Christmas Family Photo Outfits: What to Wear for Santa Pictures

There isn’t one “right” way to dress your family for Christmas photos, but there are definitely a few things that make putting everyone together easier and photograph beautifully.

And after photographing families for years, I’ve learned that the best Christmas family photo outfits aren’t necessarily the most expensive, the most perfectly styled or the ones that follow every rule you’ve seen on Pinterest.

They’re the ones that photograph beautifully and still look like your family.

I’ve had families arrive completely dialed in, every detail coordinated and looking like they stepped out of a holiday catalog.

I’ve photographed entire families in matching Christmas pajamas.

I’ve had little girls in velvet dresses, boys in bow ties and sweaters, and families who prefer to keep everything much more casual.

I’ve loved photographing all of them.

So before you start shopping, start with one question:

What do you want your family’s Christmas photos to feel like?

Start With Your Family’s Style

Every family has their own vibe.

I have beachy Southern California families who live in board shorts and sandals. I have families who love fashion and genuinely enjoy putting together an incredible look. And I have families who live in jeans and really can’t be bothered with any of this.

None of them are wrong.

Maybe you love the tradition of dressing your children up for Christmas.

Maybe your family thinks matching pajamas are the greatest invention ever.

Maybe your daughter has already picked out a sparkly red dress and informed everyone else that they’ll need to work around her. 😂

Start there.

Your Christmas photos should look like your family, not like you borrowed someone else’s family from Pinterest for the afternoon.

The Easiest Way to Coordinate Christmas Family Photo Outfits

Here’s the trick I give families who don’t know where to begin:

Find one outfit you love.

That’s it.

It can be Mom’s dress, your daughter’s Christmas dress, your son’s sweater or honestly even the dog’s collar.

And yes, pets are welcome at my Santa Experience, so if your dog is joining you, you can absolutely coordinate them with the family too!

Then build everyone else around that one piece.

If your daughter’s plaid dress has burgundy, green, cream and gold in it, you already have your family palette. Dad might wear green, Mom could wear burgundy, and her brother could wear a cream sweater.

You don’t need to choose everyone’s outfit simultaneously.

And you definitely don’t need everyone wearing the exact same colors.

Should Christmas Family Photo Outfits Match or Coordinate?

For my regular family portrait sessions, I almost always prefer coordinating rather than matching.

Santa is a little different.

Matching Christmas pajamas?

Adorable. Do it.

There’s something about an entire family piled onto the couch with Santa in matching holiday pajamas that just works. One of my Legacy families did this last year and I loved the entire gallery.

Outside of pajamas, though, I usually prefer coordinating.

I probably wouldn’t put the entire family in identical white sweaters and jeans. That kind of exact matching can make photographs feel dated pretty quickly.

I also don’t subscribe to a strict “maximum of three colors” rule.

But there is some wisdom behind keeping your palette relatively cohesive.

A Santa set already has trees, Christmas decor, texture, lights and, of course, a man in a giant red suit. 😂

If five family members arrive wearing ten completely unrelated colors and several competing patterns, things can start to look visually chaotic.

The goal isn’t to follow an arbitrary number.

It’s simply to make everything feel like it belongs together.

Christmas Family Photo Color Palettes That Work Beautifully

If coordinating individual outfits still feels overwhelming, start with a color palette.

A palette isn’t a uniform. It doesn’t mean every family member needs to wear one of three exact colors.

Think of it as a starting point.

Here are a few combinations I love for Santa photos.

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Soft Winter Christmas

Cream + white + soft sage + deeper green

This is beautiful if you love a softer, lighter Christmas look.

Mix creams and whites with soft knits and muted greens, then add a deeper green here and there for contrast.

It’s festive without relying on traditional red and green and works beautifully with the light, airy environment of my Santa studio.

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Traditional Santa’s Workshop

Cream + Christmas red + evergreen + warm neutrals

If you want your photographs to unapologetically look like Christmas, this is it.

Red dresses, green sweaters, plaid, bows, velvet and traditional Christmas details all work beautifully.

And you don’t need every person wearing every color.

Start with one statement piece and pull colors from it for everyone else.

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Classic Christmas

Cream + deep green + camel + touches of burgundy and plaid

This is one of my favorite ways to create a classic Christmas look without making everyone match.

One child could wear a plaid dress while another wears cream and camel. Mom could pull the burgundy from the plaid while Dad wears deep green or another warm neutral.

Different clothes.

Different colors.

One cohesive family.

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Or Make It Really Easy: Matching Christmas Pajamas

If you just looked at all of those palettes and thought:

Jen, I do not have time for this.

I have another option for you.

Matching Christmas pajamas.

