What to Wear for a Professional Headshot: The Three Things That Actually Matter
Three things matter more than color when you choose what to wear for a professional headshot: fit, neckline, and solid fabric. A jacket that fits through the shoulders looks intentional. A clean neckline frames your face. Solids hold up at thumbnail size, where patterns fall apart. Wear something you have already worn many times, bring one backup outfit, and leave the rest to the session.
Below is what I have learned from photographing executives, physicians, attorneys, and leadership teams across Kingsport and the Tri-Cities: what goes wrong, what goes right, and what I notice in the first ten seconds.
What matters most when choosing headshot clothing?
Fit matters most. A well-fitted outfit gives the photograph clean edges at the shoulders, collar, and sleeves, and those edges are what make an image look deliberate.
I once photographed a man who arrived in a white button-up shirt that clearly belonged to someone else. The collar stood away from his neck. The sleeves ran past his wrists. He was a capable, composed professional, and the shirt made him look like he was wearing a borrowed life. I rebuilt that shirt in retouching, piece by piece, so the final portrait matched the person in front of me.
It worked. It should not have been necessary. A retoucher can rescue a shirt, but nothing in post-production is as good as clothing that fits when you put it on.
When a client walks in wearing a fitted suit, I tell them right away how much I appreciate it. I am not being polite. I know immediately that every edge in the frame will be smooth, and that the next half hour will be spent on expression instead of repair.
Why does the neckline matter?
The neckline is what frames your face. A clean V or an open collar gives the viewer's eye somewhere to land, and that is your face, not your clothing.
Should I wear solids or patterns?
Wear solids. Your headshot will end up small: a thumbnail on LinkedIn, a square on a leadership page, a circle next to your name in a meeting invite. It will usually sit right next to everyone else's.
Fine stripes and busy prints fall apart at that size. They shimmer, blur, or read as noise. A solid holds its shape at every size the photograph will ever be used. Get fit, neckline, and solids right, and color largely takes care of itself.
Should I buy a new outfit for my headshot?
Usually not. Wear something you have worn before, and worn often.
This surprises people, because a headshot feels like an occasion and occasions seem to call for something new. But a new outfit is an unknown. You have not learned how it sits when you lean forward, where it pulls when you turn, or whether the collar behaves. You will feel it all session, and the camera will see you feeling it.
A well-tailored, well-worn outfit is already part of how you move. You stop thinking about it. That is the point. I want you completely comfortable and completely yourself, because a headshot of you managing your clothing is not a headshot of you.
If you do want something new, buy it early, have it tailored, and wear it to work at least once before the session.
Which details change how a headshot reads?
Accessories do more than most people expect. A good watch, a ring, earrings, a necklace, and your everyday eyeglasses all tell the viewer something about you before you say a word.
The rule I give is one statement piece. Keep the rest simple. A single strong necklace or a distinctive watch adds character; three competing pieces pull attention from your face.
Eyeglasses deserve their own note. One client, a woman who works in the arts, brought two pairs of frames: one black, one red. We photographed both. The black frames worked. The red frames changed the entire image. They placed her, instantly and accurately, in the creative world she actually works in.
That is an unusual example, but the lesson is ordinary. If you wear glasses daily, bring them. If you own more than one pair, bring them all. The frames people already know you by are part of how they recognize you.
What should women know about sleeves?
Full sleeves or sleeveless both photograph well. Cap sleeves are the one cut I steer clients away from. They stop partway down the arm and draw the eye there, away from your face.
Do I need to bring a backup outfit?
Yes. Always bring a second option.
Something that looked right in your closet can read differently on camera, and a backup turns a problem into a choice. It also gives you range: one outfit for the formal frame, another for something warmer.
One of my favorite female CEOs arrived without a backup. What she did have was a leather jacket, and it turned out to be the perfect alternative. The portrait we made was strong and powerful, and still completely professional.
That is not an argument for skipping the backup. It is an argument for bringing the thing you actually love wearing, even if you think it is not formal enough. Let me decide on set. You might be surprised.
