Christmas Family Photo Outfits: 5 Color Formulas That Work

Short answer: the Christmas family photos that look best use a shared palette of two or three colors, with the holiday showing up in one place: a jewel tone, velvet, tartan or a wintry white. Everyone wears some of the palette, nobody wears all of it, and only one person (or one piece per person) carries the boldest color. That reads as festive in a holiday card without looking like a uniform.

Pick a formula below, assign pieces from closets you already own, and buy one or two things to fill the gaps. This is the same approach as our fall family photo outfit formulas, with new palettes for winter light and a holiday card.

Start with where the photos happen

The setting chooses the palette more than the calendar does.

• Outdoors in winter (bare trees, a snowy field, a tree farm): deep colors pop against gray and white. Jewel tones and tartan work best.
• Indoors by the tree: the tree is already green and the lights are warm, so soft neutrals and one red or burgundy look calm rather than busy.
• A studio backdrop: ask what color it is. A white backdrop loves deep colors. A dark one loves cream.

Check the palette against everyone’s skin in daylight before the shoot. If a color makes someone look tired in a window, it will look worse in a photo.

1. Jewel tones: emerald, navy and cream

The most “Christmas card” palette that isn’t red. Mom wears the emerald, everyone else wears navy or cream, and one more emerald piece appears on one child: a bow, a sweater, a tie.

Mom’s version: an emerald velvet midi dress, sheer black tights and a block-heel boot. A twist-front style like the Petal & Pup Lisse velvet midi gives velvet a shape that photographs well when you are sitting on a step or crouched beside a toddler.

Everyone else: navy sweaters, cream knits, dark denim or gray trousers.

Fit Notes: velvet shows every crease. Hang it in a steamy bathroom the night before, and don’t drive to the shoot sitting on it in a car seat for an hour if you can help it.

2. Burgundy and camel

Warmer and softer than red-and-green, and it suits nearly every skin tone. Burgundy goes on one or two people, camel on the rest, with cream and denim filling in. This formula looks especially good indoors next to a tree with warm lights.

Mom’s version: a camel coat or cardigan over a burgundy knit, dark jeans and brown boots. If you need more combinations, our guide to what colors go with burgundy has ten.

Everyone else: camel, oatmeal and cream sweaters, with burgundy on one child.

3. Tartan as one accent

Tartan is the most Christmas pattern there is, and the easiest to overdo. The rule: one tartan piece in the whole photo, or at most one per person in tiny doses. Everyone else wears solids pulled from the tartan’s own colors.

Mom’s version: a solid navy or cream sweater with a tartan blanket scarf. A teal-and-navy tartan blanket scarf gives the rest of the family two colors to pick up: navy for the sweaters, teal or green for one child’s accent.

Everyone else: solid navy, cream, and one green piece. No other patterns.

Fit Notes: match the solids to the tartan’s darkest and lightest colors, not its middle ones. Those are the shades the camera reads.

4. Winter whites

All cream, ivory, oatmeal and soft gray, layered in different textures. It looks calm and expensive, especially in snow or against a dark backdrop. The holiday shows up in texture, such as cable knit, fuzzy wool and corduroy, rather than color.

Mom’s version: a chunky cream turtleneck, ivory or oatmeal trousers and tan boots. A fisherman-cable turtleneck like the Amazon Essentials cable knit turtleneck photographs with real depth, because the cable throws its own shadows.

For the kids: a cream cable sweater on a little one, like this Gymboree mock-neck cable knit in country cream.

Two warnings: winter whites against bright snow can wash out, so add one camel or gray piece per person for contrast. And with toddlers, bring a spare top. Cream and hot chocolate do not mix.

5. Black, cream and a touch of gold

The dressiest option, for an indoor evening session or a family party shoot. The grown-ups wear black, the kids cream, and gold shows up once per person: an earring, a belt buckle, a metallic thread in a sweater, a gold headband.

Mom’s version: a black velvet top or dress, gold earrings and a black block heel.

Dad’s version: a black or charcoal sweater over a white shirt, or an oatmeal quarter-zip like this Kallspin cable-knit quarter-zip if he wears the lighter color.

Fit Notes: black swallows detail in a dim room. Ask the photographer whether they’ll light the scene, or stand near a window.

The matching pajama question

Matching pajamas work beautifully for one specific shoot: Christmas morning at home, on the couch or by the tree, with mugs and unwrapped paper. The matching is the joke and the charm.

They work less well for a formal holiday card outside, where the whole family in one plaid fills the frame with pattern. For that, use a formula above and keep the pajamas for the at-home photos. Our matching family Christmas pajamas guide covers which sets are worth buying, including the snug-fit rule for kids’ sizes.

Prep rules that save the shoot

• Lay every outfit out on the bed the night before, together, and take a phone photo of the pile. If one piece jumps out, swap it.
• Avoid big logos, slogans and characters. They pull the eye and date the photo.
• Watch fine stripes and tiny checks. Very small repeating patterns can shimmer on camera. Tartan with a large repeat is fine.
• Mix textures. Velvet, cable knit, corduroy and wool give flat colors depth, especially in a monochrome formula.
• Shoes count. Full-length shots show them. Clean boots or dressy flats beat sneakers in winter photos.
• Pack a backup for every child under five. One spill is usual. Two is normal.

FAQ

What colors should a family wear for Christmas photos?

Pick two or three colors and share them across everyone. Jewel tones with navy and cream, burgundy with camel, winter whites, or black with cream and a touch of gold all work. Let the boldest color appear on one or two people only.

Should families match for Christmas pictures?

Coordinate rather than match for a holiday card. Exact matching works best for at-home Christmas morning photos, especially in pajamas, where the matching is part of the fun.

What should mom wear for Christmas family photos?

Something that moves when you sit or crouch: a velvet midi dress with tights and boots, a chunky knit with tailored trousers, or a sweater with a tartan scarf. Mom often anchors the palette, so it can be the boldest color in the photo.

Is plaid good for Christmas photos?

Yes, in one dose. A single tartan piece, such as a scarf, a dress or a shirt on one person, looks festive. Several different plaids in one frame look busy.

What should you not wear in Christmas family photos?

Large logos, slogans, characters, neon colors, and very small stripes or checks that can shimmer on camera. Avoid clashing patterns, and anything too stiff to sit down in.