Fall is coming, and with it, the most popular time of year for family photos. One of the questions I get asked most often by people calling me to photograph their family is, “What should we wear?”

One of the main goals of a family portrait is to direct the viewers’ eyes to everyone’s faces. Clothing choices can play a big part in making that successful. With that in mind, here are fifteen of my favorite tips for the best clothing to wear—and to avoid—during your family photo session. (Scroll down to see color palettes that will work well this time of year.)

What to Wear for Your Family Photos

1. Clothing can easily date your portrait…leg warmers anyone? Simple, timeless options, such as jeans and a solid color shirt or solid color dress are great choices.
2. Family photos look best when everyone’s clothing is cohesive, both in color and style. Variations of the same color and a consistent style, e.g., jeans and long sleeve shirts, keep the emphasis of the photo on your faces and relationships, not your clothing choices.
3. Darker, muted colors recede in the image, which helps keep the viewer’s eye on your family’s faces, plus they are more slimming.
4. Solid colors are a better choice than strong patterns. Bold patterns and bright colors draw the viewer’s eye away from your family’s faces and can clash with nature if your family portraits are being taken outside. If you like strong patterns, try pairing them with solids or using them in your accessories, such as a scarf (or fun collar or bandana for your dog!).
5. Long sleeve shirts and long pants (or skirts and dresses with boots that come up to the bottom of the skirt or dress) also help direct the viewer’s eye to your family’s faces and help the photo from looking chopped up (imagine areas of skin, then clothing, then skin showing).
6. Layers and accessories not only provide more visual interest in your portraits, but they also allow for a lot more variety to your images. For both the two-legged and four-legged family members, you can add or subtract jewelry, a sweater, scarf, vest, jacket, hat, collar, bow, or bandana, and you now have an entirely different look.
7. Wear comfortable clothing. You will be sitting in many of your photos, so wear something that you feel comfortable in and that covers areas you don’t want to show in your portraits.
8. Your shoes will be visible in all or most of your photos, so make sure they match the colors you are wearing, the style of your clothing, and are not scuffed up. And avoid white sneakers (see below).
9. Remember that your hands will be in the photos, so look at your nails to make sure they will look good in your pictures. If you are wearing nail polish, make sure it is not extremely bright or chipped.
10. You are going to be looking at these photos on your walls for many years, so choose clothing that you love and that is flattering in photos.
11. Test out your clothing choices in advance. Lay everyone’s clothing out on a bed, or even better, in the room where you are considering displaying your printed photos. This will enable you to see how the clothing looks together and how it will look as art on your walls.

Here are some good examples of what to wear if you are taking family photos in the fall.