Is it hokey to wear color-coordinated shirts for a family picture?

[Julie in CA]

Come on, you can tell me (gently!).

I like it when we can coordinate the colors of our clothing for our family picture. The easiest way is to buy cheapie t-shirts in the right size for each person and just go for it, and some of my favorite family pictures have been casual ones taken this way. (I tried to attach a sample, but...?)

 

What do you think? Hokey, or not?

 

ETA: It worked! I added the picture! This picture is from probably about 5 years ago, so all of my guys are bigger now.

Edited December 11, 2008 by Julie in CA

[Starr]

I think it looks nice. Now if you want to match every day, well ... LOL

[annabanana1992]

I don't think so at all - I do it all the time!

[Parrothead]

I can understand the coordinated shirts to signify a unit, but I really like seeing individuals dressed as individuals. The photo shows a family. Everyone wearing his/her own thing shows the unique parts that make up the family.

 

 

I don't like twins being dressed alike when they are little either. I always swore if I had twins they would only dress alike when they were old enough to do it themselves.

[Tutor]

I think it's a great picture! I just did this with my kids. I got them each a red shirt, and they wore blue jeans and their new shirts for their pictures. I think it's cute.

[Laura Corin]

It's a nice look. Personally, I prefer it when people are wearing shirts that don't clash, rather than all the same. You could look at what you already own, then buy a couple more cheap t-shirts to fill in with similar tones. You can start from one shirt (say a plaid with green, cream and beige in it) then dress the others in beige, green, cream with a tone-on-tone check, etc.

 

Laura

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

As someone who spent 20 minutes this morning waiting to find out if the grey cable knit sweater that I found for my two sons was also available for my husband (it was NOT!) and another 5 minutes searching the toddler girls' table for the pink cable knit sweater in my daughter's size and then giving up entirely because, of course, there was no pink cable knit sweater to be found in my size...no. I do not think it's hokey. Or if it is, it's the, "ah, that's sweet" hokey, not the, "seriously, are you kidding me?" hokey.

 

Some people, however, are not sentimental and it probably makes them gag. Different strokes.

 

I vote not hokey though, for the record. I always think it helps individual faces stand out better. Plus, the kids love it. There is nothing my son likes better than to go out with his dad in matching clothes.

 

Beautiful family by the way. :)

 

Kristina

[Julie in CA]

It's a nice look. Personally, I prefer it when people are wearing shirts that don't clash, rather than all the same. You could look at what you already own, then buy a couple more cheap t-shirts to fill in with similar tones. You can start from one shirt (say a plaid with green, cream and beige in it) then dress the others in beige, green, cream with a tone-on-tone check, etc.

 

Laura

I know, I know...in a perfect world I'd do exactly as you described. In the *real* world that I inhabit, I just cannot get it together for seven people without spending way too much time. I think this year we'll probably go for the t-shirts (I already have them, boys have blue/girls have white) and jeans, and then next year oldest ds can do the shopping if he wants a different look! :tongue_smilie:

[Big Buckin' Longhorn]

We personally would probably never do it . . . but I think that it's so cute on families that do.

 

I just think you have to do whatever fits your particular family vibe.

 

That's a beautiful photograph. Is that your home? That front porch looks heavenly, I'm having mouth watering hallucinations of homemade lemonade just looking at it, LOL.

[JudoMom]

I don't think it's hokey at all. Now, the early 30ish couple I saw shopping at Target wearing matching red & cream plaid flannel pants and matching red shirts--that caught my attention. But for a picture? I think it's fun, and makes for a nice portrait.

[Julie in CA]

That's a beautiful photograph. Is that your home? That front porch looks heavenly, I'm having mouth watering hallucinations of homemade lemonade just looking at it, LOL.

Thanks, yes, it's our home. I have been blessed beyond belief! We lived in a 1000 sq.ft. falling-down shack (literally) for 12 years, but built a very nice house about 6 years ago. (The picture I posted was from several years ago, btw)

[Julie in CA]

I don't think it's hokey at all. Now, the early 30ish couple I saw shopping at Target wearing matching red & cream plaid flannel pants and matching red shirts--that caught my attention. But for a picture? I think it's fun, and makes for a nice portrait.

Yes, I laughingly told ds that he was lucky I didn't handmake special Christmas outfits with matching plaid vests, and that he was lucky to get away with denim and a t-shirt!

 

p.s. Let me get it on the record though, that I'd *never* actually do the matching Christmas-themed outfits!

[Amy loves Bud]

Y'all are a cute family!

 

I'm more of a "goes together but doesn't match" kind of gal.

