Introduction
You’ve probably seen people in movies, TV shows, and on social media sporting perfectly-lit headshots. But how did they get that way? What did they wear? And why does it matter? These are all good questions—and ones I’m going to answer for you. As a professional headshot photographer in Los Angeles, I’ve witnessed first-hand the importance of choosing an outfit that brings out your best features while also reflecting who you are as an individual. So before we get into headshot do’s and don’ts, let’s start with why having a good photo matters:
Headshots are an expression of you.
A headshot is, by definition, a portrait of your face. So it’s important to dress accordingly. Your outfit choice should reflect your personality and the image you want to project.
When choosing an outfit for your headshots, consider:
- What do I want people to see in my photo? What impression do I want them to get?
- Will this outfit make me confident as well as comfortable while being photographed?
Your outfit choice should reflect your personality.
You’ll want to choose an outfit that reflects your personality, but also suits the occasion. Your headshot is a professional image, and you want to look like someone who can handle business. A great way to do that is by dressing appropriately for the role you’re trying out for—if it’s a job at a law firm, perhaps a nice suit would be fitting; if it’s something more casual like a yoga teacher or dog-walker, try something more relaxed and comfortable.
If you lack experience in this department (like I did!), ask friends what they think of certain outfits, or check out sites where people post their outfits online. You can always ask them what they’d wear if they were going on an interview at your dream company—that way they won’t give suggestions based on their own styles alone!
Your headshot is a professional photo, so it’s important to dress appropriately.
When you’re getting your headshot taken, it’s important to dress in a way that makes you feel professional and confident. You want your outfit to be on-brand for the purpose of the photograph (if you’re going for a corporate look, don’t wear a Hawaiian shirt), but not necessarily in-your-face about it. In other words: no red power ties or polka dots! It’s also important not to dress too casually or overdress—both can make it seem like you’re trying too hard or not trying enough, respectively. Instead, choose an outfit that feels like YOU and looks like YOU.
Choose your outfit with care instead of rushing your decision.
Choose your outfit with care instead of rushing your decision. This is a big deal because you want the focus to be on you and not what you’re wearing. If the pants are too tight, they’ll show every curve or bulge in all the wrong places. If they’re too big, they’ll look like leggings and make it hard for people to see your body shape or legs. You also want to be sure that whatever shirt/dress/sweater/etc., is comfortable and fits well so that when you’re standing still in front of a camera for 15 minutes straight (which can be very uncomfortable) it won’t feel like torture on top of everything else!
Choose an outfit that shows who YOU are – don’t try to dress like someone else’s idea of “sexy” if it doesn’t suit YOUR body type, personality type, etc.. For example: if someone has short blonde hair with green eyes wearing heels then there’s no reason why another woman needs those same items just because she has long dark brown hair with brown eyes instead.”
Don’t wear white or other light colors unless you want to blend in with the background.
If you choose to wear white or other light colors, be aware that they will reflect the light and may look washed out. It’s better to avoid wearing these types of clothing if they make you look too pale or translucent. Instead, try a darker color that will contrast with your background and help ensure that your face stands out more clearly in photos.
Black is another good option for clothing because it tends to make people appear thinner than their actual size by creating shadows around their body parts—but because black can make anyone look like a T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgment Day (“I’ll be back”), we don’t recommend it either!
Consider bringing more than one outfit.
Bring more than one outfit. You want to look good in a headshot, and it’s unlikely that you’ll find the perfect outfit on your first trip to the thrift store. It’s better to bring at least two options, but more is even better.
There are a couple of ways you can save money:
- Borrow from friends or family if you’re able to do so—they may have things they haven’t worn in a while, so ask around!
- Buy secondhand (this goes without saying). Thrift stores are great for finding cheap clothing; eBay also has lots of nice items that aren’t too expensive if you’re willing to wait for shipping times or pay for faster shipping costs yourself (which isn’t as expensive as buying something new). If none of this works out for you, consider shopping local at places like Chinatown where there are plenty of fabric shops selling used fabrics; with enough patience and creativity, there’s no limit on what kind of outfit combinations could be made from these materials alone!
Take your photo shoot seriously and arrive prepared.
If you take your headshot photo shoot seriously and arrive prepared, it will show in the photos. If you don’t feel comfortable in what you’re wearing or if it doesn’t flatter your body type, bring an extra outfit with you to change into. If it’s a shirtless shoot (which we strongly recommend), make sure that there is not a single hair out of place on your chest and back. Bring a hairbrush and makeup with you in case someone else spots some stray hairs or smudged mascara when they look at the pictures later.
Bring along three different outfits: one casual, one formal/business casual (or both if needed), and one dressy outfit for tuxedo-style shooting if that’s something important for the client who hired us to do these headshots. Also, bring an extra pair of shoes so that we can change up the angles between shots quickly!
Your headshot is an expression of who you are and should reflect your personality, so choose your outfit carefully.
Your headshot is an expression of who you are and should reflect your personality, so choose your outfit carefully. It is important to dress appropriately for your headshot. You don’t want to be in a suit if you are going for an artsy look or vice versa. Make sure that the overall look of your headshots reflects who you are as well as the message that you want to convey about yourself.
One tip when choosing outfits for your photos: take some time with it instead of rushing into a decision because this will make all the difference in how natural and confident looking they come out!
Conclusion
There are many things to consider when preparing for your headshot and choosing an outfit that will work well. It can be stressful, but don’t worry! We have some tips to help you out. First of all, keep in mind that your photo is meant to reflect your personality—so choose something that makes you feel confident and comfortable in front of the camera. Second, make sure it’s appropriate for what type of job or industry you’re applying for: if everyone else wears suits then maybe jeans aren’t the best option here! Finally (and most importantly), take time before going into the shoot so that nothing gets rushed last minute because this will just show up in photos as bad lighting or distracting backgrounds instead of looking polished like what we all want!”
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