One of the questions we get asked most often is: How should I dress my baby for a photoshoot?

As an experienced newborn photographer, an important part of my job is helping you dress everyone beautifully for your newborn photos. And I know first hand that choosing the perfect outfits can be one of the biggest stresses of planning family photos. 

But the good news? Dressing baby is the easiest part. That’s because I take care of this for you!

But if you’re not a KKP client, you may be wondering: How should I dress my baby for a photoshoot?

In this article, we’ll cover my baby must-haves for a successful (and beautiful) newborn session. You’ll be surprised at how simple dressing baby can be!

How Should I Dress My Baby for a Newborn Photoshoot? Simple is Best

I always recommend simple swaddles and wraps for a newborn photoshoot. That’s because many newborn outfits are a bit bulky and ill-fitting. Babies don’t often fit perfectly into actual outfits at this stage and they end up looking awkward. Not only that, but it’s difficult to show off their sweet little toes when dressed up. I prefer a simple wrap or swaddle that can be pulled tightly to soothe them to sleep, or undone to show off their teeny tiny features.

If opting for an outfit, simple (and timeless) is best. A plain white onesie or little knit sweater and bloomers are perfect – and both allow us to see their toes, which is something you’ll definitely want captured.

Go Neutral

Dressing baby in a neutral outfit has many benefits. Among these are:

• Neutral is timeless. You’ll be able to look at your photos 50 years from now and still love how baby is dressed (no trends or fads here!)
• It acts as a natural reflector. Babies have notorious bad skin. Skin tones can range from jaundiced yellow to bright red; pimples and dry flakes are common and complexions are usually a lot warmer in general from the rest of the family. By dressing baby in a soft neutral, you’re helping to reflect clean, neutral light onto baby’s skin, therefore balancing out some of the warmth. All colours cast coloured light onto the skin, so anything too bright or colourful will cast unfavourable shades onto the skin, making it appear unnatural.
• It allows us to capture a bright and airy image. If you’re a KKP client, you know that my signature style is very light and airy. A big part of creating that style is by dressing in light, neutral tones.
• Baby will match with everyone in the family. Whether you’re wearing a solid colour, a floral print dress, a subtle pattern or anything in between, putting baby in a neutral swaddle will allow him or her to compliment everyone in the family – perfect for coordinated photos!

Accessorize – a little bit.

When I say accessorize, I don’t mean with dazzling jewelry – in fact, babies should not wear anything that could potentially get wrapped tightly around their necks or that’s small enough to choke on.

I simply mean adding the following:

• A bow for baby girl. Choose something with a delicate pattern or soft lace, silk or velvet. Tiny bows are perfect for baby girls’ little heads, but larger ones can be sweet too. Just be sure they’re not covering baby’s face! I always recommend a bow with a soft neutral band – usually made of nylon so that they’re comfortable and not too tight.
• A timeless bonnet. Bonnets can be so darling on both baby girls and boys, and really add that timeless element to photos. These are a favourite in winter especially, where a little knit bonnet can create a cozy, wintry feel to newborn photos.
• A small, sentimental stuffy. While my lifestyle approach does not include props of any kind, I do think adding a very sentimental (and neutral, and timeless) stuffy – or knit blanket – can add a special touch to a few of your newborn photos.

As you can see, dressing baby for your newborn session doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, we recommend making it as simple as possible! Let baby be just that- a baby. They photograph best in their natural state- wrapped in a sweet, simple swaddle. After all, they’re the star of the show, and they don’t need much more than their cuteness to stand out! We hope this article helped answer your question: How should I dress my baby for a photoshoot?

And if you need help dressing the rest of the family for your newborn photoshoot, check out this blog post.

Expecting in 2023? Our KKP First Year Collection captures every important milestone in baby’s magical first year of life. From their first days at home to their first wobbly steps, and every big moment in between, our First Year Collection is the most popular among sentimental mothers. We have a few remaining spots for 2023. Let’s plan your Edmonton newborn photography session! Learn more about the KKP Experience here, and come say hello! I can’t wait to preserve your most special moments with the ones you love.

Film scanned by The Canadian Film Lab
Mamas’ dresses, babies wraps and headbands from the KKP Client Closet
All images by newborn photographer, Kahla Kristen Photography