Drawing inspiration from classic family portraits that have stood the test of time

*‘The Royal Family in 1846’ by Franz Xaver Winterhalter — The patriarch wearing dark hues translates status and maturity.*

Choosing what to wear for a rural family photoshoot can feel overwhelming — especially when you’re trying to honour individuality, land, animals, and legacy all at once. This guide is designed to help rural families make wardrobe choices that feel authentic now and timeless decades from now.

The family portrait is an old tradition.

Before cameras, families would sit for hours to be painted by an artist. This was in a time when the family was a closer, economic unit. Each member working in the family business — much like rural families still maintain to this day.

Artists and photographers still refer to these old portraits because of the classic use of composition, lighting and posing but there’s more inspiration to be found in these noble images.

Their use of clothing to translate family values has stood the test of time and there is a deep psychology behind every wardrobe decision.

This article explores how rural families can take inspiration from the classic portraits of our history to capture their own timeless portraits.

Presenting A Unified Image

The aim of a family portrait is to create a unified and timeless image.

This is who we are as a family.

Let the values that we share speak first.

Personal style matters. But when you have five, six, or seven people — each with their own taste — things can quickly feel cluttered or disjointed if there is nothing tying everyone together.

Each person brings their own subtle flair, but decisions are made with the whole in mind rather than the individual. Bridal parties, business groups, and even rock bands coordinate their clothing for this very reason.

The result is not just visually pleasing — it symbolises shared purpose, cohesion, and belonging.

Coordination Does Not Mean Matching

It’s important to understand this clearly: coordination is not the same as matching.

Families dressed in identical outfits can feel rigid or overly staged — almost militant. Instead, we’re aiming for harmony: shared tones, textures, and levels of formality that allow individuality to exist within a cohesive whole.

Cut From the Same Cloth

*Kennedy Family Portrait by Dorothy Wilding — A balanced mixture of plain and pattern, lighter and darker hues allow for a classic but interesting composition even in black and white.*

This phrase comes from a time when clothing was made within the family, often from the same fabric. Each garment was stitched differently, styled individually — yet it was immediately recognisable that everyone belonged together.

That idea still holds power today.

Best Fabrics and Textures for Rural Family Photos

Think in complementary hues, fabrics, and textures, such as:

Denim
Tweed
Canvas
Linen
Wool
Cotton
Satin / silk
Lace

These materials photograph beautifully in rural and outdoor settings and align naturally with farm and country environments.

*Princess Diana and Prince Charles by Tim Graham on Getty Images — the high quality natural fibres and complimentary hues blend well together as well as with their environment.*

Family Values and Clothing Choices

“Cut from the same cloth” is really a metaphor for shared values — the qualities that quietly define a family.

Common values expressed beautifully in rural family portraits include:

Down-to-earth
Stewardship
Connection to nature
Tradition
Presence
Creativity
Industriousness
Passion

Preparation Idea

Before choosing outfits, take a moment to identify your family’s core values. Ask yourselves: What matters most to us? What do we want this image to say about who we are together?

Styling Family Photos Around Parents or Elders

*James II and Family by Pierre Mignard — the matriarch is the centre of this richly coloured and textured portrait with a beautiful golden dress with embroidered flowers.*

A helpful and traditional place to begin is with the mother & father of the family.

Their outfits can quietly set the tone for colour, texture, and formality. From there, other family members can draw from the same palette and level of dress.

For example, the matriarch wears the strongest tone of green, the patriarch wears a much darker hue to translate responsibility (normally black) while the rest of the family wears patterned green, brown, beige and golden hues that compliment while adding subtle individual flair.

Hair and Makeup for a Timeless Family Photoshoot

Hair and makeup should support the same goal as wardrobe: a unified, timeless image that reflects who you are as a family.

In rural family portraits, less is almost always more. Heavy makeup, overly styled hair, or sharply trending looks can feel out of place in natural environments and date an image quickly. Instead, aim for a level of polish that feels like the best version of everyday.

Hair: Natural, Considered, Unforced

Hair should move naturally and feel comfortable — especially when working outdoors with wind, animals, and changing light.

Soft waves, loose braids, tidy ponytails, or simply well-groomed natural hair all photograph beautifully.
Avoid overly rigid styles, tight curls, or high-shine finishes that can look unnatural in rural settings.
Children’s hair is best kept simple. Brushed, loosely tied, or left natural often works best.
For men, clean and familiar grooming — trimmed beards, tidy hair — maintains authenticity without over-polishing.