Done. 😂

They’re easy. They’re comfortable. Kids generally love them. You don’t have to wonder whether everyone’s clothes coordinate because someone has already done that work for you.

And they make absolutely adorable Santa photos.

I’ve photographed entire families in matching pajamas during my Santa Legacy Experience and they’re some of the most joyful galleries.

If wardrobe is becoming one more thing you don’t have the bandwidth for during the holidays, buy the pajamas and move on with your life.

My Simple Rules for Coordinating Christmas Outfits

I’m pretty laid-back about wardrobe because I don’t believe your photographer’s personal style should dictate what your family looks like.

But there are a few things I know consistently make photographs work better.

Start with one piece you love. Don’t try to choose five outfits at once. Find one and build outward.

Let one pattern do the heavy lifting. A plaid dress, patterned skirt or other statement piece can give you an entire color palette.

Keep everything else relatively simple. If one person is wearing a strong pattern, give that pattern some room to breathe.

Think coordination, not duplication. Unless you’re wearing matching pajamas, you don’t need everyone in exactly the same thing.

Make sure Mom likes what she’s wearing. Please don’t spend three weeks styling everyone else and then grab whatever is clean for yourself ten minutes before you leave.

Dress your actual children. If your four-year-old is going to spend the entire session furious about dress shoes, maybe dress shoes aren’t worth the battle.

Most importantly:

Don’t let the clothes become more important than the people wearing them.

Can You Wear Red for Christmas Family Photos?

YES.

I don’t understand why we’re making Christmas red complicated. 😂

Red is the ultimate Christmas color.

A beautiful red velvet dress on a little girl? Yes.

A deep red sweater? Yes.

Red Christmas pajamas? Absolutely.

Santa himself is obviously wearing quite a bit of red, and I’ve never felt that a family’s red clothing was somehow competing with him.

My Old Town Tustin Santa set has plenty of white and neutral space, including a white couch, fireplace, window and light flooring. There is plenty of room for beautiful Christmas color.

If you love red, wear red.

What About White or Cream for Christmas Photos?

Both are beautiful.

You’ll sometimes hear photographers recommend cream or ivory instead of true white because softer shades can be easier to photograph in certain environments.

That’s not something I think my Santa families need to worry about.

White, cream and ivory can all photograph beautifully in my studio.

Choose the one you actually like.

There are enough things for parents to think about during the holidays. I don’t think we need to add “Is this sweater sufficiently ivory?” to the list.

Can We Wear Plaid for Santa Photos?

Eleven months out of the year, I’m not exactly the president of the plaid fan club.

At Christmas?

Bring me the plaid.

I particularly love it as an accent or as the piece that anchors the rest of the family.

A plaid dress.

Plaid pants.

A bow tie.

A Christmas skirt.

If the plaid contains black, green, red and gold, for example, you’ve basically been handed your family color palette.

I’d be more cautious about putting every single family member in a different plaid. Holiday photographs already have a lot going on visually.

A touch of plaid can look beautiful without the plaid becoming the photograph.

Can We Wear Funny Christmas Sweaters?

Please do.

I think they’re hysterical.

Christmas is basically the one time of year when you can walk into a room wearing an outrageous sweater covered in reindeer and people are genuinely delighted to see you.

If that’s your family’s personality, why would I tell you not to wear them?

Will those photographs look very specifically like the Christmas you were celebrating when you look at them twenty years from now?

Probably.

And I think that might be exactly why you’ll love them.

Timeless doesn’t have to mean removing so much personality that the photographs stop looking like your family.

What Should Kids Wear for Pictures With Santa?

This is where you can have fun.

I love little girls in velvet Christmas dresses, tights, bows, beautiful dress shoes and holiday pajamas.

For little boys, Christmas sweaters, velvet pants, suspenders, bow ties, dress shoes and pajamas all photograph beautifully.

But here’s something else I know after photographing children for years:

Sometimes getting a child to put on a sock feels like a major parenting victory.

So choose your battles.

If your child loves dressing up, I LOVE a beautifully dressed child at Christmas. There’s something nostalgic and traditional about it that feels perfect with Santa.

If your child is going to spend the entire morning fighting you over the outfit, choose something else.

And if your child insists on some funny little wardrobe quirk this year?

Consider letting it stay.

Someday that may be exactly the thing you miss.

Don’t Forget About Mom

Moms have an unfortunate habit of becoming the afterthought when family photographs are involved.

They find the kids’ outfits.

Then Dad’s.

Then they’re getting everyone dressed, finding shoes, fixing hair and trying to get out the door.

And somewhere in there Mom realizes:

Oh. Right. What am I wearing?

