If you’re pastel adverse (like me) then you might feel like you’re at a loss for what to wear for your spring/early summer family photos so let me help you out!

Throughout this post you’ll see examples of three looks that would be great for spring + summer but don’t fall in the pastel polo category. These sessions are also a great example of three ways to style- formal, semi-formal + casual- based on your personal preference! All families are not the same and what works for one family might not be the right fit for your crew.

These looks are also based on my client wardrobe guide and the pallets that I personally prefer for my work! I love neutrals and earth tones like cream, rust, mustard, olive, white, tan, khaki and dusty rose. These colors flow together in a timeless, effortless way that helps images look creamy and warm! The colors also pop against the backgrounds where they were shot. It’s important that you stand out from your background, but align with the general pallet- again, earth tones and neutrals do this best!

Let’s get looking at some examples!

Let’s talk through the above session a bit! For starters, this fam decided on a more formal route which I absolutely adore! More dressed up than usual but still true to who they are as a family! My thought is that if you’re going to invest in a family session, might as well go all out and really knock it out of the park. The Gillunds did just that!

Now let’s talk about the colors (cream, khaki + dusty rose) which are light enough for springtime, cohesive AND neutral! And the TEXTURES! Texture is second to color when it comes down to it, IMO! Here they have included linen and cotton blends- again, perfect for spring! Linen is one of my favorite fabrics and you can never go wrong with it! Also, never discount the importance of details! The lacey details of Mama’s off the shoulder dress + kiddo’s twisted straps are heavenly! the turban on lil miss, the styling of hair and makeup- it’s all so well done! What I love most about this family’s look is that dad is the one wearing dusty rose. It’s the perfect color to add to the palate, provides a bit of pop, and is unexpected! SO well done!

Let’s move on to the Rech fam!! They chose a semi-formal vibe that they absolutely ROCKED! Mama chose to go with richer colors but still in an earth tone pallet! My favorite part of this family’s look? The skin. Halter top, shirtless baby boy and short sleeves on dad so we can see his cool as hell tattoos! I am here to tell you that nothing will pull at your heartstrings faster than a shirtless bebe or a naked bum. The styling here is light and effortless and PERFECT for a warm spring day! Worried it might be cold? Consider a chunky knit cardigan for mama (layers, layers, layers!) and a henley for dad! For kiddos, you can never go wrong with fun knee high socks, turbans + chunky knit sweaters! Remember to add texture wherever you can!

Again, this fam nailed it when it comes to an easy semi-formal look that pops from their surroundings but still fits with my preferred pallet! Nicely done, ya’ll!

Finally, we have the Strattons who are rocking a completely different look from the first two, but still some great choices! They chose to go with a casual, every day look and boy oh boy does it work for them! Rust, navy and grey + cream are the colors happening here and they’re perfect! Colors that compliment skin tones, pop against the setting and still fit within my preferred palate?! And again with all the skin- makes my photographer heart happy! The way this fam is styled made for a perfect springtime look!

See? Pastels are not the end all be all of springtime looks, so get that right out of your head! I am an open book when it comes to styling my clients because it’s so important to nail wardrobe to get the look you’re after! Again, I’ll be posting a blog soon that covers almost my entire wardrobe guide, so come back often!

Springtime Wardrobe Tips