What to Wear for Headshots: Advice From a Professional Photographer
Why What You Wear Matters More Than You Think
Knowing what to wear for headshots takes the guesswork out of your session day. Your headshot is often the first thing a client, employer, or collaborator sees of you, and your clothing fills most of the frame. If you are sorting out what to wear for professional headshots, the choices you make this week shape the first impression people form of you.
People judge a face fast. In a well-known study, 100 milliseconds of looking at an unfamiliar face was enough for viewers to form impressions of competence, trustworthiness, and likability, and those judgments held steady even when people looked longer. The numbers online point the same way. On a professional networking site, members with a photo are 14 times more likely to have their profile viewed by others.
A person reads your photo before they read a word of your bio, and your outfit is part of that read. The rest of this guide gives you the choices I walk clients through before every session.
Universal Rules: Solids, Color, and Patterns That Work on Camera
The baseline for what to wear for professional headshots is the same whether you work in a law office or a design studio. Start with solid colors. A solid keeps the eye on your face.
Mid-tone and muted shades photograph best. Navy, charcoal, burgundy, deep green, plum, warm gray, and cream all sit comfortably under studio light and flatter most skin tones. Deep blues and warm neutrals brighten blue or gray eyes, plum and olive brighten green eyes, and navy and emerald make brown eyes read lighter. Neon and hot brights reflect color onto your skin, and pastels can wash out against it.
Tight patterns need extra care. Pinstripes, small checks, and fine herringbone can shimmer on camera in a moiré effect, a rippling look that is difficult to remove afterward. Large, simple patterns are easier on the lens, though a solid is still the safest choice.
Layering works well when the lighter tone sits under the darker one. A cream knit under a charcoal blazer gives your face a soft frame and adds depth.
Fabric matters as much as color. Satin, sequins, and other shiny materials bounce light back and create bright spots. Clingy fabrics show every seam and line. Matte fabrics such as wool, cotton, and fine knits hold their shape and absorb light gently.
Build your outfit from the chest up, since that is the part the camera sees. Most clients do best in something they already own and feel good wearing, so a new purchase is optional. If you are torn between two options, bring both and we will test them in camera. The difference shows on the screen right away.
Necklines and Fit That Flatter the Camera
Necklines frame your face, so they earn more attention than most people give them. A moderate V-neck opens the chest and lengthens the neck. A crew neck gives a clean, classic frame, and a boat neck sits wide across the collarbones and balances the shoulders. An open collar on a button-down works in a similar way. I suggest bringing a crew, a V-neck, and an open collar, since each one frames your face differently.
Turtlenecks tend to shorten the neck and bunch under the chin. Very low necklines pull the eye away from your face. Tight collars bulge at the neck when you turn your head, and that shows most with a buttoned top button.
Fit comes next. Clothing should sit close to the body without clinging. Baggy fabric adds visual weight, and tight fabric creates pull lines across the chest and at the buttons. A jacket looks its best when the shoulder seam lands at the edge of your shoulder, and a quick visit to a tailor before the session can make a good jacket look custom.
Anyone planning to go untucked should choose a longer shirt so the hem stays down when you sit or turn.
Sleeves matter because most headshot poses turn the body at an angle. Three-quarter or long sleeves read as polished in a close crop, and short sleeves read as casual. Bare arms closer to the camera pull attention from the face.
What to Wear for Corporate and Executive Headshots
If your photo will sit on a law firm page, a hospital directory, a finance team page, or a government site, dress for the room where your clients and colleagues meet you. Structured pieces do most of the work here. Think of a tailored blazer or suit jacket, a crisp button-down, or a professional blouse with a simple neckline.
Conservative colors are the safest ground. Navy, charcoal, and black jackets with white, light blue, or soft neutral shirts read as steady and credible. A tie looks best snug and centered, with the knot sitting tight against the collar. Collars need enough stiffness to hold their shape, because a soft collar collapses on camera. If you wear a suit, skip the undershirt, since it shows through and adds bulk.
Jewelry stays minimal in this setting. Small studs, a thin chain, or nothing at all keep the focus on your expression. Clean lines and a good fit carry the polish.
Corporate and executive clients come to my Huntington Beach studio for executive headshots that go onto company websites, LinkedIn, and board and investor materials. I plan the clothing, background, and level of formality around your position and your industry.
