How Should I Dress My Baby for a Newborn Photo Shoot

Black and white image of dad holding baby boy during newborn photography session

Now that you’ve booked your newborn photography session, you may be wondering how to dress baby. Here are some of my top ideas for baby’s outfit.

A plain colored sleeper:

If you want to keep it simple, a plain colored sleeper is perfect. These are great for the colder months as baby will stay warm and comfortable. I adore Bonsie Baby. They have a great range of colors and the front opening makes them fantastic for skin to skin. I used these for my youngest baby and highly recommend them for every day wear as well as for your newborn session. Colors that photograph well include oat, peony, fog, and avocado.

A plain colored onesie:

For your summer babies, you may want to dress them in a plain onesie. You can pick these up almost anywhere. Pinks, greys, light blues, and creams are all beautiful options for newborn pictures.

If you want something a little more fancy:

I absolutely love the clothes from Jamie Kay. They have the cutest little bloomers and onesies, as well as knit overalls and cardigans. If you are doing an outfit like this for your newborn photos, it’s really important to make sure it fits your baby well and isn’t oversized. When outfits are too big, they can take swallow the baby. We still want your beautiful baby to be the focus during your photography session.

You should have a swaddle on hand for your baby’s session

I personally love the quilts from Brixton Phoenix. The are larger than a typical swaddle and there are many beautiful prints.

Keep your home colors in mind while dressing baby:

If you’re going to display your photos fro m your newborn session (and you should), you’ll want to keep your home’s decor in mind. This is why neutrals are so great.

The most important thing is to keep in simple. You baby is so beautiful, more beautiful than any outfit so let’s focus on that sweet face, rather than what they’re wearing.

Baby asleep in dad's arms during newborn photography session
Newborn boy asleep while mom holds him during newborn photo session in Seattle
Dad holding a sleeping baby during Everett newborn photo session
Newborn asleep on mom's lap during baby photography session in Bellevue