What to wear | 5 Tips for Matching Family Fashion

Let me guess. You just booked a photoshoot and now you have the daunting task of coordinating matching family outfits! The most common question I hear from other moms is “What should I wear?”

Let’s be honest, when you are in the thick of parenting, it can be stressful  to think about all the outfits and who’s wearing what, amiright? Well, you don’t have to worry anymore! Below I will walk you through 5 Tips for Matching Family Fashion that are budget-friendly, practical and will take the overwhelm out of coordinating family outfits for YOUR next big event.

Not only are these tips practical for special occasions, but they are also practical for building an everyday “what to wear” wardrobe that coordinates for yourself and your kids! You will also get a better idea of HOW to shop for your family and save money doing it.

Oh and if you’re new here and don’t follow me on Instagram (@modernlymatched) you might not be aware of my passion for mommy and me twinning! If you love twinning as much as I do keep reading for my tips on twinning with your minis!

But first, Let’s dive into the 5 key elements for Matching Family Fashion!

TIP #1: COLOUR PROFILE 
Deciding on a colour profile for your family is the first step to setting up a wardrobe that is practical and functional. Why is this important?

• Sets the foundation that you use to coordinate all outfits.
• Makes shopping easier and more cost-effective.
• Creates a simplified wardrobe with a choice.
  Imagine your kids dressing themselves, without you having to send them back to their room to change while trying to explain that plaid shorts and striped shirts are not something you wear together! (Can I get an amen?)

Your colour profile will become your basis for building your wardrobe. Some examples of this are blue, black,, grey or beige. White is an option too but sometimes I question why white clothes for parents and kids even exist! Hello, laundry! haha.

To give you an example, the colour profile for my family is blue. It’s the colour I gravitate to the most and buy the most often. When buying clothes for my kids I look for those colours first which in my case is (denim, navy, light blue in summer etc). This makes it simple when I need to buy shoes, hats, accessories, I just pick something that coordinates with blue and off I go.

This principle applies to all the other basic colours. So finding your colour profile is the first step for
what to wear” matching family fashion!

TIP #2: SPECIAL EVENTS

Now it’s time to consider the special event. Do you have a photo shoot coming up? Is there a family wedding that you have to attend? Was your family invited to a holiday party, or perhaps even a family reunion in Timbucktwo? (It could happen!) 🙂

Clearly, the type of event is important to dictate what type of clothing to wear. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Is the event indoor or outdoor? (or both?)
• What is the location of the event? For example, will you have to walk a fair distance from the parking lot to the venue? (In which case you  might not want to wear those 5-inch heels)
• If you are getting your pictures taken in a studio do you know what background colours are available? You don’t want to wear the same colour and blend into the background.

By taking the time to ask a few questions about the venue and space of the event, you can instantly narrow down your choices of what to wear and which options are the most appropriate.

TIP #3: SOLIDS AND PATTERNS

Once you have established a colour profile for your family, and the type of event you are planning for, its time to start putting the ideas of what you are going to wear together!

We know that everyone can wear the EXACT same thing. Adding in a pattern to coordinate with your colour profile solids brings visual interest and texture to your look. Both are super important for creating dimension. So, start with a pattern you love!

Examples of some patterns that you might be drawn to:

• Plaid
• Chevron
• Stripes
• Paisley
• Polka dots

How do you add pattern to your look? Decide who will wear basic colours from your family colour profile and who will wear patterns. This might be dictated by the type of event or clothing that you already have for particular family members.  If you are a family of 5 and your event is family photos. Perhaps you want two people in patterns and three in solids. As long as they are within your colour profile and the patterns base colour is the same, it will look great!

TIP #4: COLOUR “POP”

Adding in a “POP” of colour will give you the extra element of personality, without the overwhelm. One of the best ways to add in that pop of colour is with accessories. Have faith in the accent piece!

You definitely don’t want to appear boring! Some of the best accessories for adding in a pop of colour are hats, scarves, vests and even socks! But make sure you limit your picks to one accent colour per outfit!

How do you find the perfect accent colour? The easiest answer is to refer to the good ‘ol colour wheel. Find your profile colour and look on the opposite side of the colour wheel for the suggested complementary colour. But feel free to go with a complimentary colour as well.

TIP #5: SEASONAL THEMES

One of the easiest ways to combine all the items above in deciding what to wear for matching family outfits is to look at seasonal inspiration!

There are a few key ways you can do this:

• Take note of typical popular colours inspiration boards for the season.
• Retailers typically have a colour theme or palette in mind when the release that seasons inspirations. This makes it super easy for YOU to take a look at your preferred retailer’s website and see what their trends and colours are for that release.
• Since retailers typically release their trends ahead or early in the season, and you typically will know or book your events weeks in advance, you can find inspiration long before you actually need to finalize giving you ample time for researching what will work for you!

Do you love twinning with your mini? If you do there are many places to find matching outfits!  It’s easy to find matching kids clothes for siblings especially of the same gender. Another option is for you to match your child or your husband to match your child. People LOVE to see matching outfits, especially in photos!

Now you have all the tips you need for what to wear and matching family fashion! Feel free to comment below if you have questions and if I can help you with ideas for your next photo shoot or special event!

Cheers,
Tranda