Bring a second, softer look as well. A fine knit, an open collar, or a lightweight sweater gives you an approachable version for social media, and your formal jacket gives you the authority shot.
What to Wear for Creative, Entrepreneur, and Personal Brand Headshots
Business owners, artists, performers, and personal-brand clients have more room to play. The useful question is what impression your own clients or audience should form when they see you. Consider what you normally wear when you meet an ideal client, and start there. A consultant who meets clients in a well-cut jacket and an open collar can wear exactly that. A designer might add texture and layers, and a musician might choose a favorite leather jacket.
Color has more latitude in this setting. Jewel tones and rich earth tones photograph beautifully. If you have a brand color, let it appear in one piece, such as a jacket, a top, or a scarf, in a shade with some depth. A very bright version of that color throws light onto your skin, so a slightly deeper tone keeps the look clean.
Texture is a friend here. Knits, tweed, corduroy, suede, and denim jackets all show their character under studio light. Layers add dimension, and a jacket gives you a second look in seconds.
A signature piece can do useful work. Bold glasses frames, a favorite jacket, or a distinctive collar becomes part of how people recognize you. Choose one signature element per look so it stays a highlight.
Anything that competes with your face belongs at home. Large graphics, big logos, and busy prints draw the eye away from your expression. Some creatives also book a fine art portrait session for portraits meant to live on a wall, and the same color and texture choices carry over.
Glasses, Jewelry, and Grooming Details People Miss
Glasses
Anti-reflective coating can show a visible tint or glare under studio lights, often as a faint blue, green, or purple sheen across the lens. If you own a pair without the coating, bring it. If every pair has the coating, bring the least reflective one. Skip transition or tinted lenses, since they darken under studio light and hide your eyes. Clean the lenses before you arrive and pack a microfiber cloth, because fingerprints show up in a close crop.
Jewelry
Keep jewelry small, simple, and matte where you can. Studs, a thin chain, and a plain ring sit quietly in the frame. Anything that swings or sparkles catches the studio light and pulls the eye from your face. Large, shiny statement pieces belong in that same group. Clean, trimmed nails are worth a minute of your time, since hands show up more than you expect.
Grooming
Wear your hair and facial hair the way you normally wear them. A brand-new style on session day can look unfamiliar to you in the mirror and in the photos. Book a haircut or color about two weeks ahead so it has time to settle, and shape a beard two days before rather than the morning of. In the week before, hold off on facials, peels, spray tans, and new skincare.
For makeup, choose natural tones with a matte finish. Shimmer, dewy products, and SPF in foundation reflect light, and shiny hair products catch it too. Signature sessions include professional hair and makeup, with an artist working on site before we shoot, so you arrive with clean, dry hair and a moisturized face.
A Same-Day Checklist Before Your Session
These headshot tips fit on one screen, so take a screenshot and keep it handy the night before.
Steam or iron every piece the night before, and pack it on hangers rather than folded in a bag.
Bring at least one backup top.
Wear nothing for the first time on session day.
Run a lint roller over each piece and trim any loose threads.
Check for large logos, graphics, and visible branding, and leave those pieces at home.
Make sure collars and jackets sit cleanly when you stand and when you sit.
Lay out jewelry, shoes, and undergarments with the outfit.
Layers give you range. A jacket or cardigan over a simple top adds structure, and taking it off gives you a softer second look. Long or three-quarter sleeves keep the crop polished. Backup outfits give us choices in the room. The Express session includes two looks and the Signature session includes three to four, and I suggest bringing one extra either way. It is easier to set something aside than to wish you had packed it.
My clothing guide with a two-week countdown lays out the timing for hair, skin, and beard, and you are welcome to send me photos of your options before the session.
Ready for Your Headshot Session?
Every session is guided from start to finish, and that includes wardrobe. Send me photos of your outfit options before your session, and we will choose together. I work with executives, entrepreneurs, and creatives across Huntington Beach and Orange County, and each headshot is planned around where you will use it.
With these headshot tips in hand, you have what you need to arrive feeling calm and prepared. Wear the thing you already feel good in, bring a backup, and let me handle the rest. When you are ready, Book Your Session and we will start planning your look.
