What to wear in the Christmas Room: dressy, casual or cool
Three looks for our living room set around the tree, from our Christmas 2026 outfit guide.
The Christmas Room is our hero setup: the Christmas tree, beautiful family portraits, everyone together. That classic feeling of gathering at home for Christmas.
It is our living room set, built around the tree, and it is the room for the photograph that ends up on the wall. Our Christmas 2026 outfit guide suggests three looks for it: dressy, casual and cool. This article goes through each one, with its colours and what works for children.
The idea behind all three 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. The photographs here are inspiration from our mood boards. You do not need to buy the exact pieces.
The palette for the Christmas Room
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.
Each look for the Christmas Room has its own corner of that palette: ivory, black and forest for dressy; ivory, oatmeal and soft grey for casual; black, ivory and navy for cool. Choose one look for the family, then give each person a different shade or texture within it.
Look 01
Dressy: a little festive occasionwear
The look. Satin skirts, flowing dresses and soft tailoring. A fine knit keeps the look relaxed.
For children. Velvet dresses, smart trousers, cardigans and delicate collars. A velvet bow or one sparkling piece is enough to make it feel festive.
Colours. Ivory, black and forest.
Dressy is made for the Christmas Room. The tree and the family portrait are what the room is for, and occasionwear suits exactly that kind of photograph.
Look 02
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 the living room and the kitchen, so it is the one to choose if your session takes you from the Christmas Room into the Christmas Kitchen in the same outfit.
Look 03
Cool: modern tailoring with personality
The look. Relaxed blazers, wide-leg trousers and fluid blouses.
For children. Simple separates or a dress with one playful detail.
Black and ivory work beautifully. Clean, minimal trainers are welcome.
Colours. Black, ivory and navy.
Like dressy, cool is a look for the Christmas Room and the tree. It suits families who would rather look like themselves on a good evening out than in their most formal clothes.
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.
If one outfit has to work in two rooms, choose a look our guide suggests for both. Casual works in the Christmas Room and the Christmas Kitchen. Dressy and cool belong to the Christmas Room and the tree. For softer portraits on the sofa, homewear works too: see what to wear for Christmas Morning. If you are not sure which look will carry you through your session, 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. For more on dressing the whole family, our guide to what to wear for Christmas family photos goes further.
Let’s sum up
The Christmas Room suits three looks: dressy in ivory, black and forest; casual in ivory, oatmeal and soft grey; and cool in black, ivory and navy. Choose the one that feels like your family, keep everyone in a shared palette with different shades and textures, and dress the children for comfort. Leave out logos, neon, dominant bright red and burgundy, and busy patterns worn together.
Questions about outfits for the Christmas Room
Choose one of three looks: dressy, casual or cool. Dressy means satin skirts, flowing dresses and soft tailoring. Casual means cable knits, cotton shirts, relaxed trousers or simple denim. Cool means relaxed blazers, wide-leg trousers and fluid blouses. Whichever you choose, keep everyone in a shared palette.
No. Keep everyone in a shared palette, with different shades and textures. A family in ivory, oatmeal and soft grey knits looks connected without anyone wearing the same thing.
We ask families to avoid neon colours, or dominant bright red and burgundy. For something festive, a velvet bow or one sparkling piece is enough.
It depends on the look. For dressy, velvet dresses, smart trousers, cardigans and delicate collars. For casual, knitted dresses, corduroy trousers and soft cardigans. For cool, simple separates or a dress with one playful detail. Whatever they wear, they should be able to move and play in it.
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
