Are you ready for the holidays?
With Halloween just around the corner, and Thanksgiving shortly thereafter, I thought I'd check in and share all of my favorite shops for children's holiday outfits. Whether you're planning for a holiday themed family session or kid focused Santa experience, these shops are sure to satisfy your holiday attire needs.
Every year I spend hours reviewing the latest trends, searching through sites, and stressing over which outfits to choose. It seems so silly when I type it out, but obviously the holidays and outfits are important (especially for photos, wink wink).
And honestly I'd rather do all of the research for my clients so they can quickly determine which outfits work best for their session. In my opinion, It's an underrated service that I offer my clients and is "paid for" when they show up with the best outfits in town.
The list below was created after years of searching, trial/error, many returns, and observing what works best for sessions. So here it is....
One
Janie and Jack
This year, I decided to use a few items from last years closet and change them up a bit. I don't usually like to reuse, but the older kids still fit in their outfits and I wanted to get more use out of them. For the baby who is sprouting like a weed, I purchased a fabulous new satin red dress and accompanied it with a red tartan bow. This is the same pattern in our oldest daughters dress and sons shirt, so this addition really tied the 3 together. For our son, I picked out camel corduroy pants and reused his shirt and bowtie. And because I opted for a sweater this year (not JJ brand), it was tough to even see the resemblance to last years outfit. For our oldest daughter, I kept her in the same dress and shoes but added the red velvet headband. Her outfit was similar to last years, however it's difficult to tell with the change of scenery and additions to the others outfits.
Shop Janie and Jacks Holiday Collections Here
two
Smockingbird
This shop is my favorite for traditional southern smocked dresses/bubbles. The baby is dressed in a two piece bloomer set which show showed off her delicious leg rolls. With it being winter, we added thick bow socks to keep her warm and a cute white velvet poppy. For our son, we got him a matching dress shirt and added a light brown bow. And for our oldest daughter, we picked out a smocked dress and white velvet bow. Both girls had a corduroy green peter pan collar. This plaid is the best combination of Christmas colors. It's even better in person!
Shop Smockingbirds Holiday Collections Here
three
OshKosh B'gosh
I shop at OshKosh for everyday outfits but hadn't previously considered shopping there for holiday outfits. I needed a second outfit last year and I was pleasantly surprised to come across these. Our oldest daughter chose a plaid skirt with red poncho. For the baby, they had multiple options to choose from which I like because some kids can be picky at this age. She loved this little dress with ruffled sleeves and our son wore a matching dress shirt. I love the navy and red pattern. It's wintry but not too christmassy. It was perfect for this holiday studio and not expensive either. Our son wore navy blue cords with suspenders. Little dapper dude!
Shop OshKosh Holiday Collections Here
four
H&M
I love H&M! Like Osh Kosh, I usually shop here for every day wear. In 2020 I did a lot of online shopping due to the pandemic and pregnancy with #3 (I was so tired), so I ordered a whole bunch of outfits from H&M. What I love about this shop is that I can pick out what I like and either return (free) through the mail or in store. This dress for our daughter and matching dress shirt for our son was perfect for a casual and socially distanced Santa session. We opted for sweaters as well since it was November and in an unheated cotton mill.
Shop H&M Holiday Collections Here
five
Burts Bees
Okay so Pajamas aren't technically a formal outfit but they are worth mentioning when discussing holiday attire.
What will the kids wear to their holiday pajama session or while they set cookies out for Santa? We purchase a set of holiday jammies from Burts Bees every single year.
Yes, one set for each kid and one set for Mom and Dad! I get a few grumbles from the Hubby but he eventually loves dressing casual as a family.
Burts Bees usually has way too many patterns to choose from. I tend to gravitate towards traditional patterns since I know they will be used for a holiday jammie session. The best thing about these pajamas is that they are well made and used year round (if you don't mind wearing holiday jammies in July). I usually wear out my and am eager to get new ones every October.
Shop Burts Bees Holiday Pajamas Here
Special Highlight of Last Years Outfits
If you're wondering what last years Janie and Jack outfits looked like, and how I changed them this year, check out this glorious capture of the kids with Santa.....
For the baby, I had a red tartan plaid two piece and red dress shoes (both are too small) and our son wore his nutcracker vest and navy corduroy pants. I'm hoping we have more smiles with Santa this year!
Conclusion
So what do you think about past years outfits and my top shops? Do you have any shops to share with me or outfit ideas? Leave your recommendations below. Happy Holidays!
