What to wear in the Christmas Kitchen: cosy knits or pyjamas
Two looks for the room with real flour and little hands, from our Christmas 2026 outfit guide.
The Christmas Kitchen is where it gets a little messy, playful and real. Baking, flour, little hands and all the fun that happens in the kitchen at Christmas.
The flour is real, and the counter is made to be made a mess of. Our Christmas 2026 outfit guide suggests two looks for this room: casual, and pyjamas. This article goes through both, with their colours and what works for children.
The idea behind both is the same. Choose a look that feels like you. Keep everyone in a shared palette, with different shades and textures. Comfort matters, especially for children, and in the kitchen they will be reaching, stirring and climbing onto stools. The photographs here are inspiration from our mood boards. You do not need to buy the exact pieces.
The palette for the Christmas Kitchen
Our palette for Christmas 2026 runs through ivory, oatmeal, mushroom, soft grey, dusty blue, olive, forest, chocolate, navy and black. Soft neutrals form the base. Blue and green add colour. Black, navy or chocolate bring contrast to dressier looks.
The two kitchen looks sit in the softer half of that palette: ivory, oatmeal and soft grey for casual; ivory, dusty blue and oatmeal for pyjamas. Choose one look for the family, then give each person a different shade or texture within it.
Look 01
Casual: cosy knits and easy family dressing
The look. Cable knits, cotton shirts and relaxed trousers. Simple denim works too.
For children. Knitted dresses, corduroy trousers and soft cardigans.
Mix textures and shades. Keep shoes simple and comfortable.
Colours. Ivory, oatmeal and soft grey.
Casual is the look our guide suggests for both the kitchen and the living room, so it is the natural choice if your session takes you from the Christmas Kitchen into the Christmas Room in the same outfit.
Look 02
Pyjamas: a Christmas morning together
The look. Classic cotton sets, gentle stripes or soft checks.
For children. Matching sets or coordinated prints in the same colour family.
Subtle piping and small festive prints. A plain top can balance checked bottoms.
Colours. Ivory, dusty blue and oatmeal.
Our guide suggests pyjamas for the kitchen and for Christmas Morning, so a family in pyjamas can bake in the Christmas Kitchen and then carry on in the children’s room without changing. Our guide to family matching Christmas pyjamas covers fit, fabric and choosing a set.
One outfit, more than one room
How many rooms you visit depends on your session. The Christmas Edit is thirty minutes for up to four people, in two of our three setups, with one outfit each. The Full Story is forty-five minutes for up to eight people, in all three setups, with up to two outfits each, though we recommend one. The Christmas Mini is for children only and takes place in Christmas Morning.
The kitchen shares a look with each of the other rooms. Casual works in the Christmas Kitchen and the Christmas Room. Pyjamas work in the Christmas Kitchen and Christmas Morning. So if the kitchen is one of your two rooms, choose the look that matches the other one. If you are not sure, send us a photo of the outfits you have in mind and we will help you choose.
A few details before the shoot
What works. A shared palette across the family. Clothes children can move and play in. Steamed outfits and clean footwear. Plain socks or bare feet for the bed set.
Please avoid. Large logos, slogans and cartoon prints. Neon colours, or dominant bright red and burgundy. Several busy patterns together. Restrictive outfits or scratchy fabrics.
Send us a photo. Please send us a photo of your family’s proposed outfits before the shoot, so we can coordinate the looks with your set.
See the mood board. For exact outfit combinations, fit and texture, see our mood board on Pinterest. If you are planning some baking at home too, our guide to Christmas baking with kids has ideas.
Let’s sum up
The Christmas Kitchen suits two looks: casual in ivory, oatmeal and soft grey, or pyjamas in ivory, dusty blue and oatmeal. Keep everyone in a shared palette with different shades and textures, and dress the children in clothes they can move and play in. Leave out logos, neon, dominant bright red and burgundy, and busy patterns worn together.
Questions about outfits for the Christmas Kitchen
Either casual or pyjamas. Casual means cable knits, cotton shirts and relaxed trousers, and simple denim works too. Pyjamas means classic cotton sets, gentle stripes or soft checks. Keep everyone in a shared palette.
Yes. Our guide suggests pyjamas for both the kitchen and Christmas Morning. Matching sets or coordinated prints in the same colour family work well for children.
They might. The flour in the Christmas Kitchen is real and the counter is there to be used. Choose clothes children can move and play in, and keep the dressier looks for the Christmas Room.
Please avoid neon colours, or dominant bright red and burgundy. Large logos, slogans, cartoon prints and several busy patterns together are best left at home too.
If we are using one of your photographs and you are not happy with how we have credited it, or would simply rather it were not on our site, let us know at hello@setupcollective.ae and we will take it down immediately.
The Setup Collective builds three Christmas rooms in Dubai each season, the Christmas Room, the Christmas Kitchen and Christmas Morning, then photographs families in them. Candidly: nobody gets told to tuck their chin in. Who we are
