Choose comfortable clothes in coordinated colors, with warm outer layers you can remove for the photo. Cream, forest green, navy, and burgundy give you an easy starting palette. Try the outfit while your child sits down before deciding what to wear for Santa pictures.
At Santa’s Magical Kingdom in Eureka, your Santa photo happens inside Kringle’s General Store. That means you can plan a festive outfit for the picture and add coats for the evening around it. Come for Santa, enjoy the lights, and bring this year’s Christmas story home with a personalized letter.
Start With Clothes Your Child Already Likes
Good Santa photo outfits let children sit, bend, and move without constant adjustments. Start with a familiar sweater, dress, or pair of pants rather than buying a complete outfit that nobody has tried on.
Have your child sit on a chair at home. Check whether the collar scratches, the waistband digs in, or a hood bunches behind the neck. A dress that looks fine standing up may need tights or a different length when your child sits.
When choosing what to wear for Santa pictures, give your child a say between two comfortable options. You still control the color plan, and they get to wear something they chose.
Lay out the whole outfit, including socks and shoes. Those small pieces are easy to forget when you’re also packing coats and getting everyone into the car.
What to Wear for Santa Pictures, by Age
Babies and Toddlers
Choose soft clothes with easy fastenings. A romper, a simple dress with tights, or a sweater with pull-on pants gives you a complete outfit without much fuss.
Pack a spare that works with the same family colors. If a spill forces a change, you won’t have to rethink everyone’s clothes. Keep the spare somewhere you can reach without emptying the diaper bag.
For toddlers, check that sleeves stay clear of their hands and trousers allow easy movement. Skip accessories your child keeps pulling off. A comfortable child needs fewer clothing fixes when it’s time for the picture.
Preschool and Grade-School Kids
A holiday sweater with corduroys, a plaid shirt with plain pants, or a dress with a cardigan all make practical choices. Let the child try the complete outfit, including shoes, before the visit.
If they love a particular Christmas shirt, build around it. Plain bottoms and a simple cardigan can balance a busy design. The photo should still look like your child, even if their favorite detail isn’t what you would have picked.
Parents and Grandparents
Plan clothes for every adult who hopes to join a picture. A solid sweater or button-down in one of the family colors can connect the group without buying matching sets.
Include Grandma and Grandpa in the plan before the evening. If they want a picture with the grandchildren, send them the color choices so they can use something already in their closet.
Choose Colors and Patterns That Keep Faces in Focus
Start with two or three colors and repeat them across the group. Cream with forest green feels festive; navy with burgundy gives you another option. You don’t need every person to wear every color.
Use these combinations as examples rather than rules:
| Outfit Style | One Way to Put It Together |
| Soft and simple | Cream sweater, navy pants, and a green accessory. |
| Traditional holiday | Burgundy dress or sweater with neutral tights or trousers. |
| Casual family | Dark jeans with coordinated knits in cream and green. |
| Christmas pajamas | Related prints or colors, with outdoor shoes and coats for the visit. |
Solids make coordination straightforward. If one person wears plaid, let others pick up a color from it. Avoid filling every outfit with a different pattern.
Very fine stripes can sometimes create distracting effects in photographs. A plain knit or broader, simple plaid is an easier choice than a tiny, tightly repeated print.
For a Christmas card photo, think about the whole group before choosing one standout outfit. Place the clothes together on a bed and check whether one bright graphic dominates everything else.
Coordinate the Family Without Requiring Identical Outfits
Matching pajamas can be part of your tradition. Coordinated everyday clothes work too. Choose the approach that your family will actually enjoy wearing.
For example, one child could wear a green sweater, another a cream dress with a green cardigan, and the adults navy. The repeated colors connect everyone while leaving room for different tastes.
You can also repeat a fabric or small detail. Corduroys on one child and a corduroy dress on another create a connection without identical outfits. Keep accessories comfortable and easy to remove.
There’s no need to replace a favorite pair of shoes just for the photo. Clean the pair your child already wears comfortably, and check that everyone has both shoes before leaving.
What to Wear for Santa Pictures on a Cold Evening
Wear the photo clothes underneath and warm layers over them. Remove outerwear indoors when you’re ready for the picture, then put it back on before heading outside.
A drive through the lights, a store visit, and an open-air ride call for different levels of warmth. Plan for the coldest part of your evening rather than expecting a decorative sweater to cover everything.
Keep the photo preparation simple:
- Choose coats you can remove without pulling them over styled hair.
- Pack hats and mittens for outdoor time.
- Straighten collars and cardigans after taking coats off.
- Check faces and hands before approaching the photo area.
- Save cocoa and chocolate chip cookies for afterward if spills worry you.
