Family photo outfit

[MulhuddartDrive]

Mum wants to get a family photo (her, my siblings and all our kids) done next month. She doesn't want a theme, just for us all to "look nice". What would you wear, bearing in mind it will have pride of sitting room wall space for the next 10 years?

I would dress like I was going to a christening. Smart enough for church, but not overdressed for the pub after.

My go to for that would be black coated skinnies and a nice top, but then I worried that could be fairly dated pretty quickly.

Our relatives who have ‘family’ photos done all the time always have a theme so everyone is coordinated and don’t clash, blue and denim is nice or blue and red ?

We had one done, not themed as such but wore clothes from a similar colour palette. Blues, greys, burgundy and black. I personally think that looks better than a mish mash. However, I would be wary of personal style- for example, if someone always wears bright colours, a muted tone won't reflect them accurately.

Unfortunately there is a general refusal to go with a theme. Mum's so delighted everyone's home she doesn't care. (Only stipulation has been that bil isn't allowed wear his camo combats although that may have come from my sister ) I'm far from a fashionista but the few things I currently fit like could age and I don't want to look at myself and cringe in 2 years.

Could you sneakily message everyone bar mum and say "shall we all do all in black?"

Don't wear white. Don't all wear the same colour as you'll blend into each other. Don't wear anything that will date.

Think I'll have to, NapQueen just as I'm trying to dutch the family organiser role

Definitely no white. At least if I make the first suggestion I get to veto what won't suit me!

We have had a few done and the photographers basically say stick to neutrals (inc denim, blues, black, grey, white is fine) and minimal patterns. We wore navy, grey, black and some stripes last time. Id stick to plain black skinnies rather than coated.

As a photographer I agree with eldorardos advise

We've had quite a few photos done and worn 'shades of blue' each time. It's easy because pretty much everyone has a blue/navy top. It genuinely looks a million times better than everyone just wearing whatever. If there is a complete refusal to comply with that for some reason just make sure people are not wearing anything too patterned, stripey etc. Plain-ish clothes look much better. Dress for a christening as mentioned above, or a nice dinner out ie pencil skirt and chiffon top, wool dress, something like that. Men in trouser, shirt and woolen jumper. Not weddingy but not very casual.

I'm feeling grateful now that my family just obliged when I told them they had to wear a colour!

I would probably wear a black dress as skinnies & a top sounds really casual to me. But depends on your family of course. If you wear the jeans/top then finding the top is always a pain. Coated jeans will probably just look like black jeans in the end photos

I think I'll take the suggestion above and throw out the shades of blue theme to them all. Mainly because I can't do black near my face.

For me specifically I have every day dresses or going to a wedding dresses but nothing in between and I'd rather not buy something just for this. So I'll have to consider my wardrobe through. A few strategic texts might get the others thinking about it now rather than the night before too and shake out some more ideas.

Thanks all.