The Perfect Outfits for Your Lifestyle Newborn Session

April 4, 2024 Kristen Browning

Being a lifestyle newborn photographer for so long now, I can say that the absolute number one question I get asked is what should we wear to our lifestyle newborn session? I’m super excited to break it all down for you today!

Choosing the right outfits for your session is so important and can impact the overall feel and vibe that you’re going for. Most of my lifestyle newborn sessions are photographed indoors—specifically—in my client’s homes. So it’s a very personal space. I want my moms to feel relaxed and beautiful. And I want the other family members to be comfy. Typically that means we kick off the shoes! (hey, one less thing to worry about shopping for!)

But don’t stress, I’ve been at this game a while and I even offer a very detailed wardrobe guide to all of my clients. My guide includes different looks for the entire family. And, I tell my clients if you’re ever left wondering, you can always shoot me a photo of what you’re thinking and I’ll be happy to give you some feedback. So without adieu, let’s jump in and talk about what you should wear to your lifestyle newborn photo session!

Let’s define things first…

What is Lifestyle Newborn Photography?

Lifestyle newborn photography is a way of documenting your newborn baby within the comfort of your own home. It entails very little posing and is organic in nature. Think: cuddling up on your bed with your newborn in your arms. It’s super laid back and is perfect for first-time mamas, as well as seasoned moms with littles running around. I recommend that moms wear long maxi dresses. Since we will most likely be laying down on the bed, or cuddle on the floor—a longer dress is feminine and helps maintain modesty when you’re lying or sitting. Since I have a light and airy style, so neutral and light colors tend to photograph best, in my opinion.

Tips for Dressing the Family

Choose mom’s outfit first

If you choose Mom’s outfit first, you can coordinate dad and siblings around what mom is wearing. This ensures that you can draw from the colors and textures of Mom’s outfit and go from there. I tend to gravitate towards wearing a flowy maxi dress since it brings in a soft feminine vibe, but things like jumpers (like this one) work well too.

Go for neutral, light-colored clothing

My shooting style is light and airy. So choosing neutral, light-colored clothing is best to capture the aesthetic that you see in my photos. Think: soft pinks, cream, beige, white, sage, and muted pastel colors. We will also be indoors and keeping it light will lend itself to lighter-looking images. Sometimes homes can be dark and it can be tough if the clothes you are wearing don’t counteract that some. One thing to note, I know that Lilly Pullitzer is popular, but please avoid wearing bright colors like that. Bright neon-y colors cause bad color casts on the baby’s skin.

Coordinate but don’t be matchy-matchy

Gone are the days of dressing everyone in matching outfits! Instead, you can choose colors that are complementary to one another. My wardrobe guide helps so much with this because it lays all the pieces out together for one cohesive look.

Avoid busy patterns

For timeless images, it’s best to keep patterns to a minimum. Busy patterns tend to be a problem when they are bright and bold. But, some busy patterns are just fine if they are earth tone and muted. If you go this route, make sure that the rest of the family’s outfits you choose are less busy. This will ensure that the focus remains on baby and family.

Outfit Ideas for Mom

Below you will find an assortment of neutral-colored maxi dresses as examples of what to wear to your lifestyle newborn session. I recommend soft, pastel colors that are subtle. Puff sleeves are fun, too, especially if you are self conscience of your arms. You will notice that some of the color choices that I have as examples include baby blues, dusty rose, and light olive. Those are my favorites :)

The links for the dresses are available if you click on the image.
However, I will list them here for you:

The soft baby blue puff sleeve dress is from Nothingfitsbut.

The puff sleeve dress with roses is from Worth Collective.

The sleeveless maxi is from Savannah Taylor.

And the light olive smocked dress is from Pink Blush.

Which one is your favorite?!

If you are local to the Stuart, FL area, I recommend shopping at Matilida’s in downtown Stuart. There is an array of beautiful things there!

Outfit Ideas for Dad

Ok, now for the dad’s. First off, if you (mom) have already chosen your dress, then the hard part is over! And choosing something for dad to wear is usually pretty easy. It is usually as simple as going in his closet and pulling something that compliments what you will wear. It can be something as casual as a polo, or dress it up and go for a button down and quarter roll the sleeves. I also like chambray, too. For pants, I recommend khaki’s over denim. However, if you decide to go with denim, then be sure it is a light wash denim.

My favorite store for shirts for men is J.Crew. And, the Gap is a great place for pants.

Outfit Ideas for Baby

Outfit Ideas for Siblings

Final Wardrobe Prep for Your Lifestyle Newborn Session

Once you gather all of your wardrobe pieces, take a moment to lay it all out so that you can easily see how things look. I like to do this on a large surface area such as the floor. Lay out your dress, your husband’s shirt/shorts and the kiddos things. Give it a once over and make sure that the colors meld well together. If you’re unsure, you can snap a photo of it and send it to your photographer (me!) for a second opinion.

Have a couple of backup pieces in mind just in case you see something that doesn’t look right. You can swap it and see if that helps. Once you have a final plan, take the time to iron out any wrinkles and/or use a lint brush to remove any lint or pet hair.