Guest post by Lauren Johnson. Lauren is a plus-size mama raising two boys and working as a writer and editor in Fresno, California. 

Hey there mamas, it’s time for another round of fall plus size family photo outfits inspiration for my plus-size babes out there. Check out 2021 here and 2020 here. It’s 2022 and we’re about to live, laugh, love our way through a third COVID fall, plus a bonus round of monkeypox this year! There’s nothing like some retail therapy (and feeling freaking fabulous for our fall photos) to help us through.

 

If you’re new to this game, I’ll repeat the best advice I ever got about dressing my family for photos: start with mom’s outfit first, then build around that. If you’re planning on taking fall family photos this September or October and looking for some outfit inspo for yourself, this is the post for you.

 A few things to know:

• My style trends toward basic bitch, and I have no regrets.
• The dresses, pants, and tops I’m sharing can be dressed up or down to flatter an apple shape, ‘cause that’s what I’m working with.
• We’re going to focus on items that are reasonably priced and that you would hopefully wear more than once.
• In other words, if you’re looking for ultra fancy or high fashun recommendations, this is not the resource for you.

 Now that we’ve established some ground rules (they’re more like guidelines anyway), here are my top five outfit picks for fall family photos this fall:

1) Target short sleeve A-line dress ($32, sizes 1X – 4X)

This dress might look a little plain Jane, but it’s totally adorable once you put it on and comes in several delightful colors. Plus, it has POCKETS. I bought this in navy a few months ago and have been wearing it nonstop.

It’s a top contender for our family photos this fall and I’m thinking about pairing it with chunky cognac sandals, a jacket, and a statement earring or necklace. I love the shape of this dress for apple body types and the fabric is soft, comfortable, and flattering. Plus, you’ll wear it over and over again.

2) Old Navy flutter-sleeve swing dress ($49.99, sizes XL – 4X)

There’s nothing more flattering on me than a deep v-neck, and I love the print of this dress – big enough to be interesting, not so big it will dominate your photos. The green version is also beautiful and would add a great pop of color to your photos if it fits with your family’s color scheme.

This dress would look great styled with some black booties and a hat, or with a chunky knit shawl and some heavier sandals.

3) Torrid bombshell skinny jeans  ($89.50, sizes 10 – 30) and Harper pullover blouse ($49.50, sizes M – 6X)

This is my other top contender for this year’s fall family photos. These jeans in black make me feel like a million bucks every time I put them on, and the Harper blouse looks casual and classic at the same time.

Maddie’s offering some of her mini sessions in an urban setting this year, so if I can snag a spot I’ll let my boys dress up in their favorite threads (Pokemon and BMX) and keep us all in casual clothes for this year’s photos.

4) Baltic Born Santa Fe embroidered maxi dress ($79, sizes XS  – 3X)

The deep v-neck, longer sleeve, and empire waist of this dress make it *chef’s kiss* for my apple silhouette, and I love that this dress also comes in three beautiful color schemes so you can pick the one that works best for your palette.

I don’t mind it styled just like this with a nude heel but I could also see myself in this dress with some great platform sandals or espadrilles and a hat or shawl to give even deeper fall vibes. Because it’s so long, I’d for sure choose a sandal or open heel over anything heavier like a boot or bootie.

5) One loved baby romantic v-neck emerald dress ($68, sizes 1X  – 3X)

I just love the drama of this dress. Front the slit to the hi-low ruffle to the deep emerald color, it’s got so much visual impact. I ended up choosing an emerald dress for last year’s family photos and loved how our images turned out, so I’m tempted to do it again!

This would be the perfect dress for an early September photo shoot because it nods a bit to summer but also brings those fall and winter feelings with magical jewel tones. It would be fun to pair this dress with some elegant choices for the rest of the family – bow ties or even tuxes could be a lot of fun!

There you have it – my top five suggestions for plus-size mamas looking to get inspired for fall 2022 family photos. Go forth and shop!

And now that you’ve solved the hardest challenge of family photos this fall, it’s time to book your session with Maddie before her calendar fills up. Her 15-minute mini sessions are perfect for first timers or folks with energetic kids who might not make it through a longer photoshoot.

And this year Maddie is also offering half-sessions on Wednesdays, which is a budget-friendly way to get a few more keepsake photos of your family this fall. Working with Maddie is always fun and stress-free and I absolutely LOVE that every year, I’m ready to go with a gorgeous photo of our family to put on holiday cards, updated shots of my kids to gift to great grandmas, and stunning images and display on our gallery wall. It’s a win-win-win.

BONUS: Here are a few of those plus-size family photo outfits styled with a full family look! Go check it out.