Simple, Timeless, and Comfortable for Real Life
When planning for your newborn session, especially shots that include parents and siblings, wardrobe choices can feel overwhelming. But here’s the truth: this session is all about your baby—not perfect outfits, not high fashion, and certainly not stress. Let’s keep things easy, comfortable, and focused on the connection and love you share.
What Makes These Sessions Different?
This isn’t a traditional “family session” with everyone posed full-body on a blanket. Newborn-with-parent portraits are about closeness and emotion. Most images will be cropped closely, snuggles, hands, soft eye contact, so we’re not photographing your entire outfit. You’ll mostly see torsos, shoulders, arms, and connection. Remember, these photos are designed to highlight your baby with each family member- not necessarily your whole family posed as a unit. There will absolutely be time for full-family portraits down the road, especially once your little one starts showing off their big personality! For now, the focus is on gentle snuggles, quiet moments, and the connection between baby and those who love them most.
Clothing Tips for Parents: Embrace Your Style—but Be Kind to Yourself
Let’s be real. Your body is healing. You just brought life into the world, and that takes time. You are not dressing your “pre-baby” body right now, and that’s okay. If wearing a form-fitting dress will make you focus on your belly instead of your baby, don’t do it. Choose what makes you feel at ease. (You'd be surprised how good we can make a simple tee and leggings look.) On the flip side—if you feel amazing in something glam, and that’s your thing, go for it! If you frequently wear 5-inch heels and love dressing to the nines, own it. This session should reflect you. (Hate your arms? Don't forget to wear sleeves! Your arms have an important job of holding baby so will be photographed a lot!)
Choose Soft, Neutral Tones
Our lighting and editing style is natural and warm, so these colors photograph best:
- Black, greys
- Muted earthy tones like taupe, oatmeal, heathered brown or sage
- Love color? Great! Light pink, pale blue, and pale green look beautiful on camera. Just be sure to coordinate within the family unit- one random color in a sea of neutrals often looks out of place.)
Please avoid bright or neon colors (like hot pink, neon green, or bright orange), which can reflect onto your and your baby’s skin, creating unnatural color casts. We also do not recommend "jewel tones," which are not complementary to brand new baby skin tones.
Coordinate, Don’t Match
- You don’t need to wear matching outfits. Instead, choose tones in the same color family. Cream and tan, or grey and black, for example. Try to avoid pairing extremes like bright white and black.
- If your partner wears a smooth cotton shirt in a neutral tone, maybe you add a little texture—lace, knit, or gauze. That contrast photographs beautifully.
Or go ahead and Match... We're not the boss of you!
Everyone wearing all black tees can make for a dramatic, monochromatic look which is stunning! It really allows baby to POP against the dark background. Don't like black? Consider a dark brown, or nude color! Watch out for logos! They're sneaky- and DETAILS MATTER... speaking of which:
The Little Details Matter (they really do- and details are what Hatched is known for!)
- If necessary, Iron or steam your clothing beforehand—wrinkles and fold lines won’t be edited out. (Hang up tees the night before to remove fold creases!)
- Avoid stripes across the body, clashing color combos, large logos, or anything too busy.
- Stick with soft, solid pieces or small, subtle patterns.
- Avoid "statement" jewelry or large jewelry pieces such as earrings and necklaces. Do wear your favorite pieces that you wear daily! We want you to look like you!
- Hands Matter, Too. Your hands will be in a lot of the photos—cradling your baby, brushing their hair back, snuggling them close. If you plan to wear nail polish, please make sure it’s freshly applied and free of chips or leftover polish from a previous manicure. We don’t edit nails, so clean and natural is always a safe option if you’re unsure.
What to Wear | Siblings
For either gender, simple cream or black tee or tank with jeans and bare feet works great. Tights and socks often look bulky and odd.
- Please remove socks and shoes at the start of the session to help little ones adjust, plus gives time for sock or shoe impressions to disappear.
- For girls: skip the big bows or headbands unless they’re small and neutral. (We have TONS of headbands and often have something that will coordinate with Baby!)
- Soft, simple dresses are ideal. Avoid poufy or layered outfits that bunch up when they sit or lay down.
- We love boys in suits- but if you don't already own one, don't feel that you need to run out and purchase one! A little polo shirt, button up, or even a PLAIN (no sports logos!) tee look great paired with khaki shorts, jeans, or even a trouser. We have a few boys suits available to borrow, so feel free to ask!
Hey Siblings, Be Photo-Ready: Those Little Details Count
Before your session, take a few minutes to check your child over for the little things that can stand out in close-up photos:
- Boogers or eye discharge
- Chipped or leftover nail polish
- Food or drink stains (juice, milk, etc.) especially in the corners of the mouth
- Marker or crayon marks
- Wrinkled clothing
These things might not seem like a big deal in real life, but in professional photos, they’re very noticeable, and we do not fully edit them out. We’ll always correct small distractions as best we can, but per your contract, it’s up to Mom and Dad to make sure siblings arrive clean and photo-ready. Photoshop can only do so much—and nothing replaces a little prep ahead of time!
The Focus Is Always Baby
At the end of the day, these portraits are about your new little love and the bond you share. Your wardrobe should support that, not distract from it. When you’re comfortable, the love shines through.
If you have outfits in mind and want a second opinion, feel free to send photos ahead of your session, We are always happy to help!
