress guidance is blunt about it: wear several layers of loose clothing, and avoid tight clothing, which reduces blood circulation. Loose layers also happen to look better in a photograph than clothes strained at the seams.

• Choose a coat in your palette. A camel or navy coat can be part of the outfit, and in a long session it might be the only thing the camera sees.
• Keep the layer under it good-looking. Coats come off for some frames, so what's underneath should be an outfit you'd be happy to be photographed in.
• Add a scarf or hat in a palette color. It brings warmth and gives the outfit a finish.
• Skip puffy, oversized jackets when you can. They hide the shape of the people underneath. A fitted wool coat or a slimmer quilted one works better.
• Bring gloves, and warm up between frames. Cold hands and red noses are normal, and breaks help.

What should you wear for photos with Santa?

Choose colors that go with Santa's red suit, not against it. Cream, gold, forest green and navy all sit well next to red, and a muted burgundy can work too.

A very bright red on you competes with his suit and takes the focus off your faces. Keep clothing simple, with soft fabrics for the kids, since there's often a wait and a lap to sit on.

Are matching Christmas pajamas a good idea?

Yes, if you want a casual, at-home feel. Matching pajamas are the one time a matching set works, because the whole point is that it's a playful uniform.

Keep the fabric soft and the prints simple, and let everyone wear their own pair of socks in a palette color. For setups and settings that suit a pajama shoot, my Christmas family photo ideas cover them.

Where I help with wardrobe

A family and couples session starts from $690 and includes a wardrobe consultation for the whole family, so you aren't guessing alone. Makeup and hairstyling for up to 2 people is part of it too. Length depends on the size of your family.

If you only need a quick update, a mini session starts from $390. It's up to 30 minutes in the studio with two outfit changes, so it suits one palette in two looks.

Outfits are only part of a good Christmas photo. For the rest, see my posts on how to pose a family and choosing the photo for your card. For anything that isn't holiday-themed, here's my everyday guide to family outfits.

Frequently asked questions

How do you dress for Christmas family photos? Choose two or three colors and spread them across the family in different combinations. Keep to one pattern, pick fabrics that everyone can move in, and start from one outfit, usually mom's, to build the rest.

What are good colors for Christmas family photos? Deep red like cranberry or burgundy, forest green, navy, cream and camel. These read as festive without overwhelming faces, and they flatter a range of skin tones together.

What are some good Christmas outfits for a photoshoot? Velvet dresses, chunky knit sweaters, fitted wool coats and soft solids all photograph richly. Add one plaid and a few warm neutrals, and avoid very fine stripes or checks that can shimmer.

What should you wear for family Santa photos? Cream, gold, forest green or navy, which sit comfortably next to Santa's red suit. Keep your own red muted so it doesn't compete, and dress kids in soft, comfortable fabrics.

Do we all need to wear red and green? No. Plenty of strong Christmas palettes are neutrals with one deep accent. Red and green on everyone can feel like a costume, while a palette with a touch of either looks natural.

Should the whole family match? Not unless it's a pajama set. Matching clothes turn into a block of fabric on camera, whereas a shared palette keeps the faces in front.

Dress the family you actually have

You don't need to look like a catalog. You need an outfit lineup where nobody is itchy, cold or hiding behind a stiff collar, and that part is something I help sort out before the session starts. I direct every pose, so you'll never be left wondering what to do with your hands.

You don't need to have it all figured out before you book. That's the part we plan together. Inquire about a family session and we'll build your palette from there.

Last updated: October 26, 2026

About the author: Arnel Gonce is a portrait photographer in Charlottesville, Virginia. She has photographed over 1,000 sessions since 2015, covering headshots and personal branding, families, seniors, maternity, boudoir and her signature Fabulous Over 50 sessions. She guides every client from first nerves to final gallery so the camera catches them at their most confident.