What to Wear for a Christmas Photoshoot in NYC: A Photographer’s Guide
Christmas in New York City is one of the most beautiful times of the year for photographs. The Rockefeller Center area is glowing, Fifth Avenue is covered in lights, Radio City Music Hall is dressed for the holidays, Christmas markets are filled with decorations, and festive displays seem to appear around every corner. And if we happen to get snow, the city becomes even more magical.
If you're planning a professional photoshoot during your Christmas trip, one of the first questions you'll probably have is: What should I wear?
After more than five years of photographing Christmas sessions in New York City, I've worked with families, couples, solo travelers, engagements, and secret proposals, and I've learned that your outfit can make a big difference in how your final photographs look. But you don't need to buy an entirely new wardrobe or dress like you're starring in a Christmas movie. The goal is to choose something that photographs beautifully against NYC's colorful holiday backgrounds while still looking and feeling like yourself.
Embrace Festive Colors
If there is ever a perfect time to wear red, this is it. A beautiful red coat, sweater, dress, scarf, or even a pair of red gloves can look incredible against New York's holiday lights and decorations. Deep greens are equally beautiful, especially emerald and forest green.
You also don't have to combine red and green in the same outfit to make it feel festive. Sometimes one Christmas color paired with neutrals is much more elegant. Red with cream, burgundy with camel, emerald with beige, or forest green with ivory are all combinations that photograph beautifully.
Jewel tones are another favorite of mine for Christmas sessions. Burgundy, ruby red, emerald, deep navy, plum, and sapphire blue have enough richness to stand out against elaborate holiday backgrounds without competing with them.
Don't Underestimate Neutrals
You definitely don't have to wear traditional Christmas colors. White, ivory, cream, camel, beige, and warm browns can look incredibly sophisticated against New York's colorful decorations.
A long camel coat with a cream scarf, for example, can look gorgeous surrounded by Christmas lights. An ivory sweater paired with a beautiful winter coat creates a softer, more timeless look. When your background already contains thousands of lights, ornaments, signs, and decorations, a neutral outfit can actually help you become the focus of the photograph.
If your personal style is more understated, don't feel like you suddenly need to arrive in a bright red dress just because it's December.
Coordinate Your Family Without Dressing Identically
If you're planning a family or couples photoshoot, I recommend coordinating rather than matching. Everyone doesn't need to show up wearing exactly the same sweater and jeans.
Instead, choose a small color palette and build everyone's outfits around it. For example, you could choose cream, camel, burgundy, and forest green. One person might wear a burgundy sweater underneath a neutral coat, another could wear cream with a green scarf, while someone else wears camel and ivory. When everyone stands together, the outfits belong together without looking like uniforms.
A good way to think about it is that everyone should look as though they belong in the same collection, rather than wearing the exact same outfit.
Use Winter Accessories
Accessories are particularly useful during Christmas photoshoots because they can make a simple outfit feel much more styled. Scarves, winter hats, berets, gloves, earmuffs, headbands, and statement earrings can all add personality to your photographs.
They also give us an easy way to create variety. We can photograph you wearing your hat and scarf for one portion of the session, remove them for another, add gloves later, or open your coat to reveal the outfit underneath. You can create several slightly different looks without wasting valuable photoshoot time on a complete outfit change.
And yes, even a beautiful cup of hot chocolate or coffee can become part of the photographs. It's Christmas in New York—we're allowed to have some fun with it.
Dress in Layers Because NYC Can Be Cold
Looking beautiful is important, but so is being able to feel your fingers.
December weather in New York can vary considerably, and wind between the buildings can make it feel much colder than the temperature suggests. We're also likely to walk between locations during your session, so I strongly recommend dressing in layers.
Thermal layers can easily disappear underneath sweaters and trousers. Warm tights can work underneath dresses and skirts. Gloves can be removed for a few photographs and put straight back on afterward. Instead of thinking of your coat as something you need to hide, choose one that becomes part of your outfit.
A gorgeous long coat can actually photograph beautifully, especially while you're walking because it adds movement to the image.
Pay Attention to Your Shoes
Your shoes are another place where practicality matters. New York Christmas photoshoots usually involve some walking, and uncomfortable shoes can become very uncomfortable very quickly.
Boots are one of my favorite options because they can look polished while still keeping you warm. If you want heels for some photographs, you can always bring comfortable shoes to wear while we're moving between locations and change when needed.