 

One year we all wore different "Life is Good" t-shirts for our picture. Because we had them and it seemed like it would tie us together better than our usual attire (we're all pretty much slobs ;) ).

 

This year the kids wore cute t-shirts - one was dark brown, one medium, dusty blue, and one orange. They seemed to work together, but they didn't match. Bud and I weren't in the picture. With remodeling the kitchen, making myself look presentable at the same time as the kids was just asking too much.

 

That said, I usually love every card I get. I love seeing the pictures with the matching outfits, the crying baby, and the teenaged son who is trying to scowl but really wants to smile. They are usually pictures of people I love and they are dear to me, so I usually love the outfits because they say something about the people in the picture. So if you want to match, I say go for it. The people who receive your card will be thrilled!

[newbie]

Not hokey, cute. We did all one color for all the kids and grandkids one yr. We wore white tops and jeans.

 

Great pics especially in black and white.

[Colleen]

Come on, you can tell me (gently!).

I like it when we can coordinate the colors of our clothing for our family picture. The easiest way is to buy cheapie t-shirts in the right size for each person and just go for it, and some of my favorite family pictures have been casual ones taken this way. (I tried to attach a sample, but...?)

 

What do you think? Hokey, or not?

 

That's a lovely picture of your family, Julie, and what matters is that you are comfortable with it. I'm one who does find the coordinated-shirts look hokey, so I wouldn't go that route. (Except when we all had to wear Organic Valley shirts for a photo shoot. Off-white and grey shirts that made us all look washed out, I might add!:tongue_smilie:) But that's me. You're you. And differences are a good thing.:)

 

Eta: Okay, I just read an earlier reply of yours, wherein you mentioned that this is a picture from a few years ago. (I wondered why it looked familiar, LOL.) In that case, if you've not yet taken a photo, I'd put in a vote for everyone just dressing individually. Every year I send out a family picture with our Christmas cards. It's always taken "on the fly". I've never intentionally organized it any way, shape, or fashion, and yet there's never a clothing clash or anything like that. So I don't think it takes an organized effort to produce a nice family photo. : ) Again, though, that's just my two cents, since you asked. Definitely go with what *you* like best!

Edited December 11, 2008 by Colleen

[LG Gone Wild]

but harmless and extremely useful if you are going on a fieldtrip. If there were school uniforms, I would think differently. :001_smile:

[Aubrey]

I do like matching, but not perfectly matching. I try to pick a color for everybody to wear but *generally* I wouldn't buy anything special. I look in the closet & see what everybody has.

 

That said, the only family portrait we've ever done was for Halloween. :001_huh: Heh heh. Maybe when I lose the baby weight from my 7yo we can talk family portraits! :lol:

 

I did ask dh to buy a blue shirt for our engagement pics, though. I was wearing a blue dress & he had absolutely nothing close to matching. He didn't mind, & I figured blue was pretty practical.

[LG Gone Wild]

to add that if all of your outfits are matching, the outfits will be noticed and not you guys.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I just did it, and I kind of wish I hadn't. My problem was that I wanted the picture to look nice with my house! I don't want to look at a picture on the wall of my living room that clashes with my living room. So, I dressed dh and myself in coordinating teal shirts (totally different shirt, just similar (not matching) color). Then, I got all three kids matching dark red turtlenecks. I like the overall look of the colors, and a few of the pictures look great, but I hate that my ds absolutely hated the turtleneck shirt. It's not his style at all, and he felt like a dork matching his sisters.

 

I wish I'd been able to find them coordinating shirts, but I just couldn't find anything in the time I had to look.

 

I had previously ordered all matching polo shirts, but I sent them back because they felt totally hokey. But, again, what made it uncomfortable was that NONE of us ever wear polo shirts. It just felt staged and icky to even think about wearing them and looking at us in them.

 

Anyway, I guess my point is that whatever you pick should be something that each member of your family would actually wear. That way, everyone will feel relaxed, and you'll have a natural looking, happy family photo that will bring back fond memories.

[WTMindy]

I like matching, but I'm kinda hokey! :-)

[Ancora_Imparo]

I haven't read all the replies, but we had family portraits done a few years ago (3 generations, 15 people in all). All the adults wore jeans.The women all wore blue shirts and the men all wore white shirts. We wore whatever was in our closets, we didn't go out and buy special clothes, some of the guys wore long sleeved white t-shirts, others wore dress shirts and ties. The grandkids (all girls) were in matching denim jumpers that we purchased special. The photographer suggested we coordinate, it did look better. I don't think it looked hokey at all, it looked more put together to me.

[Aggie]

I love her little bare feet!

