What To Wear For School Picture Day

It’s outdoor lifestyle school photography season! My favorite time of the year when I visit schools across Maryland, Virginia and DC to photograph hundreds of adorable students. One of the most common questions parents ask me is, “what should they wear?”

Let Them Be Themselves

One of my favorite parts of helping my kiddos prepare for school picture day is planning what to wear. This is a great opportunity for kids to express who they are. Help your child pick out clothing that fits their style and is clean, nice, and comfortable. If your daughter hates dresses, let her pick a fun pair of leggings with a neutral top. If your son can't stand wearing button down shirts, help him pick a nice neutral solid shirt instead. If your kid is sporty, spring for a new track suit.

Styling your Student

You will have these pictures forever, and you will want to remember them exactly how they really are at this age. A killer outfit will help make them feel as awesome as they truly are. Here are the basic guidelines for a timeless, classic look that will still look fresh decades from now in a slideshow at their wedding or retirement celebration.

Outfits that reflect what your child usually wears
Solid and/or muted tones and colors
Limiting number of colors to 2-3, max
Flattering, form-fitting clothing.
Simple, minimal jewelry
Dark socks & footwear

How to Dress Siblings

If you have multiple children being photographed together, coordinate outfits by picking neutrals plus 1 common color for them to wear. My personal favorite is deep blue - it photographs well in just about any setting. My least favorite color on picture day is bright orange - it seems to always clash and leaves an orange cast on the skin.

Make Sure it Fits

Clothing that is too baggy will often look sloppy, and items that are too restricting will be uncomfortable for your child, which can quickly turn a smile upside down.

Things to leave behind

Items listed below are best left at home on picture day, but if your budding fashionista won’t back down, encourage them to pick some fun accessories to add their own flair.

Neon and fluorescent colors
distracting graphics and patterns (small patterns are okay)
Stains
Large brand names and labels, unless its a key part of their style
Character clothing
Anything that is too baggy, too tight or too short
Too much jewelry

Don’t Forget to Accessorize!

Last but not least, don't forget the bling!! A necklace, headband, or funky jacket will add fun textures and pops of color. If your child wears eyeglasses, ask them whether or not they would like to include them in their photos. I will always ask the kids for their preference and let them decide.

Location, Weather and other Important Details

We take all of our school portraits outdoors in the natural environment. In most cases, this is a natural green backdrop with pops of colors, depending on the season. In other cases, we may shoot with the school in the background, providing a brick, stone or garden style backdrop. This is why neutrals are always a good bet - they work really well in just about any natural setting, while bright colors tend to clash.

Don’t forget to check the weather leading up to picture day, and consider your season and climate. Layers are always recommended for outdoor portraits as weather can be unpredictable.

For toddlers I recommend packing an extra picture-day shirt or outfit just in case they get a little crazy with the finger paint and need a quick change before their glamour shots.

Pick your Battles

As a mom of 3 strong-willed children, I have learned to choose my battles. It’s always better for kids to show up happy and excited to be photographed, and if that means they dress a little crazy, that’s okay. They will feel seen and have a great memory to look back on.

Most photos are taken from the chest-up. If you find yourself at the bargaining table with your toddler, it’s better to compromise on the pants, skirt or shoes since they will be less likely to make it into the photos. I also offer all images in both color and black-and-white, so if really hate the color of your kids shirt, you’ll have timeless black-and-white images without the distractions to look forward to.

Focus on what matters

These school portraits will serves as a capsule of your children’s school days for many years to come. At the end of the day, the pictures will be beautiful and you will cherish them because of the memories of your kids at this stage of their life.

Cheers!

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