How can a team organizer help everyone look their best?
If you are coordinating headshots for a team, a short note to staff before the day saves more time than anything I can do on set. Three things make the biggest difference.
Ask the men to shave the morning of the session. Not the night before. Stray hairs and stubble can be retouched, but cleaning up facial hair across a full team takes hours of careful work that a few minutes with a razor would have prevented.
Ask everyone to go easy on mascara. Clumped or smudged mascara is difficult to correct well. A light, clean application photographs better, and if someone wants fuller lashes, they can ask for lash enhancement during retouching instead.
Ask everyone to bring a second outfit. For a team, this also protects consistency. When one person's clothing clashes with the rest of the group, the backup lets the set stay unified.
Why does this matter more for executives?
An executive headshot works harder than most portraits. It appears on leadership pages, in press releases, on conference programs, and beside your name on LinkedIn, often at thumbnail size and next to the photographs of peers.
At that size, nobody sees fabric texture. They see shape, edges, and your face. A loose collar reads as careless. A fitted jacket reads as prepared. The viewer is not analyzing your clothing. They are forming an impression of how you run things.
The difference is not dramatic. It is deliberate.
What to bring: a short checklist
One primary outfit you have worn before and that fits well through the shoulders
Solid colors and a clean neckline
One backup outfit, including the piece you love but worry is too casual
One statement accessory: a watch, necklace, ring, or earrings
Every pair of eyeglasses you wear regularly
For women: full sleeves or sleeveless rather than cap sleeves
For men: a fresh shave the morning of
Frequently asked questions
What colors should I wear for a professional headshot?
Choose solid colors in a shade you already wear often and feel good in. Fit and familiarity matter more than the specific color. Avoid busy patterns, which compete with your face at small sizes.
Can a bad shirt be fixed in retouching?
Often, yes, but it is time-consuming and never as good as clothing that fit in the first place. A loose collar or long sleeves can be rebuilt in post-production. It is far better to bring something that fits.
Should I wear my glasses in my headshot?
If you wear them every day, yes. People recognize you with them. If you own more than one pair, bring all of them, because different frames can change how the image reads.
How much jewelry should I wear for a headshot?
Wear one statement piece and keep everything else simple. A single strong accessory adds character without pulling attention from your face.
Should men shave before a headshot session?
Yes, ideally the morning of the session. A fresh shave photographs cleanly, while stubble and stray hairs require extensive retouching.
How long does a headshot session take?
A headshot session typically takes less than 30 minutes. Arrive ready, with your makeup done and your hair set, so the whole session goes to expression and direction.
When is it time to retake my headshot?
It depends on your industry, but plan on at least once a year, and sooner whenever something about you has changed noticeably: a new hair color or cut, growing or removing a beard, significant weight loss or gain, or new everyday glasses. The test is simple. When you walk into a room, people who have only seen your headshot should recognize you.
Is a leather jacket too casual for an executive headshot?
Not necessarily. Worn with confidence and paired well, a leather jacket can produce a portrait that is strong, distinctive, and fully professional. Bring it as a second option and decide during the session.
Watch Professional Image Minute No. 02
Full transcript
[0:01] So, the wardrobe question, there's really one answer, and honestly, it isn't about color. I get asked all the time, what color should I wear, and I get it, but color's not what makes or breaks the photo. Three other things do.
[0:17] First, fit. When a jacket fits through the shoulders, it looks like you meant it. A size off, it looks borrowed, and the camera picks that up before anybody else does.
[0:28] Second, your neckline. That's what frames your face. A clean V, an open collar, it gives the eyes somewhere to land.
[0:37] And third, go solid. Your headshot's going to end up tiny, a thumbnail, right next to everybody else's. Little stripes and busy prints just fall apart at that size. Solids hold up.
[0:50] Get those three right, and color pretty much takes care of itself. Oh, and bring a second option. We'll figure it out together, in the room. That's this week's Professional Image Minute.