 

As for shirts, any shirts that don't clash are usually ok. Let each wear his/her favorite clothes. :001_smile:

[keptwoman]

It's a nice look. Personally, I prefer it when people are wearing shirts that don't clash, rather than all the same. You could look at what you already own, then buy a couple more cheap t-shirts to fill in with similar tones. You can start from one shirt (say a plaid with green, cream and beige in it) then dress the others in beige, green, cream with a tone-on-tone check, etc.

 

Laura

Same here. In fact in the years that we have had a disgustingly expensive photographer to do our photos this is what we recommended. Then he showed some photos of people co-ordinating and some where everyone wore whatever. The co-ordinating are much more harmonious. Particularly if they also sit well with the environment the photo is taken in.

[AnnetteB]

We try to coordinate outfits for photos, but each person has to wear colors that look good with their skin and hair coloring. I am a redhead/autumn. Most of the family are brunette or blonde/summers and one son is a blond/spring. The best photos have me in ivory and the others in shades of blue. I like the girls to look feminine and the boys tucked in :) We haven't done a decent family photo in years it is such a challenge!

[lynn]

Not at all. I did this a lot when the boys were young. For family pictures I stay with a navy/red theme.

[Miss Sherry]

I have to warn you that I don't tend to say just what someone would probably want me to say but what I really think. Some people don't like that.

 

 

It does seem to dominate the photo to have everything matched like that. I think it looks more natural and interesting for eveyone to wear their individual clothes.

 

[hsmamainva]

I think it's cute!

 

For our Christmas picture this year, everyone wore Washington Redskins jerseys! I'm sure this went over really well with our relatives in New Jersey who are Giants fans! :lol:

[kewb]

Color me hokey. I like it when everyone matches. Coordinating colors are acceptable in my world. This year we will be coordinating becasue I did not have an opportunity to get something hokey for everyone.

[SquirrellyMama]

This is just my opinion but I have never liked the look. I don't mind colors that are the same but I really don't like it when its the same shirt. This year for our Christmas picture I wore a red shirt, one of my girls had a white shirt with a red sweater, one girl had a red shirt with a white sweater, my son had a gray sweater and my husband a green shrit. I was trying to find my son a green shirt too. I like the coordinated colors but not the t-shirt thing. I don't even like different colors with the same type of shirt.

 

Kelly

[Deidre in GA]

your type of picture i don't find hokey. the ones where moms and daughters are wearing identical frilly outfits make me gag. funny how fathers & sons in shirt and ties don't get the same reaction. i think it's because that's all guys really have to work with - shirts and ties. men's costuming options are so limited.

[SnowWhite]

I like co-ordinated but not necessarily matching. I do however also match my two sons fairly often. This year they had contrasting dinosaur sweaters knitted by their grandmother. (light green/dk dinosaur, dk green/light dinosaur). When I was going to have their pic taken with a cousin, I bought them all striped shirts from The Children's Place in different colors, but the same stripe pattern. That way you can match the color to suit each child and yet it looks harmonious.

 

For COMPLETE family portraits we usually go with complementary, in a certain color family but not matching. For example, I might be wearing a red sweater, ds a red-white-blue, dh a neutral color, and the youngest a blue and red suit.

[Crissy]

I think it looks a little bit dated.

It seems to me that folks were matching white t shirts and jeans, or denim button-downs with bare feet about 15 years ago.

That is what I am reminded of.

 

But then, my guys all happened to be wearing matching oilskins in this year's picture, so...what do I know?

 

[Tammyla]

Do what makes you happy and you'll enjoy looking at. I liked the pictures posted here.

Edited December 12, 2008 by Tammyla

[ChristusG]

As a photographer, I always recommend that the family wear coordinating clothes. Not necessarily matching, just coordinating. Although I do think its adorable when small siblings wear matching outfits.

[Julie in CA]

It seems to me that folks were matching white t shirts and jeans, or denim button-downs with bare feet about 15 years ago.

Well, lol, the bare feet on the littlest one that year were accidental. Really, I planned for us *all* to be completely dressed, but when it comes right down to it, I'm just not that picky. The bare feet slipped right past me. :tongue_smilie:

 

Oh, and I think your picture looks great!

[FlockOfSillies]

Your picture looks fine!

[Sasharowan]

I vote not, but then we did the same this year. I found cute suits with matching shirts and pants and coordinating vests and ties at Sears for ds2 and ds7 (both love dressups), found dress in same color and a long sleeve tshirt for wearing underneath for dd9 (hates the material in dresses) and then a polo shirt in matching color for ds12(hates dressup). Dh and I had shirts in similar colors already. We dressed for Thanksgiving at my parents and then had my dad take a pic outside near a tree. Instant Christmas picture.

