WARDROBE WEDNESDAY – Family with Teens

10/05/2011

Here in Texas, the outrageous heat is gradually making its exit, and we are starting to see a little bit of fall-like weather. For me, this always means that clients start calling to schedule their family session before the holidays get near. While us Wardrobe Wednesday ladies have been giving everyone advice for almost two years now, it can still seem so overwhelming to put together your entire family’s wardrobe, and you can’t help but tinker with the idea of just doing one solid color. Add in a few older kiddos who are already highly opinionated with what they want to wear, and I’m sure you’re already stressed just thinking about it. That is why I chose to put together an ensemble consisting of mom, dad, and the possibility of a few hard-headed kiddos.

My first piece of advice is to decide which kid will be the most challenging when choosing his/her outfit. (I highly recommend that you don’t tell him/her why you chose them first!) J Once you’ve got the most difficult selection out of the way, start building everyone else’s outfits to complement it. If the first outfit you choose has a pattern with different colors, then choose solids to balance it all out. If it is one solid color, then the next outfit you select should have a few more colors, one being complementary to the first selection.

When teenagers are involved, keep in mind that your biggest challenge might not be about the colors, but rather the comfort, specifically theirs. While one daughter might love being in a dress every day, the other may be all about her jeans. You will have a lot less resistance if they can relax in their attire and allow their personalities to show a little while still trying to keep with a similar theme.

In the example below, I started my collection with, the more reserved, Girl # 2’s shirt. After adding Girl # 1’s dress, I was able to piece together the remaining outfits.