What to Wear for a Headshot?

Remember Mad Men? Great set + great clothing = great presentation. It doesn’t get better than that. (And in case you’re wondering, the photo is ©The Barbie Collection… Click here if you’d like to purchase.) But we’re guessing you don’t have a personal shopper and are wondering what to wear for a headshot or professional photo.

In “real life”, there are some simple guidelines. Whether your company is a hip internet startup or a national conglomerate or traditional oil & gas, the following applies:

1. If necessary, get a haircut the week before (and don’t forget to touch-up color). This applies to both men and women. But if you usually hate your hair when it’s first cut, then we’d advise doing it a month ahead.

2.  Don’t have a facial within 48 hours of a shoot… Your skin will be too red, and facials, more often than not, result in breakouts.

3.  Wear clothes you’re comfortable in but that fit well and aren’t old and worn. Make sure said clothes are appropriate for the “look” and “feel” your company wants to convey.

4.  Don’t wear super-bright colors or bold, fussy patterns.

5.  Wear colors that are mid to dark tones and don’t wear white shirts unless they are under a suit. Color matters. You want your face to be the thing that stands out… not your neon-green polka-dot shirt or your bright-white oxford.

6. Ladies: Don’t wear short-sleeved or no-sleeves… or strapless tops. They make for awkward cropping. And fussy or plunging necklines are distracting. Keep jewelry to a minimum by wearing smaller earrings and a simple necklace.

7.  Gentlemen: If you’re pulling a tie from your closet, choose sky-blues, chartreuse, pink, lilac… not olive green, navy blue and power red… More modern colors mean progressive… keeping up with your industry landscape.

8.  If we’re doing three-quarter length photos, please don’t turn up in a great shirt.. … and shorts for casual day.

9.  If you wear glasses, they have to be clean and smudge free. Non-reflective glasses are far and away the best choice. Please do not wear blue light blocking glasses as they change the color of your skin around the eyes. And photochromic/light adaptive glasses are problematic under bright flash equipment.

If you have any insight into what to wear for a headshot, we’re open to suggestions… And yes, depending on the color of the background, we reserve the right to change any of the above rules. 🙂