What do you wear to a Santa session? I don’t think many of us don’t put a lot of thought into that question. I see a lot of pictures with coats on the kids. It’s probably because it’s winter; the family is Christmas shopping, so it’s natural that the kids have coats on. Back in the 50’s the kids might be wearing a bit more formal clothing, but still, as can be seen in the picture of my sister and me, we still have our coats on! I can’t say I don’t like it, but then we weren’t wearing brightly colored ski jackets. My sister is wearing white leather shoes and a simple cute hat. I like that. Much of the current lines of clothing are not designed with beautiful portraiture in mind. The crazy patterns and bright colors distract from the most important part of the picture, the child’s face and expression. It’s cute to have a reindeer on a child’s chest, but it doesn’t add to a beautiful picture. I prefer the timeless feel of classic simple, solid colored, PJ’s with a collared shirt for boys. Even the solid, flannel PJ’s with the feet are great for a session. Girls look fine in boys PJ’s or a simple night gown. Formal clothes in Christmas plaid can be great too. It is a very classic look. Colors can be important. I recommend you stay with the primary colors red, green or blue. One other color I love because of its elegance is white. I didn’t think much about that until someone dressed their kids in white for a session. I fell in love with that look. Choice of clothing is the most important thing a client can contribute to the success of their portrait. So next time you take your children to see Santa, take a moment to think about what you would like the finished picture to look like and think about how what they wear to the session could make the difference.

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