What to Wear for School Picture Day

Tips on Choosing Picture Day Outfits from a Cheyenne School Photographer

School picture day should be easy and fun, but it can be surprisingly stressful. The beginning of the school year a beast all its own, having to adjust to new schedules, new teachers and new routines. Add school picture day to an already chaotic time in the school year, and it can be daunting to figure out what your child should wear for school pictures.

This guide will help you choose clothing for school pictures. As a school photographer, I have some tips for putting your child in clothing that photographs beautifully.

Choose Solid Tops for School Picture Day That Are in Muted or Dark Colors, Avoiding Neons or Pastels

Solid colors are always a safe bet for school picture day. Busy prints can detract from your child’s face. Muted, dark colors photograph beautifully. Choose colors like burgundy, navy, dark green, or earth tones, like camel, charcoal or a muted pink. Avoid neon colors, as they can cast color onto your child’s skin. On the flip side, pastels can really wash people out in photos. More on choosing colors for photos here.

Choose Comfortable Clothing for Picture Day That Kids Won’t Be Tugging On

Make sure kids are in comfortable, non-itchy fabrics. Cotton tends to be a good choice. Also make sure that clothing fits well, so that kiddos aren’t constantly tugging or readjusting them. For small babies, please avoid overalls; they tend to cover babies’ faces and get wet from babies sucking on the top closest to their mouths. You might consider sending an extra bib to keep teething babies from soaking the front of their clothes. Just make sure your child’s teacher knows if you want the bib on or off for photos.

Avoid Graphics and Logos on Clothing for Picture Day

Logos distract from your child’s face in photos, and make photos feel dated quickly. You also probably don’t want your child’s school photo to look like an advertisement for a certain brand. Choose solid tops void of logos.

Minimize Distracting Accessories

I have two girls, so I know how attached they can become to their newest sparkly things. Try to keep big jewelry or distracting hair pieces to a minimum. Larger accessories can take attention away from the face and might cause kids to fidget and fix unnecessarily. If you don’t want something to show up in a photo, encourage them to leave it at home that day (for example, a watch you don’t want to show up in photos).

Picture Day is Not the Day to Try New Hairstyles

Avoid morning meltdowns by staying with the tried and true hairstyles you know how to do. Nothing makes like more stressful than having to redo hair that isn’t working while you’re trying to get to school on time! Keep it simple and stick with everyday hair styles or styles you’ve practiced many times before.