Picture Day Outfit Ideas

Picture day always seems to sneak up on us, doesn’t it? One minute you’re packing lunches and signing permission slips, and the next you’re realizing tomorrow is picture day and wondering what your child should wear.

As the photographer behind Bloom Photos, I get to see so many wonderful kids come through on picture day. And here’s the truth—what matters most isn’t the perfect outfit. It’s capturing your child’s personality at this stage of life: their toothless grin, their twinkly eyes, their shy smirk, or their burst of confidence. That’s what makes the photo timeless.

Still, a little planning can make the morning less stressful and help your child feel comfortable and confident. Here are some simple tips to guide you:

Keep It Simple

Solid colors and classic pieces always photograph beautifully. A soft polo, a button-down, or a simple dress in a favorite color keeps the focus right where it belongs—on your child’s sweet face. Avoid busy graphics, large logos, or neon patterns that might distract from their expression.

Think Comfort First

When kids feel comfortable, they relax, and that’s when we capture the most genuine smiles. Choose clothing that fits well, feels soft, and lets them move around easily. Picture day should feel special, but never uncomfortable.

Add a Layer

Cardigans, jean jackets, or simple vests add nice texture and dimension to photos. Plus, they give kids a little something extra to cozy into if they’re feeling shy in front of the camera.

Play with Color

Don’t be afraid of color! Jewel tones, pastels, or soft earthy hues all look beautiful against school photo backdrops. Bright blues, deep reds, and rich greens really make kids stand out in the best way.

Keep Accessories Simple (or not!)

A bow, a headband, or a small necklace can add a fun touch, but less is usually more. We want your child’s personality—not their accessories—to shine. However, if your kiddo lives for over-the-top accessories, let them add as much as you can handle! We want to capture their authentic selves, and that includes their fabulous style.

Let Them Help Choose

One of my favorite tricks: give your child two parent-approved options and let them pick. It gives them a sense of ownership and helps them walk into picture day feeling confident and happy.

Sibling Pictures

Coordinate, but don't match. It’s better that their clothes compliment each other instead of being too matchy-matchy. Choose a color palette you love and coordinate their outfits!

Shop From Their Closet First

Look through your kiddo’s closet before buying anything. There’s a good chance you have a great outfit already! If you still want to purchase something to make their Picture Day look a little more special, go for a cute accessory or layering item.

The Bloom Photos Touch

At Bloom Photos, my goal isn’t to capture a “perfect” picture—it’s to capture your child, exactly as they are right now. Ten years from now, you won’t care if their shirt was tucked in straight. You’ll treasure the grin with the missing teeth, the way their hair fell across their forehead, or the sparkle in their eyes that says this is them, in this season.

So choose something simple, comfortable, or entirely over the top. But true to who they are.

I’ll take care of the rest.

Outfit Inspo:

My Photography Story

Bloom Photos

My Photography Story

By: Vanessa Brack

When it comes down to it, it’s human faces that move me.

I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember, and taking pictures since my mom let me use her Kodak 110 point and shoot film camera when I was maybe seven or eight, to photograph my Cabbage Patch Kids portraits in a lovely (not really) scene that I had setup in front of the Christmas tree. I had witnessed my baby sister have her portait taken at the department store and it RESONATED with me. It’s funny when a mundane activity, even something that’s now often looked down on (department store photos don’t have the best rep, ya know? But I will fight you if you disparage a family’s department store photos because ALL PHOTOS MATTER) can change the perspective of a child. Can I tell you that I remember that moment, carefully photographing my dolls, as vividly as the birth of my own children? I continued to dabble in photography, taking classes in high school and college and working on the high school yearbook team. But it never went further than that.

I knew I was meant to create art, and the camera was the tool that my soul chose to make that art. I finally started my photography business in 2016, about thirty years after the Cabbage Patch Kid portrait session.

Why, you might wonder, did it take me so long to come back to the one thing that made my heart sing? Well, photography as a career, or even as an art, wasn’t something my family knew. I honestly didn’t know that regular people hired photographers to take family photos until well into my adult years. So I went to college, had the kids, and carried on with a career in the business world to support those kids. And then one day in 2014, my dear friend asked me to photograph her home birth. She had no idea that I loved photography, she just wanted someone there that made her feel comfortable. I said yes, used her camera to capture one of the most spiritual moments in both of our lives, and knew immediately that I was now a photographer.

A photographer.

It still sounds so beautiful to me.

I bought a camera, learned how to shoot in manual, and soaked up every piece of education I could find and afford. I photographed everything! Nature, pets, people, landscapes. But I knew that people interested me most, and my business started there.

In 2018 I took a school photography class and realized that school photos can actually be beautiful! Like, who knew?? I was hooked. I started photographing schools then, and in 2023 separated my school photography into it’s own brand: Bloom Photos. I love this part of my business so much as my incredible team and I can conveniently provide families with natural, timeless portraits of their children. I think every parent deserves heirloom photos of their children and by photographing schools, I can provide that to even more families.

These little souls are everything to you, and to me. Our babies will always be our babies, and yearly portraits help us to remember and hang on to those memories.

To me, documenting your children is an honor.

And when it comes down to it, it’s human faces that move me.