A great headshot is mostly about the person, but what you wear quietly shapes how approachable, confident and current you look. A few simple choices make a real difference.
Choose solid, mid-tone colours
Wear solid, mid-tone colours such as navy, deep green, burgundy, teal or charcoal. These shades flatter most skin tones, keep attention on your face and photograph cleanly without flickering on screen. Avoid busy patterns, tight stripes and visible logos, which pull the eye away from you and tend to date quickly.
The reason mid-tones work so well is contrast. A colour that sits between very light and very dark separates you neatly from the background and lets our lighting shape your face rather than fighting your clothes. If you are unsure, hold a top up to your face in daylight: the right colour makes your skin look healthy and your eyes look brighter, while the wrong one can leave you looking washed out. Our headshot photography sessions always allow time to test a couple of options before we settle on the strongest one.
Match the tone to your industry
Dress one notch smarter than your everyday work clothes, then match the formality to your field. A barrister and a creative director should not wear the same thing. Think about where the headshot will live, your firm's website, LinkedIn or a casting profile, and let that setting guide how polished you go.
In finance, law and corporate roles, a jacket or a crisp collared shirt signals authority and fits the culture. In design, tech and hospitality, a smart knit or an open collar feels more honest and approachable. The goal is not to disguise yourself but to look like the most credible version of you at work. When in doubt, simpler reads as more confident, and understated clothing ages better than anything trend-led.
Why what you wear matters more than you think
Your clothing shapes a snap judgment that forms almost instantly. People decide whether a face looks trustworthy in roughly a tenth of a second, and a professional photo drives real, measurable engagement online. A considered outfit tips those first impressions in your favour before anyone has read a single word about you.
The speed of that judgment is striking. In a widely cited study, Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov found that participants formed reliable impressions of trustworthiness and competence after seeing a face for just 100 milliseconds, and longer viewing barely changed those verdicts (Princeton University). The stakes are just as clear on professional platforms: LinkedIn reports that members with a photo receive 21 times more profile views and 9 times more connection requests than those without one (LinkedIn). What you wear is the part of that image you control most easily.
Mind the neckline and fit
Keep necklines clean and uncluttered, because they sit directly under your face and frame it in every crop. Make sure jackets and shirts fit sharply at the shoulders, since a crisp shoulder line reads as confidence. Bring layers so we can adjust the look, and avoid anything that gapes, bunches or rides up when you sit.
Fit is where most headshots are quietly won or lost. Clothes that are slightly too big add bulk and make you look less sure of yourself, while anything too tight creates strain lines that the camera exaggerates. A quick press with an iron before you leave the house pays off, as creases show clearly under studio light. If a collar or lapel needs a small tuck or pin on the day, we will sort it before we shoot, the same way we would on a portrait session.
Colours and patterns to avoid on camera
Avoid pure white and pure black, which can blow out or flatten in photographs, along with neon shades that cast coloured light onto your skin. Skip fine stripes, small checks and dense prints, as these can shimmer or create a distracting moire pattern on screen. For headshots, simple and solid almost always wins over bold and busy.
This matters even more when the image is shrunk to a thumbnail. Detail that looks smart in person turns into visual noise at small sizes, so a plain top keeps your face the clear focal point. The same logic applies across a whole team: for a commercial and team shoot, a shared palette of two or three solid colours gives a set of headshots that looks deliberate and cohesive on your website rather than mismatched.
Keep grooming and styling natural
Aim to look like the best version of an ordinary day rather than a special occasion. Natural make-up photographs better than heavy coverage, hair should be styled the way you usually wear it, and we apply gentle, professional retouching so the final image still looks unmistakably like you. Consistency between the photo and real life matters.
People will meet you after seeing the photo, so a headshot that looks nothing like you does you no favours. If you wear glasses daily, keep them on, and we manage any reflections with lighting. If you have a beard or a particular hairstyle, wear it as you normally would rather than changing it for the day. The most useful grooming step is often the simplest: a good night's sleep and plenty of water in the days before your session.
What to bring to your headshot session
Bring two or three outfit options, a lint roller and any accessories you wear daily, such as glasses or a signature necklace. A backup top guards against last-minute spills, and reference images help us match the mood you are after. If you are booking a whole team, share one simple outfit guide in advance so everyone arrives on the same page.
Having a few choices lets us vary the look between formal and relaxed within one session, which is handy when you need images for different uses. For team bookings, a consistent set looks far more professional on your website, and a short brief prevents the odd surprise outfit. We are always glad to advise before the day, so if you are unsure about anything, get in touch and we will help you plan. You can also read our LinkedIn headshot tips for more on getting the most from your profile photo.
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