For most business professions, a professional headshot is necessary for you to project a positive image to clients, employees, and future employers. In the visual age, it is imperative that your headshot sends the right message.

In my opinion, the most important clothing item is the shirt or blouse as it will be easily seen in the photo. Consider bringing multiple shirts/blouses to your photoshoot; the photographer will assist in selecting the perfect style and color for your images.

General Guidelines

Corporate Headshot.  The goal with the headshot is to make you appear confident and emphasize your face and your eyes instead of the clothing.

You may be tempted to choose a chic, trendy outfit, but try to stay away from funky or styles that can become quickly outdated. It is better to choose classic clothes instead of a modern trend because classic styles are usually more appropriate for most professions.  Making poor clothing choices will detract from your face and have a negative impact on the effectiveness of your headshot photo

As with any photoshoot, the clothes must be clean and wrinkle-free. Your clothing should fit you perfectly because the wrong fit will present an unprofessional appearance. A common fitting issue occurs when people wear clothing that is too small. So, if you have a favorite outfit, you might need to choose different clothing if you have gained weight since it was originally purchased.

Avoid wrinkled or bulky clothing, because it can look unprofessional in the photo. When you are wearing overly bulky sweaters or clothing, they can look rumpled and make you look heavier than you are.

Choosing the Right Colors for Your Skin Tone

For a professional business headshot, I recommend you stay away from patterns because patterns can detract from your face. So, don’t choose a shirt with floral print, checkers, polka dots, stripes, or any other type of pattern on the fabric. These patterns will make the photo too “busy” and distracting.

I recommend clients stick with darker colors instead of lighter colors because the darker or mid-tone colors tend to put more emphasis on your eyes and smile, instead of the clothing. Always avoid lighter colors that are too like your skin tone, because they can make you appear washed out.

It is best to wear colors that are contrasting to your skin, so if you have medium or darker colored skin tones, then you should avoid the earthy colors that are very similar to the color of your skin.

You may consider selecting a color that can help to bring out the colors in your eyes. For example, if you have blue eyes, then you may consider a blue or grey shirt. Or, if you have brown or green eyes, then earthy tones can be very complimentary to your eye color.

Don’t forget about shoes.  It is better to choose a pair of shoes for comfort instead of style if you are shooting on location because you might be doing a lot of walking as you are moving around for the photoshoot. Most likely, your feet will not be visible in the picture. If you are concerned that your shoes don’t match your outfit quite right, then bring an extra pair of shoes that can be into for the photoshoot.

Specific Clothing Guidelines for Certain Industries

You should consider the industry that you are working in to help you make your clothing selections. Keep in mind that a corporate headshot should have a different feel and appearance than a modeling headshot, and you need to make your clothing choices accordingly.

It is a good idea to look through headshots of other people in your industry, in order to get a feel for the types of clothing that they wear in their photos. For example, you might look at the company website to see the clothing choices of some of the leaders and managers in your company and choose your clothing to match that same style.

What to Wear for Business/Corporate Headshots?

Executive or CEO Headshot. If you are working in a corporate environment, then it is important that you are wearing clothing that is common to your organization. Many corporations have dress codes and you want to be sure that the clothing in your picture is the type of clothing that you could wear when you are going to work each day.

As a general tip for both men and women, it is best to wear long sleeves in a corporate headshot. Bare arms are often distracting, and many people consider bare arms to be inappropriate in a corporate headshot.

Women should ensure your clothing is modest.  Choose a classy corporate style that shows that you are serious about your career. For example, you might choose a nice blouse or a collared shirt, paired with a suit coat and slacks or a skirt.

Also, make sure that you choose jewelry to match your outfit. The jewelry should add a nice accent to the outfit, without detracting from the overall appearance of your photo. Too much jewelry can send the wrong impression, and having the photo taken sans jewelry can appear too plain.

Men should wear a collared dress shirt, and you might also consider a suit jacket. If you want to add individual style to the photo, then you may consider options such as V-neck sweaters over your dress shirt, or a tie that makes a statement.

What to Wear for Actor Headshots?

When you are choosing an outfit for actor headshots, a guideline to follow is the type of outfit that you would wear to an audition. Some actors are tempted to make a statement with their clothing options, by dressing in costume in their headshot. But it is better to wear regular clothing so that you appear as a regular person instead of a character.

Actors need not worry about wearing professional, corporate style clothing unless those are the types of roles that you prefer. Instead, select a nice outfit that falls within the general guidelines that were discussed at the beginning of this article.

For women, it is always a good idea to avoid low cut tops, because they make it difficult to crop close. Also, make sure that your shirt or blouse has long sleeves because tank tops and short-sleeved shirts can be distracting. Generally, you don’t want to have bare arms in the photos.

For men, good clothing choices are solid colored shirts or sweaters that have some type of texture, such as ribbing or chain stitching. Long sleeves are usually best, and you might consider wearing a collar if it matches your personality. Crew neck style shirts can be unflattering and should be avoided.

What to Wear for Model Headshots?

As a model, your goal is to show the canvas of your face in the headshot, and if someone comments about your clothing then it means that you have failed with your clothing selection. You want to sell yourself, not the clothing that you are wearing!

As a model, it is especially important that your clothing fits correctly because you want to show a realistic image of your shape and size. You may consider wearing different layers of clothing, and the top layers can be removed for some of the pictures.

For women who do a lot of beauty or skin product modeling, then you may consider natural photos that show more skin than regular headshot photos. Even though it is generally advised to keep your shoulders and arms covered in headshot photos, it can be advantageous to have modeling photos that show a little more skin. In some of the photos, you may consider wearing a spaghetti strap tank top or a tube top to show off the lines on your neck and shoulders.

For male models, you generally want to stay away from corporate clothing that looks too professional. If you plan to wear a collared shirt, you may consider making it a little more casual by leaving the top button open and not wearing a tie. Or, you can choose another style of shirt if you don’t want to wear a collar. It is a good idea to stay away from crew neck or V-neck shirts because it is difficult to make those shirts look good in a headshot photo.

There are many opinions about the types of clothing that you should wear for a headshot photo session, and it is important to talk with your photographer before making your decision. Sharing details about the purpose of the session can help your photographer to create the right types of photos, and they can advise you on the clothing choices that you should bring with you.

Keep in mind that you may encounter specific situations where you may want to “break” one of the rules for headshots. You may find situations where a funky style headshot can be more beneficial than a basic headshot, so it is nice to have several options available to choose from. In most situations, these guidelines should be followed, but there are occasional situations where it might make sense to change some of your clothing choices in order to accommodate a specific job that you are applying for.

Also, be sure to choose a professional headshot photographer who has experience in your industry. If you are putting together a modeling portfolio, then you will be better off working with a photographer who is familiar with the modeling industry, instead of selecting someone who typically does corporate headshots.

By choosing the photographer and bringing the right clothing to the photo session, you will have a portfolio of photos that can be used in many different situations. A good headshot is an important tool to help you advance your career and land the jobs that you want.