One of the most common texts I get before a session is some version of: “Okay but what do we actually WEAR?”
And I love that you trust me to check in and ask. Because what you wear absolutely shapes how your photos feel, just not always in the way you might think.
After photographing families all over Vermont for over 15 years, I can tell you this: the best outfits are rarely the most carefully curated ones. The best outfits are the ones that feel like yours. The sweater your kids always curl up against. The flannel you throw on every Saturday morning. The dress that makes you stand a little taller the second you put it on.
Years from now, I do not want you looking at your photos and thinking about what was trending that October. I want you remembering how your daughter laughed when the wind lifted her hair, or how your toddler buried their face into your shoulder, or how your whole family just felt together in that season of life.
Your clothing should carry the memory. Not compete with it.
Dress for Your Real Life,
Not for Pinterest
Here is the biggest misconception I run into: that everyone needs to transform into a different version of themselves for a photo session.
You do not need to look like a lifestyle catalog. You do not need matching cream sweaters (unless that genuinely feels like you). You do not need to buy a single new thing.
You just need to feel comfortable, confident, and like yourself.
I personally own almost nothing red. It just is not my color. But I have photographed families who showed up in rich cranberry, burnt rust, and deep burgundy and the photos were stunning, because those colors felt like them. Their home. Their energy. Their people.
That authenticity always photographs better than chasing whatever palette is circulating on Instagram this season.
Classic will outlast trendy. Every single time.
Vermont Fall Foliage Changes Everything
Living in Vermont means our landscape becomes a major part of your photographs. And fall here is not subtle. The mountains go full gold, orange and deep red, and it is genuinely one of the most beautiful backdrops in the world for a family session.
Here is the thing though: when your background is already that saturated with color, softer outfits often photograph more beautifully than bold ones.
Think creams, camel, oatmeal, warm gray, soft denim, and earthy neutrals. Textured knits. Flannel layers. A cozy scarf. These choices let your family stand out against the foliage rather than compete with it. You become the focal point, not the color war.
That said, if deep jewel tones genuinely feel like your family, bring them. Rich navy, forest green, plum, and warm burgundy all work beautifully alongside Vermont fall color. The key is that whatever you choose, it should feel like something you would actually wear on a cozy weekend in Vermont. Because that energy comes through in every single frame.
Texture Is Your Best Friend
One thing that photographs incredibly well, especially against Vermont’s fall landscape, is texture.
Chunky knits. Linen. Soft wool. Corduroy. Layered cotton. Flowing dresses. Scarves. A broken-in denim jacket.
Texture adds warmth and depth to photographs without needing loud prints or heavy patterns. It gives the camera something interesting to rest on. And it reads as cozy and intentional without looking like you tried too hard.
I almost always recommend mixing textures across a family’s outfits rather than dressing everyone identically. Coordinated always photographs better than matching. Think of it like getting everyone into the same color family and then letting each person express their own version of it.
Thinking about where to hold your Vermont fall family session?
I photograph families across New England and Vermont including Burlington, the Champlain Islands, Shelburne, the Northeast Kingdom, and beyond.
If You Can't Move in It, Leave It Home
This is the most important advice in this entire post.
If you cannot comfortably sit on the ground, pick up a toddler, squat down to eye level with your kids, or walk across a field in your outfit, it is not your session outfit.
We are moving out there. We are playing, walking, spinning, chasing, cuddling, and doing all the things that make the real photos happen. Your clothing needs to come along for all of it.
- Ignore the size on the tag. Truly, sizes are wildly inconsistent and completely irrelevant. What matters is that you can breathe, move, and be fully present.
- Not the too-tight jeans. Not the dress you keep tugging down. Not the stiff collar, itchy shirt your kid hates the second it goes on.
- Wear the sweater they always snuggle into. Wear the flannel that has your Sunday morning vibe. Wear the outfit that lets you forget you are being photographed.
Comfort photographs beautifully because confidence photographs beautifully. It really is that simple.
Skip the Last Minute, Late Night Online Order.
I will just say it plainly: those panic purchases from Amazon or fast fashion sites almost never work the way you are hoping they will.
The fit is usually off. The fabric is cheap and photographs cheaply. The pieces tend to feel uncomfortable after about twenty minutes. And trendy fast-fashion pieces date photos faster than almost anything else.
You probably already own something better.
Seriously. The best session outfit is usually already hanging in your closet waiting for you to notice it. Go shopping in your own closet and give yourself a real look before you add anything to a cart.
Send Me the Outfit Check Mirror Selfie
No, really. I mean it.
I have an entire folder on my phone of clients texting me photos from their closets asking “Lindz, does this work?” And I genuinely love that part of the process.
If you are staring at your closet feeling overwhelmed, send me what you are working with. I am happy to help you pull together color palettes, think through layers and textures, and make sure everything is going to work together beautifully at your specific location and in your specific season.
That kind of guidance is part of working together. I want you to love how you feel during the session just as much as you love the photos after.
- Pick a theme. Are you all going formal, casual? If Mom has a favorite dress, we follow her. (I mean she is the star here.) Make it easy, you can use Mom’s outfit as a starting for your color palette.
- Layers are your friend in Vermont fall. Mornings can be crisp. Afternoons warm up. Layers give you flexibility and also look beautiful in photos.
- Avoid large logos and busy graphics. They pull the eye away from faces and tend to date photos quickly.
- Solid colors and subtle patterns photograph more cleanly than large prints, especially from a distance.
- Shoes matter more than you think. We are often walking across fields, through leaves, along lakeshores. Wear something you can actually walk in. (Ankle boots, clean sneakers, and low boots all work great.)
- If your child has a cozy lovey or blanket they always carry… bring it. Those details become some of the most meaningful parts of a session.
Looking for your photographer?
Ready to Book Your Vermont Fall Family Session?
Fall books up faster than any other season here in Vermont. If you are dreaming of foliage-backdrop family photos, the best time to reach out is now, even if your ideal dates are months away.