If there's snow or rain in the forecast, definitely plan accordingly. Wet feet are not the Christmas memory we're trying to create.
Keep Patterns Simple and Have Fun With Texture
New York's holiday locations already have a lot happening visually—lights, Christmas trees, store displays, signs, ornaments, traffic, and people. For that reason, solid colors and relatively simple patterns usually photograph beautifully.
That doesn't mean your clothes need to be boring. Winter is the perfect season for texture. Chunky knit sweaters, wool coats, cashmere scarves, velvet, faux-fur details, leather gloves, and beautiful knitted hats can add dimension without overwhelming the photograph.
Plaid can also work wonderfully at Christmas, especially as an accent such as a scarf. I would simply avoid having several members of a family wearing different busy patterns at the same time.
And If You Want to Dress Up, Do It
Your Christmas photoshoot doesn't have to mean sweaters and winter hats. This is New York City, after all.
If you've dreamed about wearing a dramatic red dress in Manhattan at Christmas, go for it. Elegant dresses, statement coats, heels, and glamorous evening looks can be stunning around Midtown, Radio City, Fifth Avenue, and other beautifully illuminated locations.
Just remember that the weather still exists while we're creating our movie moment. Bring a warm coat that you can put on between photographs, and we'll work around it.
Think About Where You're Taking Your Photos
Your location can also influence what you wear. The Rockefeller Center area works beautifully with classic Christmas colors, elegant coats, jewel tones, cream, and camel. Radio City Music Hall can handle something bolder and more glamorous, particularly red, black, and rich jewel tones. Fifth Avenue is perfect for polished winter outfits with long coats, boots, and elegant accessories.
For a cozier Christmas atmosphere, Bryant Park Winter Village works beautifully with knitwear, scarves, hats, and layered winter outfits. Central Park lends itself to softer, timeless palettes such as camel, ivory, beige, brown, and forest green. And if you love a more modern holiday look, Hudson Yards can be gorgeous with black, cream, metallic accents, and sophisticated evening-inspired outfits.
You don't have to figure all of this out on your own. When I photograph clients, I help plan locations based on the type of photographs they want, the time of day, the length of the session, and what's realistically possible during the very busy Christmas season.
You Probably Don't Need a Second Outfit
People sometimes assume that they need multiple complete outfits to create variety in their gallery. For most Christmas sessions, especially shorter ones, I would rather spend that time photographing you.
Instead of bringing an entirely different outfit, bring one or two accessories. Change your scarf. Add a hat. Take off your coat. Wear a different pair of earrings. Reveal the sweater or dress underneath your coat. Small changes can make your gallery feel surprisingly varied without spending part of your session searching for somewhere in Midtown to change clothes.
Most Importantly, Look Like Yourself
This is probably the most important advice I can give you.
Pinterest and Instagram are wonderful for inspiration, but don't dress like an entirely different person because you think that's how you're supposed to look for a Christmas photoshoot.
If you never wear dresses, you don't need a dress. If you hate hats, don't wear one. If your family would never normally wear matching Christmas sweaters, you certainly don't have to start now.
Choose something that makes you feel comfortable and confident. Your photographs should still look like you—just perhaps the beautifully styled, Christmas-in-New-York version of you.
Planning a Christmas Photoshoot in New York City?
If you're visiting New York during the holidays, I'd love to help you create beautiful photographs from your trip. I've been photographing Christmas sessions for more than five years and have worked with visitors from all over the world, including families, couples, solo travelers, engagements, and secret proposals.
One of the advantages of working with a photographer who knows the city is that you don't have to figure out everything yourself. I know the locations, the beautiful angles, which places work well together, and the times that give us the best chance of working around New York's December crowds. During the photoshoot, I'll guide you with posing and movement, and I'll show you photographs as we go so you can see what we're creating together.
And if you're still unsure about your outfit after reading this guide, you're welcome to send me your ideas before the session. I can help you decide what will work best with the locations we're planning to photograph.
Your Christmas trip to New York may be something you've dreamed about for years. The lights eventually come down, the Christmas tree disappears, and the city moves into another season—but your photographs stay with you.
Ready to capture your Christmas in New York? Follow this link to explore all of the holiday photoshoot packages I'm offering and choose the experience that's right for you.