Here are ten pieces from our Christmas shelf that work together in one family photo, from a $29 velour one-piece in size 3 months to a $13 red check shirt that runs up to 6Y. Order by Dec 14 for delivery by Christmas Eve to the lower 48, or your money back.
Sizes at a glance
- Newborn to 3 months: Bebe Sweeny navy velour babygrow $29, Tocoto Vintage velvet pants in plum $35 (size 3 months), Imps & Elfs organic cotton cardigan $20.
- 6 to 12 months: 1 + in the Family Bettina bodysuit $28 (6 and 9 months), the Tocoto velvet pants in 9 months, the Imps & Elfs cardigan.
- 12 to 24 months: Aimama red check shirt $13, Aimama cotton knit cardigan in cream $16, Tocoto Vintage velvet flared pants $28 (18 to 24 months), Konges Sløjd heart sweater $35 (18 months).
- 2 and 3 years: Minhon plaid shirt and corduroy pants set $30 (3 years), the flared pants and heart sweater in 3Y, Aimama shirt (3Y) and cardigan (2Y, 3Y).
- 4 to 6 years: Aimama shirt (4Y, 5Y, 6Y) and cardigan (4Y, 6 to 7Y).
- Shoes: Cienta velvet Mary Janes $39, EU 24 to 26.
One color plan, one pattern
The pieces here stay close to deep red, navy, plum, cream and pink, so any mix of them reads as one family in front of a green tree, with no matching outfits needed. Give the pattern to one child and dress the rest in solids. Velvet, corduroy and knit keep a solid from going flat, because the texture shows up on camera. Parents? Plain navy, cream or gray, plus one red thing like a scarf or a tie.
Here's one family dressed from this shelf. The baby, 9 months old, wears the Bettina bodysuit with the plum velvet pants, both in 9 months, $63. The 3-year-old girl gets the velvet flares and the cream cardigan in 3Y over a white top from her drawer, $44. Her big brother is 47 inches tall, so he takes the red check shirt in 5Y, which is 120 cm on the tag, $13. Three kids, one pattern, $120, and shipping is free.
For babies
Babies need two things on photo day: warmth, and snaps that open fast. Something always happens between the car seat and the first shot.
For the smallest one, we'd go with the Bebe Sweeny babygrow, a footed navy velour one-piece with a white collar trimmed in light blue and light blue rickrack down the wrap front. The snaps run down one leg. Closed feet mean no socks to chase under the tree.
At six or nine months a collar does the dressing up. The Bettina bodysuit from 1 + in the Family is plain navy with a small flat collar, and the Tocoto Vintage velvet pants add plum, with a relaxed cut and two buttons at the waist.
Shooting outside? The Imps & Elfs organic cotton cardigan buttons down the front, so you never pull anything over a sleeping head. White or navy, newborn to 12 months.
For toddlers
A three-year-old boy can wear the Minhon set and be done. The shirt is red, navy and cream plaid with thin yellow lines and a rounded collar; the navy corduroy pants have their cuffs turned up. Made in Portugal. The label inside says 36 months, and we list it as 3 years. Once he's in it, the plaid stops with him.
For a girl, start at the bottom with the Tocoto Vintage velvet flared pants in plum. They stretch, and the leg kicks out below the knee. Then the Konges Sløjd heart sweater, soft pink with deep red hearts knitted in rather than printed, loose enough to go over a top. Hearts are a pattern, though. If her brother already has the plaid, give her the cream Aimama cardigan over a plain white top instead.
Shoes: velvet Mary Janes from Cienta, a family shoemaker in Arnedo, Spain, since 1982. One hook and loop strap, light padding inside, a natural rubber sole that doesn't slip. We have burgundy in EU 26, black in EU 24 and 25, and beige in EU 26. On the Cienta size chart, EU 24 is about US toddler 7.5, EU 25 about 8 and EU 26 about 9.
The two pieces with the most sizes
Aimama is the label we carry the most of. Their red check shirt is 100 percent cotton, with white lines through the red and brown buttons, and it goes with whatever navy or gray pants are already in his closet. The cream cotton knit cardigan buttons all the way down and goes over a dress or a plain top. For an older girl, the easy route is a dress she already owns with this cardigan on top.
One thing about Aimama sizes. A tag says 130cm, then 6 years, and it fits a child taller than six. The height is the number to trust. Our kids sizes in centimeters chart turns height into US sizes.
On the day
Leave the words off. A slogan across a chest pulls the eye from faces. That's why our pink "Let's Snow" dress sat this guide out.
Outdoor shoot? If coats come off for the picture, the layer under the coat is what shows. Make it one of your colors, and pack warm socks for the little ones.
Dress the baby last, at the location if you can. Pack a spare top.
Count back from the photo day. Leave a week to try everything on, and give new shoes an afternoon of wear around the house.
Shipping is free on every US order. We pack orders in Brooklyn, and most parcels arrive 2 to 5 business days after they leave us. You have 30 days from delivery to ask for a return. Between sizes? Write to us with your child's height and we'll measure the actual piece before you order. Order by Dec 14 for delivery by Christmas Eve to the lower 48, or your money back. Everything else for the photo is on the Christmas shelf.