Your outfit doesn’t have to come first. In fact, a lot of my moms find a child’s outfit they love and build the family wardrobe around that.

But if you want to be in the photographs, plan something for yourself that you actually feel good wearing.

I always have time for family photographs during my Santa sessions.

Don’t spend all that time making everyone else look wonderful and then stay out of the photograph because you never thought about yourself.

Your kids are going to want photographs with you in them too.

When Should You Start Shopping for Christmas Photo Outfits?

For a Santa session in mid-November, I’d start looking by mid-October.

That gives you enough time to order something, discover that it looks absolutely nothing like it did online, return it and try again. 😂

But I also know myself.

I’m a procrastinator.

If you’re shopping in early November, we’re still going to be okay.

This should not become another source of holiday stress.

Give yourself enough time to have options, but don’t convince yourself that you need to spend six weeks designing a wardrobe for a 10-minute Santa Experience.

Do Santa Families Receive a Style Guide?

Yes.

Before your Santa Experience, you’ll receive my Santa Style Guide with more detailed wardrobe inspiration and guidance to help you pull everything together.

The guide is designed around the overall look and feel of my Santa Experience and gives booked families more ideas for creating a cohesive look without making wardrobe stressful.

And if you have a specific question after looking through it, I’m always happy to help.

Santa sessions don’t include access to my client wardrobe or the full styling experience that comes with my regular portrait sessions, but I want you to have enough guidance to walk into the studio feeling confident about what everyone is wearing.

The Best Christmas Family Photo Outfits Still Look Like Your Family

I love timeless photographs.

I love when children dress up for Christmas. There’s something so sweet and traditional about a little girl in a Christmas dress or a little boy in a beautiful sweater and bow tie.

But I’ve also been a mom long enough to know that sometimes your vision and your child’s vision are two completely different things.

And that’s okay.

I’m not interested in imposing my personal style on every family I photograph.

You’re paying me to photograph your family, not turn you into mine.

I’ll give you guidance.

I’ll tell you what I know photographs beautifully.

I’ll help you understand how to coordinate colors and patterns.

But ultimately, these photographs belong to you.

Twenty years from now, that ridiculous Christmas sweater might make you laugh.

The matching pajamas might remind you of the year your kids refused to take them off for the entire month of December.

That little velvet dress might make you wonder how your daughter was ever small enough to fit into it.

And that outfit you almost didn’t let your child wear might end up being the thing that takes you right back to exactly who they were that Christmas.

That’s what matters.

Choose clothes that feel like your family at Christmas.

Then come see Santa.

I’ll take care of the photographs.

Plan Your Old Town Tustin Santa Experience

My Old Town Tustin Santa Experience takes place on the second Saturday of November each year.

For 2026, Santa will be at my Orange County studio on Saturday, November 14.

If you’re still deciding where to take your Santa photos this year, I also put together a guide on how to choose the right Santa photographer in Orange County.

Public reservations open September 15, with early access for Legacy families and current Jennifer Imus Photography clients.

Until then, you can join my Nice List to receive the reservation link when Santa sessions open to the public.

If you’re wondering how to get your child ready for Santa, I’ve also put together a guide on how to prepare your kids for pictures with Santa, including what to do when you’re fairly certain your toddler wants absolutely nothing to do with him.

And if you’re planning your holiday calendar, you can also read when to book a Santa photoshoot in Orange County.

Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas Family Photo Outfits

What colors are best for Christmas family photos?

Red, burgundy, forest green, navy, jewel tones, white, cream, camel and other warm neutrals can all photograph beautifully. Rather than following a rigid formula, choose a cohesive palette and use one favorite outfit or patterned piece as your starting point.

Should Christmas family photo outfits match or coordinate?

I generally prefer coordinating outfits rather than putting everyone in identical clothing. The big exception is matching Christmas pajamas, which I absolutely love for Santa photos.

Can we wear red for Christmas family photos?

Absolutely. Red is the quintessential Christmas color and photographs beautifully on my light Santa set. There’s no reason to avoid red simply because Santa is wearing it too.

Can we wear white for Christmas photos?

Yes. White, cream and ivory all photograph beautifully in my studio. Choose whichever works best with the rest of your family’s wardrobe.

What should toddlers wear for pictures with Santa?

Choose something festive that your toddler will actually tolerate wearing. Dresses, sweaters, suspenders, bow ties and pajamas are all wonderful options. Comfort matters, especially for children who may already feel unsure about meeting Santa.

When should I buy outfits for Christmas family photos?

For a mid-November Santa session, I recommend starting by mid-October. That leaves plenty of time for shipping, try-ons and returns without turning wardrobe into another holiday stressor.