The aim is consistency rather than uniformity: different hairstyles are welcome, as long as they sit comfortably within the same level of formality.

Makeup should enhance features without drawing attention to itself.

Choose natural tones that echo the landscape — warm neutrals, soft earth tones, muted pinks and browns.
Avoid heavy contouring, bold eyeliner, or high-shimmer products, which can feel disconnected from outdoor, lifestyle family photography.
Skin should look like skin: evened out, rested, and healthy rather than overly perfected.

For mothers in particular, makeup should support confidence and ease — you should still recognise yourself in the final images.

What Shoes and Accessories to Wear to a Family Photoshoot

These small details can still be done with intentionality to bring a polished final look to the whole image. Best to make these decisions after the rest of the outfit is chosen, more or less.

— Jewellery

Especially on the matriarch – heirloom and marital jewellery that will one day be passed on is important to include. Think about your children or grandchildren looking at this image and remembering your jewellery.

My mother wore a lot of gold chains with beautiful diamonds — I never remember her going a day without them and now some of those items are mine to remember her by.

— Hats, gloves, scarves etc

It can be a fine line with these items to tip the image over into too cluttered. If it’s an autumn or winter shoot especially, these can make sense but more than anything it has to make sense for the outfit as a whole and the personality of the wearer — does this person wear hats normally? Then yes, it’s a good decision to add a nice hat to the outfit.

— Shoes

Back in the day shoes weren’t as easy to come by so they were made to last. Strong leather and good stitching. Good quality generally translates through an image to being well prepared and thoughtful about one’s appearance.

What Should Animals Wear in Family Photos?

*“Portrait of Miss Catherine Laidler” (1841) by Sir Edwin Landseer — You just know Miss Laidler is an animal lover and her animals love her back.*

Of course the dogs and horses are warmly welcome in rural family portraits for BRV Creative. We will talk about this more in ‘Context and Location in Family Portraiture’ but as this article is all about the wardrobe — what will they wear?

— Horses in portraits

It depends on a couple of things. Are they work horses, show ponies or paddock ornaments? Going back to values, the level of tack will translate different values.

Completely tacked up and ready for show = passion, legacy, tradition

Untacked but well groomed = stewardship, down-to-earth, relationship

Untacked and natural in the field (a bit of mud) = hard workers, down-to-earth.

— Dogs in portraits

It’s your choice if you would like the hunting or working dogs to have their collars on to translate their purpose more clearly or leave them off to give the appearance of the friendly family dog.

Often their collars become very sentimental items when they do pass on so you might like to give them a polish to honour that item.

Family Photo Outfit Inspiration from History and Royal Families

Portrait of the Family of François Gérar, by François Gérard — Centred around the matriarch who wears bright whites and yellow with the youngest children. Patriarch wearing the deepest hues and standing tallest as protector. Loyal spaniel included in a rural, outdoor setting.

Family Photo Inspiration: The Royal Family

*The Swedish Royal Family by Linda Broström/Kungl. Hovstaterna*

The royal family provides a clear example of visual cohesion.

They are a family that values:

—Tradition
—Loyalty
—Quality
—Service

They are acutely aware that how they present themselves in photographs communicates legacy. Whether in ball gowns and suits or tweed jackets and wellies, they consistently dress to the same level of formality as each other.

This shared standard — paired with high-quality fabrics — creates an unmistakable sense of unity.

While most families don’t carry the same historical weight or resources, the principle still applies.

Styling Tip:

Decide where your family sits on the casual-to-formal spectrum, and ensure everyone dresses to that same level.

Family Photo Inspiration: The Classic NZ Farming Family

A Family That Values:

— Tradition

— Stewardship

— Connection to nature

— Work-ethic / Industriousness

Like everyone just got home from the stock yard sales.

Dressed up slightly from the everyday stubbies, redbands and singlet, but still in keeping with the family's values of being hard-working, down-to-earth, rural oriented folks.

Well-worn boots, tidy denim or canvas, checked shirts, and layered textures work beautifully without feeling staged.

Family photo inspiration — the shared passion family

A Family That Values:

— Passion

— Adventure

— Playfulness

— Support

Is there an activity that the whole family centres around? A family full of show jumpers, hunters, rowers or gardeners?

Although rare it’s not unheard of for families as similar minded like this. In these cases, cohesion often comes more easily. As long as clothing avoids overly literal uniforms, this shared identity can translate naturally into the portrait.

