When a family asks me what to wear for fall photos, my first answer is always the same: stop trying to match. Pick three or four colors that suit the location, then spread them across everyone so no two people wear the same thing. Cream, camel, chocolate, olive, burgundy, rust, navy and a muted blue all sit well against autumn leaves. Texture does a lot of the work too. Knits, corduroy, denim and suede give the camera something to pick up, so a mostly neutral group still looks interesting. Give the bold pattern to one person only, and dress for kneeling, sitting on the ground and carrying a toddler, because that's what a family session really involves. Here are fifteen palettes I'd happily send a family out in.
Assigning Colors Person by Person
Here's the order I work in when I plan a family. It stops the last-minute panic where everyone owns something navy and nothing else matches.
- Start with the hardest person to dress. Usually that's whoever wears the dress or the patterned piece, because it has the most color in it. Their outfit sets the palette.
- Pull three or four colors from that piece, plus one light neutral. Write them down. Anything outside that list doesn't go to the session.
- Give each remaining person one main color and one supporting color. Nobody wears the same combination.
- Put the darkest pieces on the tallest people and the lightest near the youngest. Little faces sit low in the frame, and light clothes around them keep them from getting lost.
- Check shoes last. Bright sneakers and scuffed school shoes are what usually spoil a full-length shot.
Look at the location in daylight before you settle anything. A field of pale grass, a red brick wall and a stand of pines need different palettes, and a dress that sat well on the hanger can disappear against the wrong background.
1. Cream And Camel Family Fall Photo Outfit
Cream and camel is the palette I suggest when a family wants soft, warm photos and has a golden field or bright maples behind them. Put one adult in a flowing cream midi dress with tan ankle boots and fine gold jewelry. The other can wear a camel quarter-zip over an ivory shirt with dark brown chinos and leather boots. For the kids, an oatmeal knit dress with Mary Janes, or cream cords with a tan button-down. The risk with this palette is everyone merging into one beige shape, so I always mix a light neutral with a medium one and lean on texture: cable knit, rib, suede, a woven belt. Leave bright white at home. Next to warm tones it reads cold and blows out in sun.
2. Rust And Denim Family Fall Photo Outfit
Rust and denim might be the easiest fall pairing to pull off. A rust wrap dress or tiered maxi gives the group its anchor, with neutral ankle boots and small earrings. The second adult goes in a chambray shirt, dark jeans and brown boots. Kids can mix rust sweaters, denim overalls, cream tops and tan shoes. I keep everyone to one denim wash so the jeans don't look like three different pairs from three different decades, but I never put the whole family in jeans and identical shirts. Orchards and wooded parks suit this best. Keep the accessories quiet and let the rust carry the picture.
3. Olive And Ivory Family Fall Photo Outfit
Olive and ivory look calm and grown-up, especially with red and orange leaves around them. One adult in an olive midi with a defined waist, brown boots and a small pendant; the other in an ivory knit, olive chinos and dark brown shoes. For children, an ivory blouse with an olive cord skirt, or an olive henley with tan pants and neutral sneakers. Choose a muted olive. Bright greens tend to look artificial on camera and reflect a green cast onto skin. If the location is still mostly green, shift the balance toward ivory and tan, or the family will disappear into the trees.
4. Burgundy And Navy Family Fall Photo Outfit
Burgundy and navy are both heavy colors, which is exactly why they work for a polished, classic portrait. I'd start with a burgundy midi, block-heel boots and a navy wool coat for one adult. The other wears a navy button-down, charcoal trousers and burgundy or brown leather shoes. Kids can be a burgundy sweater with navy chinos, or a navy dress with burgundy tights and tan boots. Because both main colors are dark, I add cream somewhere near the faces: a collar, a hair bow, a scarf. Skip large prints entirely here. City streets, stone buildings and bare late-fall trees all suit it, and it's the palette I'd pick if the photos are headed for a framed print over the mantel.
