So, you are ready to have your headshot taken, or retaken and you are stressing over what to wear and how you should look. You are not alone! When choosing clothing for your headshot you should think classic!
For Men
There are a few different looks to go with. If you go the route of a suit, pick your favorite suit, make sure that it fits you well and is preferably a classic dark color like navy blue or gray. Ensure that your suit doesn’t bunch up when you sit down or button it. Also, it is pretty important for your shirt and tie to match not only each other, but to match your suit as well. Stay away from anything that has a tight grid or small herringbone patters, if you pick a pattern go with something with thin stripes that are a little further apart. As far as color patters, a dark suit will look best with a lighter shirt and a tie that will last a shade somewhere in between them. Also, keep in mind that some ties can be shiny, so stay away from shiny or silky ties. If you don’t wear a tie, choose a non-white shirt, you need a little color.
If you are going to go the non-suit route a nice button-down shirt with a sweater of some kind to layer the look. If not, choose a darker color shirt or something with pockets or details to avoid it looking like a head floating on a blank, boxy shirt, and unbutton a button or two. It is very important to make sure we can’t see your undershirt beneath the button-down shirt: wear a v-neck or no undershirt at all.
For Women
Choose a professional suit or business-oriented outfit that has a classic look to it. Don’t choose anything with bold, distracting patterns or colors, unless you can layer a plain blazer or sweater over it so not much of the pattern is showing and you get just a pop of color.
Try to stay away from wearing stark white unless it’s under something, such as a suit jacket, cardigan, or sweater. V-necks accentuate the neckline and generally look best on women. Just don’t choose something with too low of a neckline, no cleavage, remember, this is a professional headshot. Turtlenecks for a headshot are a no no, they tend to make people look like they have no neck at all in photos. You should stay away from short sleeves or tank tops; executive headshots tend to look better without bare arms.
For jewelry, go for something small, classic, and not very reflective or flashy. Earrings shouldn’t dangle more than an inch from your earlobe. Simpler is always better, so if we notice your jewelry before we notice your face, we may ask you to remove any excess jewelry. Your headshot should be all about your face standing out and making an impression.