Dressing a redhead for holiday pictures (and other picture questions)

[ciw]

I know some of you have a great eye for what works in pictures so please throw your thoughts (or links to outfit ideas) at me.

Here's the deal: I bought DS several holiday outfits at an EOS sale last year. They're more formal (read stiffer) than I would usually buy. I like my little guy dressed in cozy sweaters and soft cords for dress-up. But these were so cute and cheap ($6 for three-piece sets!) that I couldn't resist. So here are the options for DS:

1. A button-down white shirt with a brown tweed vest and chocolate cords.

2. A black velveteen blazer with tweed pants, a white button-down shirt and a red tie with black bull dogs.

I know the first option would work for a family picture. I have a chocolate dress that would work well so all I would need to do is buy DH a chocolate sweater to wear with khakis. But...............

DS looks soooooooooo cute in the second outfit. His red curls and fair skin really stand out in the black jacket. And even though it's a jacket, the texture softens the look and makes it look cuddly. But I have no idea what to do about DH or myself. DH has a black suit with a subtle pin stripe but the blacks of the two jackets don't match. I could buy DH a new black sport jacket but he says he doesn't need another jacket for work (he's right) so that seems like a waste of money. If he wears a black sweater, won't that look too casual next to DS?

I'm also not sure what to wear. I have a black "Breakfast at Tiffany's" type dress that is gorgeous and looks great next to DS's outfit but I already wore that in a mommy-son photo with DS. Would it be weird to wear it again? I look different now -- my hair was below my shoulders then and is chin length now. Plus, would that make DH look even more out of place in a sweater?

I also have a very dressy red sweater (deep red not fire engine) that I could pair with a straight black skirt. That goes with DS's outfit but I'm not sure I want that much red competing in a picture with DS's red hair. Red accents like a tie, jewelry, etc. seem fine but I don't know about a red top. Would you use red in a picture with a redhead?

Any suggestions for what would work for DH and me if DS wears the second outfit? We do not photograph well as a family on a white background so I will likely have the pictures taken at Picture People and use the brown-black background (the background that has some texture not the solid black). I'm guessing that using that background knocks out grey outfits as a possibility. I could have the pictures taken at Portrait Innovations and use their holiday backdrop but I'm not sold on that idea. I think the fake backdrops usually make photographs look really dated after a year or two.

Thoughts?

[sariana]

Have DS wear outfit #2. You should wear the red sweater if it matches the red in the tie. Your DH should wear a white shirt with a black tie with red accents. Have your DH stand between you and DS (e.g. you standing in back, DH seated on a stool, DS sitting on DH's lap). I think a black sweater would be just fine style-wise, but I worry that it might be too much black against a dark background. With your red sweater behind it, though, it might work. If he has a black V-neck, that would be perfect with the white shirt and tie as above.

With your DH acting as a buffer, the red sweater will not clash with DS's red hair. Without seeing the actual colors, I can't say whether they would work next to each other. But redheads can look quite striking in red clothing, so it might look just fine even if his head is right in front of your sweater.:)

We like our pictures on a solid black or a mottled brown background, too. We are all Irish and German/Jewish pale faces (though I have very dark hair), so white just doesn't work well for us, either. We all look good in blue, so we often work around that color.

[mmommy]

But redheads can look quite striking in red clothing, so it might look just fine even if his head is right in front of your sweater.:)


:yeahthat:I'm a redhead and I get the most compliments when I'm wearing red or pink. So I wouldn't let his hair dictate what you and your DH wear.

[ciw]

Sariana,

Thank you!!!! DH doesn't wear ties with sweaters (he'll wear one or the other but not both together) so I never in a million years would have thought of that combination but it's perfect. I think DS's tie and my sweater would work next to each other; they're both dark reds with blue undertones. (Of course, I'm totally open to getting a new sweater or dress too. ;)). DS's jacket buttons up pretty high so you can't see a lot of his tie anyway -- just a little peep of red.

I'm with you on the blue. Actually, my mom bought DS a blue holiday outfit at the same EOS sale but we've done a lot of blue-themed pics in the past so I want to try something different this time.

Mmommy, DS's favorite colors are pink and red! He has a lot of red clothes (some days he refuses to get dressed unless I let him wear red) but I think he looks better in blues and greens. I have auburn hair and wear reds with blue undertones a good bit. But DS's hair is reaaallllly red and I'm concerned that red clothes might compete with it too much in a picture? Maybe I'm being silly.

[jenfromnj]

Mmommy, DS's favorite colors are pink and red! He has a lot of red clothes (some days he refuses to get dressed unless I let him wear red) but I think he looks better in blues and greens. I have auburn hair and wear reds with blue undertones a good bit. But DS's hair is reaaallllly red and I'm concerned that red clothes might compete with it too much in a picture? Maybe I'm being silly.

Sounds as though you have a plan, but I just wanted to say that my DS also has super duper red hair, and for last year's holiday pics he wore both a cool-toned red sweater, then a black/grey/white sweater outfit, and we got TONS of compliments on the red sweater pics. So I wouldn't hesitate to go with lots of red in the pics.