5. Chocolate Brown And Cream Family Fall Photo Outfit
Chocolate brown gives a cream palette its depth. One adult in a chocolate sweater dress, tall brown boots and small gold hoops; the other in a cream cable knit, dark brown trousers and suede shoes. Kids can wear cream knits with brown cord overalls, a cocoa dress or tan pants. You don't need identical browns. Espresso, cocoa, caramel and taupe all live happily together, and the variety actually looks richer. What I watch is where the dark pieces land: if all the brown ends up on the two people standing on the left, the picture looks lopsided. Mix them across the group. Grassy fields and copper leaves are the backdrop I'd choose.
6. Mustard And Charcoal Family Fall Photo Outfit
Mustard is fun, but it's loud on camera, so I treat it as an accent and let charcoal do the grounding. One adult in a charcoal midi skirt, cream blouse, mustard cardigan and taupe boots. The other in a charcoal henley, dark jeans and brown shoes. Add mustard on a child: a sweater, a dress or cord pants, and let the other kids wear soft gray, cream or denim. One large mustard piece and one or two small touches are plenty. Choose a warm, slightly dulled mustard; anything close to lemon or neon will pull every eye in the frame. Gray stone, weathered fences and muted woods suit it.
7. Sage And Tan Family Fall Photo Outfit
Sage and tan are my choice for early fall, when the leaves haven't turned and orange would look out of place. Try a sage maxi with flutter sleeves, tan ankle boots and a cream cardigan for one adult; the other in a light tan overshirt over a cream tee, dark khaki pants and brown sneakers. The kids can wear sage rompers, neutral striped sweaters, tan skirts or soft brown pants. Repeat sage in two or three spots, but in slightly different shades so it looks chosen rather than issued. A small cream-and-sage print can connect everything, as long as the rest stays solid. It's a quiet palette for families who don't want the classic pumpkin colors.
8. Terracotta And Oatmeal Family Fall Photo Outfit
Terracotta is the orange I recommend to people who say they hate orange. It's earthier and much kinder to skin. I'd build this one from a terracotta floral midi and pull oatmeal, tan and muted brown straight out of its print. The second adult wears an oatmeal sweater, tobacco chinos and leather boots. Kids: a terracotta knit with cream pants, an oatmeal dress with tan shoes, or brown overalls over ivory. Only one floral in the group, please. Brushed cotton and suede suit the palette, and linen blends work if it's a warm early-fall day. Dry fields and faded grasses make it glow.
9. Navy And Camel Family Fall Photo Outfit
Navy and camel are the safe, dependable pick when rustic colors don't suit the family or the setting. One adult in a navy wrap dress, camel boots and a slim tan belt; the other in a camel crewneck over a pale blue shirt, navy chinos and brown loafers. Kids in navy cords, camel knits, cream tops or fine blue stripes. The trick is spreading navy around: a dress, a child's trousers and a hair clip reads as a plan, while one person in head-to-toe navy reads as a dark hole in the photo. Camel coats help on a cold day. City parks, brick and waterfronts all suit it.
10. Plum And Gray Family Fall Photo Outfit
Plum and gray is a little unexpected, and it looks soft on camera. Start with a plum pleated skirt, light gray sweater, taupe boots and minimal silver. The other adult wears a charcoal overshirt over a pale gray knit with dark pants and clean leather sneakers. Kids can bring plum in through a knit dress, a vest or tights. I keep the light gray near faces, because late-afternoon sessions get dim fast and a group in dark colors starts to lose detail. Use charcoal sparingly. Stone walls, pale grasses and deep red leaves all suit it. Don't add more jewel tones; plum with emerald and sapphire starts looking like a holiday card.
11. Brown Plaid And Solid Neutrals Family Fall Photo Outfit
One plaid piece can hold a whole group of neutrals together, and it's the way I'd handle a big extended-family shoot. Pick a plaid in brown, cream, rust and olive for one person, then dress everyone else in solids pulled from it. So a brown plaid midi with cream boots, an olive sweater with dark jeans, and kids in rust cords, oatmeal knits or tan overalls. Keep every jacket and accessory plain. Choose a small check over a big one, since large checks dominate a group and fine tight checks can shimmer oddly on camera. Before the day, lay every outfit out together on the floor. You'll spot the odd one out immediately.
