What Should I Wear for a Corporate Headshot?

Short answer: wear what you would wear to meet an important client. Choose solid colors, make sure it fits well, and bring more than one option. Add a jacket if your field calls for one.

Start with where the photo will be used

A headshot for a law firm's website and a headshot for a creative agency's team page should not look the same. Before you choose an outfit, think about where the photo will appear: LinkedIn, your company website, a speaker bio, a press release. Dress for the most formal place it will be seen. It is easier to make a polished photo feel relaxed than the other way round.

Solid colors work best

Busy patterns, large logos and fine stripes pull attention away from your face. Solid colors keep the focus on your expression. Mid and deep tones tend to photograph well on most people. If your company has brand colors, bringing something that sits comfortably beside them is a nice touch for a team page.

Fit matters more than price

A headshot is cropped close, so the collar, shoulders and neckline do most of the work. A jacket that fits across the shoulders will look better than an expensive one that doesn't. Press or steam everything before you come, because creases show.

Should I wear a jacket?

If people in your field wear one to meet clients, yes. If they don't, bring one anyway. Photographing the same top with and without a jacket gives you two different looks in a couple of minutes, and you can decide later which one suits each use.

Bring more than one outfit

In my sessions, outfit changes are unlimited and encouraged. More looks give you more variety, and most people relax a little more with each change. We also review your outfits together at the start of the session, so you do not have to make the final call on your own.

What about glasses and jewelry?

If you wear glasses every day, wear them in your headshot, because that is how people know you. I have written more about that in The Power of Glasses in Professional Headshots. Keep jewelry simple so it supports your face and does not compete with it.

You will not be left to guess

Everyone who books with me receives my full Headshot Preparation Guide, and can schedule a pre-session Zoom call to plan wardrobe together. By the time you arrive, you will know exactly what you are bringing and why.

Related reading: multiple crops for your headshots, what happens after your headshot session and glasses in professional headshots.

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