If a ride is part of your plans, check our train and wagon ride information for schedules and booking details. Keep outdoor layers accessible instead of burying them under bags in the car.
Decide Who You Want in the Pictures
Write down the combinations that matter before you arrive: siblings together, each child individually, or grandparents with the children. Discuss the options with the photographer rather than assuming every pose or arrangement will work.
We price different poses separately. Choosing priorities beforehand helps you decide which professional Santa photos you want to purchase. Check the Santa photo details as you plan.
Let that list guide the clothing plan. An adult who appears in only one picture still belongs in the family palette. Keep coats and bags out of the way when the photographer directs you into position.
Visit Santa Inside Kringle’s General Store
Our real-bearded Santa meets families inside Kringle’s General Store every night from November 20 through December 23. The light-show season continues beyond Santa’s appearances, so choose your date with the photo visit in mind.
We text finished images to your phone and offer digital photos only. We don’t allow outside cameras or cell phone photography during the Santa visit. Review those details before arriving so everyone knows what to expect.
After the picture, browse Kringle’s General Store for gifts and handwritten personalized ornaments. Stop for cookies and hot cocoa, or enjoy the displays together. Our guide to pictures with Santa in St. Louis covers the wider outing.
Pair the Photo With a Personalized Letter From Santa
Put this year’s Santa picture beside a letter that mentions what your child loves and something they achieved. The photograph records how they looked; the letter can preserve details you might otherwise forget by next Christmas.
Our personalized letters start with information you provide about your child. Add their interests, something that made you proud this year, and their Christmas wish. Choose Santa’s tone to suit the message you want them to receive.
Make those details specific. Learning to ride a bike gives Santa more to mention than a general compliment about being good. A current interest also helps make the letter feel connected to this particular Christmas.
The letter creator offers a preview before checkout, so you can review the message. Choose email or printed-and-mailed delivery, and check the available package and delivery details while ordering.
This is a separate purchase from your photo visit. You supply the personalization details yourself; the photo session doesn’t automatically create a letter or pass along your child’s wishes.
Create your child’s personalized letter from Santa and keep it with the photograph when you put away this year’s decorations.
Lay Out the Outfits, Then Plan Your Visit
Set out what to wear for Santa pictures before the day of your visit, including spares and warm layers. Check our hours and directions and Santa photo information, then plan the stops your family wants to enjoy.
Save this Christmas in words as well as a picture. Order a personalized Santa letter using the interests, achievements, and wishes that make this year your child’s own.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Colors Suit Santa Photo Outfits?
Cream, navy, forest green, and burgundy offer an easy starting palette. Choose two or three colors and repeat them across the family.
What Should I Avoid When Choosing What to Wear for Santa Pictures?
Avoid scratchy fabrics, tight waistbands, and shoes that pinch. Large logos and several competing patterns can distract from faces in pictures.
Can Children Wear Christmas Pajamas?
Christmas pajamas can work for the photo. Add coats, warm socks, and outdoor shoes for the other parts of your evening at the Kingdom.
What Should a Baby Wear?
Choose soft clothes with easy fastenings and room to move. Pack a coordinated spare so a spill doesn’t disrupt the family outfit plan.
How Should Adults Decide What to Wear for Santa Pictures?
Adults can use the same family palette in solid sweaters, shirts, or dresses. Choose comfortable clothes that work when you sit down.
Do We Need Matching Outfits for a Christmas Card Photo?
You don’t need identical outfits for a Christmas card photo. Repeating a few colors connects the group while letting each person dress comfortably.
How Do We Keep Photo Clothes Warm Outside?
Wear removable outer layers over the photo outfit. Keep coats, hats, and mittens available for outdoor time, especially if you plan an open-air ride.
When Can We Photograph Our Outfits With Your Real-Bearded Santa?
Our real-bearded Santa visits inside Kringle’s General Store every night from November 20 through December 23. Check the photo page before visiting.
Can We Take Extra Pictures on Our Phones?
We don’t permit outside cameras or cell phone photography during the Santa visit. Tell the photographer which pictures matter most to your family.
Do Professional Santa Photos Include Prints?
Our professional Santa photos are digital only, and we text them to your phone. We don’t provide printed photographs on-site.
Does the Pose Plan Affect the Price?
We price different poses separately. Decide which groupings you want before arriving, then discuss your choices with the photographer.
Will the Photo Visit Automatically Generate a Letter?
A photo visit doesn’t automatically create a personalized letter. A parent or caregiver orders separately and supplies the child’s details in the letter creator.
Can I Preview a Letter From Santa Before Ordering?
You can preview a letter from Santa in our letter creator before checkout. Review the personalization and delivery options, then order.