[Annie Laurie]

I always make sure we're coordinated. I like matching and bare feet on little kids.

[texascamps]

We endeavor to take photos where we are all matching but I'm never prepared. My freind has gorgeous photos of her family all over her house where they are in matching outfits. My favorite is a black and white or maybe Sepia photo of her and her family wearing black turtlenecks. THeir faces stand out. She had it done at Target. It was stunning.

[texascamps]

Oh, and when it comes to family photos, I don't care about individuality. I've got hundreds of snapshots of the individualism of my family members. The family photo is about being together and unified.

[Rhonda in TX]

All white shirts looks nice. Black shirts and khaki shorts/pants/skirts looks good. Something like that.

 

Really, though, do what works for you! I love getting pictures in Christmas cards, no matter how they're dressed! (assuming this is for cards, but maybe not!)

[Jenny in Florida]

And I like both.

 

When the kids were littler, I used to make them matching outfits every year for the holidays. Since I have a girl and a boy, they were never exactly the same, but I'd do things like make a jumper for my daughter and a vest for my son out of the same material.

 

Nowadays, we usually go for coordinated. The kids are older, and we're all busier around the holidays--plus, my daughter is pickier and harder to fit. So, I don't make outfits anymore. What we usually do now is let my daughter decide what she feels comfortable wearing and then figure out how to coordinate my son. So, this year, she wore a plain, fairly casual black dress, and he wore black dress pants and a nice green polo he likes. (Green is his favorite color, so it expressed his personality, too.)

 

We took the pictures ourselves and came up with several we liked.

 

And, by the way, I agree with the other folks who said they just appreciate getting photos. I love it, too, and I'm far from picky!

 

I'm going to try and put in two examples of our photos, one from when the kids were little and then one of the ones we're sending this year. Let's see if it works . . .

 

Edit: Of course, I may not be the best person to ask about "hokiness," since the next thing on my to-do list today is to finish editing our holiday newsletter. And, for what it's worth, I love getting THOSE from other people, too!

Edited December 12, 2008 by Jenny in Florida

[Erica in PA]

I have to vote no on the shirt matching. Hokey is a good word for it, imo. :001_smile: When we take a family picture for something formal, I choose colors that will go together, but I wouldn't have everyone wear the same color, let alone exactly the same shirt. For our latest family picture, some of us wore green, some navy blue, some white.... all in different styles. It blended together well, and I think it would have been fine even if I hadn't even coordinated as much as I did. Just stay away from a lot of prints, and you should be fine.

 

Erica

[Julie in CA]

Do any of you with 5 or more kids (and not a lot of clothing to select from) actually manage to find 7 or more coordinating but not matching outfits without it becoming cumbersomely time consuming and expensive?

[JudoMom]

Do any of you with 5 or more kids (and not a lot of clothing to select from) actually manage to find 7 or more coordinating but not matching outfits without it becoming cumbersomely time consuming and expensive?

 

This year my guys wore different color button down shirts, but I made the photo black and white so you can't tell they actually look more like Easter eggs (their shirts are light blue, green, peach, pink, and teal) than like they're ready to celebrate Christmas.

[OnTheBrink]

I like coordinating outfits. I know a family who all wore black shirts and khaki pants. They had the picture taken in a heavily wooded part when the leaves were all orange in the fall. The picture was stunning.

[swellmomma]

I have never done the all matching thing, don't think I ever will. I have at times done the coordinating thing, when taking pictures myself, mixing burgandy's with grey's. We just had family pictures done a couple weeks ago and I don't even remember what they wore, I know each one looked fabulous but I don't think they were coordinated. Last year same thing, they looked nice but not matching/same. Works for us.

 

If I could figure out how to post a picture as a thumbnail I would share ours.

[Julie in CA]

If I could figure out how to post a picture as a thumbnail I would share ours.

 

Click on the Reply button, and then once you're there, click on the little paperclip icon at the top of the message box. Browse through the files on your computer until you find the picture and then click on that. It will automatically put it in as a little thumbnail (I think that's what I did!).

[Desert Rat]

I think it looks nice. This year we did long sleeve polo shirts in fall colors. Dh wore dark green, I wore yellow, and my boys wore deep red and navy. Turned out really cute and I've gotten lots of compliments.

We've also done the white shirt and jeans.

I've known big family pictures like all the siblings and their kids to dress in one color t-shirt for each nuclear family. These turn out really cute too.

[GVD22]

not hokey at all:)