One of the most common—and most important—questions I’m asked is “What should I wear for my headshot session?” Don’t worry we’ve got you covered. Remember three basic wardrobe principles and you’ll find that looking your best is as easy as—well, 1,2,3!  

1. Color and Patterns

2. Style and Fit

3. Accessories

1. Color and Patterns

It’s tempting to stick with black and white, but a splash of color can really make your image pop.

Men and Women

Black and/or white may be your “go to” wardrobe choice, and that’s fine, but photographically, pulling details out of black or white can be challenging.  So if you love wearing black or white, by all means bring it along, but also bring along colorful options. Men, please no all-black suit coats or sport coats, unless they have obvious texture.

Women

If you know “your colors,” bring items from that palette, or try hues that bring out your eye color and enhance your skin tone. Rich colors and jewel tones are great choices for almost all women.

Men

Guys, avoid a plain white shirt. If white shirts are your signature look, accentuate it with an interesting tie. Avoid the all black jacket, unless it has texture. Charcoal grey is great choice or anything with color or texture. Whatever you bring, make sure you feel good wearing it. If you feel good, you’ll look good.

2. Women’s Style and Fit

Crew, boat or narrow v-necks are always flattering and will always lay nicely. We want to be sure we can see your top after the image is cropped. Standup collars don’t always “behave,” so I suggest women avoid them. If you typically wear a jacket to work, bring a couple of jacket choices, but you do not need to wear a jacket to look professional. I’ve photographed plenty of c-suite women without jackets and without sacrificing their professionalism and status. Also, make sure your clothes fit well. Try them on a few days before your session just to check. Generally, a little snug is better than baggy and loose.

Avoid:

• short sleeves or sleeveless styles (unless you’ve got “buff” arms and want to show them off)
• low necklines
• busy or trendy patterns or plaids
• turtlenecks
• shiny fabrics — no silk or satin

2. Men’s Style and Fit

Men, if you’re going business casual (specifically, no tie) bring a couple of sport coats. A sport coat without a tie is an intentional wardrobe choice. But if you wear a suit coat without a tie, it gives the impression that you are dressing “down.”

Tie = suit coat OR sport coat.

NO tie = sport coat but NOT a suit coat.

Button-down collars rarely lay nicely in a photo. AVOID button down collars, unless it’s an intentional style choice for you.

Men’s Fit

Make sure your clothes fit well. This is especially important for men’s collars, sports coats and suit jackets. Guys, take a look at your jacket & shirt, watching for gaps at the back of your neck. Conversely, watch that your shirt isn’t too tight, causing your neck to “bulge” over your collar−even a little bulge will look terrible in camera. Think ahead, and invest in tailoring before your session if necessary. It will be money well spent for a professional headshot and a professional overall look.

Guys, if you’re not confident tying a great tie knot, tie it before you come to the studio and slip it over your head. A sloppy tie knot, looks like just that—sloppy. The best tie not by far is the Pratt or Shelby Knot. 

3. Women’s Accessories

Less is more. Keep jewelry to a minimum (unless it is your signature look). A few jewelry tips:

• Stud earrings are best—simple pearls, diamonds or other gemstones.
• Hoops and dangling earrings can interfere with your hair and get lost in your portrait.
• If you have jewelry that has special meaning for you, by all means bring it along. But in the end, we want all of the attention on your face not your clothes and jewelry.
• Big jewelry draws attention away from you, and your portrait should be all about you.
• If your signature brand is big jewelry, however, bring it along, and we’ll choose the best options for your headshot.

FINAL tips for both men and women

• Don’t wear your portrait wardrobe in the car; seat belts = wrinkles. Instead, bring your clean, neatly pressed pieces to the session on hangers.
• Make sure everything is clean, pressed and fits well.
• Bring at least three to four choices. We only need above the waist for headshots. But if you feel more confident by putting on the full wardrobe, feel free to bring the pants and shoes along.
• Also, take a few minutes to browse our headshot gallery, and you’ll see some great examples of good wardrobe options.

Eyeglasses

Eyeglasses and lens glare can be tricky. For more information about eyeglasses, take a look at our post with eyeglass tips. If you normally wear glasses, plan to wear them for your picture. It’s ideal if they have a non-glare coating, but if they don’t, consider borrowing a pair of glassless frames for your session; otherwise, we can remove the glass glare in post-production for an additional charge.