What to Wear for Professional Headshots
Most people spend an hour picking an outfit and still bring the wrong thing. Not because they have bad taste, but because clothes behave differently on camera than they do in a mirror. Here is what actually works, and why.
The one rule that covers most of it
Wear something that makes your face the loudest thing in the frame. Everything else on this page is a footnote to that.
Colors that behave
Solid colors win. Navy, charcoal, deep green, burgundy, cream, black and white all photograph cleanly and keep the attention where it belongs.
What fights you: neon, anything that matches your background, and pure white if you are shooting outdoors at midday, because it blows out before your skin does.
Patterns are not banned, but small repeating ones create a shimmering effect on camera. If you love a pattern, bring it as your second look, not your only one.
Necklines matter more than you think
A headshot is cropped close, so the neckline is a large part of the frame. Bring options: a collar reads formal, a crew neck reads approachable, a V-neck lengthens the neck. If you are unsure which version of yourself you need to show, bring all three and decide on the day.
Fit beats price
A $40 shirt that fits your shoulders photographs better than a $400 one that does not. Camera lenses exaggerate bunching at the shoulder seam and gaping at the button line. If you can only do one thing before your session, get the shoulders right.
Layers are your friend
A jacket or blazer gives structure to the shoulders and instantly changes the register of a photo. Take it off and you have a second look without changing clothes. That is the cheapest variety you can buy in a session.
Small things that ruin good photos
- Wrinkles. They read as sloppiness even when nobody consciously notices. Bring the shirt on a hanger, not in a bag.
- Lint and pet hair. Dark fabrics collect both, and retouching them out costs time.
- Logos. They date a photo the moment a brand refreshes, and they pull the eye.
- Glasses that glare. Bring them. Also bring the frames without lenses if your optician gave you a pair, or plan for a few shots without them.
- Heavy makeup for the camera. Modern sensors are unforgiving with matte-heavy foundation. Do what you would do for an important meeting, not for a stage.
Florida-specific advice
You are getting photographed somewhere warm, often outdoors. Bring the outfit in the car and change on site rather than sweating in it for the drive. Linen looks beautiful and wrinkles if you look at it wrong. And if we shoot near water, wind is part of the deal, so anything you have to keep adjusting will eat your session time.
What to bring, in one list
- Two or three tops in solid colors, different necklines
- One jacket or blazer
- A lint roller
- Whatever you use to keep hair in place
- Your glasses, if you wear them daily
Still not sure?
Text me photos of what you are considering the day before and I will tell you which ones to bring. It takes me thirty seconds and it saves you from finding out on camera.
The Personal Brand Session includes up to three outfit changes, so you are not betting everything on one choice. You see the full unedited gallery in under 24 hours and pick which images get retouched.
Book The Personal Brand Session · See all three headshot options
Questions first? Text (561) 444-8952.