FAQ’s for What to Wear to a Rural Family Photoshoot

Q. Can Dad Wear Stubbies and Redbands in Family Photos?

You might have a conversation like:“I haven’t seen Dad wear anything else but stubbies and Redbands almost my whole life, I just remember him this way, can he wear this in the family photo?”

Absolutely — this simply places you on the more casual end of the spectrum.

If the rest of the family dresses to a similar level, the image will still feel cohesive. Another option is to photograph two layers:

A slightly more dressed-up outfit for the main family portrait
Everyday clothing for individual or documentary-style images during a farm tour

This way, you preserve both legacy and authenticity and you will still have those photos of your Dad as you’ll always remember him.

Q. Mum and Daughter are the horse girls and Dad and Son are the dirt bike boys — can we bring out each individual's passion and hobby into the picture through clothing?

Highly individualised gear (show outfits, riding helmets, motocross clothing) is best reserved for individual or sibling portraits, rather than the main family image.

For the group photo, we prioritise a unified vision. Individual passions can still be expressed through location and activity, which we explore further in the next article.

Q. Should we buy new clothes for the photoshoot?

Not necessarily.
Well-loved, well-fitting clothing often carries more authenticity than something brand new. If you do choose to purchase something, think in terms of timeless pieces you’ll continue to wear — not “photoshoot outfits” that live only for one day.

Q. We’re worried about getting dirty — should we bring spare clothes?

Rural photoshoots often involve walking paddocks, leaning on fences, or spending time with animals. Light dust, movement, and lived-in textures are part of the story.
Vests, jackets, knits, or overshirts can also be removed or added throughout the session, allowing for subtle variation without changing outfits entirely — but know that a little imperfection often adds authenticity rather than detracts from it.

Q. We don’t normally dress up — will we look like we’re pretending to be someone we’re not?

This is one of the most common concerns, and a valid one.
Timeless family portraits aren’t about dressing up — they’re about dressing intentionally. The goal is not to become someone else, but to show the most considered version of who you already are. Clothing should feel familiar, comfortable, and true to your family’s way of life — simply elevated enough to honour the significance of the image.

Do’s and Don’ts for Timeless Family Photos

Don’t

—Large logos and obviously branded clothing. It appears as if your family is sponsored by this brand as soon as you wear it (I’m looking at you Wrangler, Nike and ball cap wearers). Small logos that aren’t at all obvious are fine but your favourite black Fox t-shirt is going to stand out like a sore thumb.

Do

— Ask for second and third opinions on your clothing choices, especially if you’re wanting to make bolder choices. Remember to look at each item within the context of every other family member's clothing as well.

Don’t

— Matching outfits. Please. No. If I see a family wearing all denim jeans with matching white T-shirts, I just know that the mother had this idea and then forced everyone to wear it. It is a quasi-militant appearance that is extremely tacky. Please for the love of a good image — do not do this if you want a timeless family portrait.

Do

— Iron linens and highly crinkly clothes. I remember my Mother ironing all the time but it’s just not done anymore. It really does take an image to the next level of polished and complete when the clothes are well cleaned, and collars and seams are ironed.

Don’t

— High sheen makeup. Your photographer is likely working with digital cameras that can blow out highlights easily, especially if working outdoors on a rural family photoshoot. High sheen make up will reflect the bright sun and make it difficult to expose the image correctly while giving your skin tone a flattering shine via natural lighting techniques.

Do

— Stay in the bounds of your classic, familiar style. Aiming for a timeless image that will last for a long time means looking at your choices through that time frame as well. Take a step outside of your current perspective and think how time will treat those choices. Honour who you are now rather who you wish you were.

Conclusion

What you choose to wear for your rural family photos is not about trends or perfection — it is about clarity. Clarity of values, of connection, and of the shared story you want your family portrait to tell.

The most enduring family images, whether painted centuries ago or photographed today, succeed because they prioritise unity over individuality, context over costume, and meaning over fashion. Clothing becomes a quiet language: communicating stewardship, work ethic, creativity, tradition, and love without needing explanation.

When each family member dresses with the whole in mind — choosing a similar level of formality, complementary tones and textures, and materials that belong to the land you live on — the image feels grounded and timeless. Personal flair still exists, but it serves the family rather than competing with it.

Your home, your animals, your shared passions, and your way of life are already rich with story. Thoughtful wardrobe choices simply allow that story to be seen more clearly.

In the next article, we’ll look at where to take your rural family photos — how landscape, light, and location further reinforce the values and connections that clothing begins to express.

Link to Pinterest Board for more inspiration — Pinterest