12. Black And Cognac Family Fall Photo Outfit
Black can work in fall photos, but only softened. One adult in a black knit midi with cognac boots, a brown belt and gold jewelry; the other in a cream shirt under a black jacket with dark jeans and cognac shoes. Kids in black denim with camel sweaters, or a cream dress with brown boots. What I won't do is put everyone in mostly black. Dark fabric loses its folds and edges in shadow, and the family turns into a row of silhouettes with faces. Spread the black across trousers, jackets and small prints instead. Brick, modern buildings and pale fields suit it, and it's a sharper choice than the usual earthy palette.
13. Dusty Blue And Brown Family Fall Photo Outfit
Dusty blue cools down a warm brown palette and suits a mild day. One adult in a dusty blue maxi, cropped camel cardigan and tan flats or boots; the other in a light blue button-down, chocolate trousers and brown shoes. Kids can wear blue cord overalls, a brown floral dress, cream knits or tan pants. The blue has to be grayed and soft. A saturated blue fights with orange leaves rather than complementing them. Brown accessories connect it to the season. This one looks lovely by water or under yellow trees. One small print at most, and let the rest stay plain.
14. Forest Green And Camel Family Fall Photo Outfit
Forest green and camel adapt to every age in the family. One adult in a long-sleeve forest green dress, camel coat and brown ankle boots; the other in a cream button-down, camel sweater vest, dark green trousers and leather shoes. Kids in green knits, tan cords, cream dresses or brown overalls. Vary how much of each color each person wears so it doesn't look like a team kit. In a pine or evergreen setting, I put cream and camel near the faces so nobody blends into the background. It's my pick for cold sessions, because coats, vests and tights fit the palette without effort. Keep jewelry small; you want people looking at expressions.
15. Cream Denim And Soft Brown Family Fall Photo Outfit
Cream, denim and soft brown is the palette I give families with very busy little kids, because every piece is something they already run around in. One adult in a cream sweater, flowing brown midi skirt and tan ankle boots; the other in a medium-wash denim shirt, khakis and brown sneakers. Kids in cream overalls, brown sweaters, a denim dress or canvas shoes. Let denim appear once or twice, a shirt here, a child's jeans there, and never the same wash and white tee on everyone. It works best for backyard sessions and walking shots where the photographer wants movement more than posing.
What Golden Hour and Overcast Skies Do to Fall Colors
Most fall sessions are booked for the hour or so before sunset, and that low warm light changes your palette. Rust, mustard and terracotta get more saturated, sometimes almost orange, while cream picks up a warm glow. If your palette is already very warm, add a cool neutral like gray or dusty blue to balance it.
Overcast days go the other way. The light is soft and flattering on skin, but colors look flatter, and pale shades like ivory and light sage can wash out completely. On a gray day I add contrast: a deeper brown, a navy or a burgundy so the group still has some shape. Shiny fabrics are a problem in both kinds of light. Satin and sequins catch hot spots, so I keep them off anyone who'll be in the middle of the frame.
Keeping Small Children Happy Until the Last Frame
- Let toddlers wear their new shoes around the house for a few days first. Stiff new shoes on a session day often end in tears and bare feet.
- Skip scratchy wool directly against a child's skin. Put a soft cotton layer underneath, or choose a cotton-blend knit.
- Bring a spare top for anyone under five. Grass stains, snack spills and wet leaves happen in the first ten minutes.
- Tights and leggings protect knees when kids sit or kneel on damp ground, and they hide scraped shins.
- Avoid big logos and printed words on anyone. Text grabs attention in a photo before faces do.
Your Family Palette, Decided Before the Shoot
Good family photo outfits are coordinated, comfortable and still look like the people wearing them. Settle on three or four colors and spread them out instead of buying matching pieces. Start with one anchor outfit, usually a patterned dress or a textured sweater, and dress everyone else around it. Check the shoes, coats and bags against the palette too, since they show up in full-length shots. Above all, choose clothes everyone can sit, walk and play in. A relaxed family looks better on camera than a perfectly styled one that can't wait to change. Light neutrals, earthy shades or deeper jewel tones all work once that plan is in place.
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