What to Wear for Headshots

This post is about what to wear for headshots.

Helping clients figure out what to wear for headshots is one of the easiest and most important things you, as the photographer, can do to assure a headshot turns out wonderfully and your client feels attractive and proud. Any photographer can recall numerous situations in which they were photographing in the perfect location, with the perfect lighting, but the client came wearing something that was unflattering, messy, or just totally disruptive to the scene and vibe. There are tips and tricks I’ve learned over my 20 years as a photographer that help ensure that every (or almost every) headshot client that leaves your studio feels beautiful about the experience.

Communicate and Plan What to Wear for Headshots With Your Client

Schedule a phone call and ask your client what they hope to get out of the shoot. How many images do they want? What’s their brand? Do they have colors they prefer? Do not assume anything especially with headshots. Clients may have a VERY different idea on what constitutes a headshot than you do. You need to find this out up front and educate your client so that they know what to wear for headshots in your studio.

Example of what the client might have in their head for a headshot.

Example of what you, as the photographer might assume they want their headshot to look like.

Communication gets you on the same page.

What to Wear for Headshots: Encourage your client to wear clothing that reflects their brand for headshots.

Encourage your client to pick a color scheme that represents who he is and is appropriate for his industry/setting. If the client is an entrepreneur, he likely will have a pretty good idea – encourage him to lean into it. If she works for someone else or she is in a corporate environment, her boss probably has her own ideas, likely company colors. Make sure you know if she has guidelines from corporate. Corporate may have a different idea on what a “headshot” is as well.

What to Wear for Headshots: Solid or Patterns?

Solid. You want the attention in the image to go to the subject’s eyes. The more patterned the shirt/blouse/coat/tie/scarf/glasses, the more confusing it is to the eye. If the client really likes something with a pattern or thinks he will, let him bring it. However, make sure he brings something more solid as a back up. It may be easier for you to take a few images in the outfit he wants and then show him what it looks like afterward.

What to Wear for Headshots: Color Scheme and Matching

Steer your client toward colors that flatter their skin and go with the background. This can really make or break the shoot. Ideally the photographer selects solid colors that blend well with the client’s skin and stands out from the background. This point is amplified, the closer the crop. When photographing a headshot of just head and shoulders, the highest point of contrast should be between the sclera (white of eye) and iris (color of eye). If your client has dark skin and wears white or is pale and wears black, the highest contrast could literally be their neck! This is probably one of the easiest mistakes you can make inadvertently. Even if the image (expression, coaching, lighting, posing) is really good, it will not have the same pop. Ideally find a top that will blend with the background, so it does not take all the focus. Be careful, though, to ensure there is enough color difference to differentiate from the background. Black on black can be an amazing look, but make sure you can see where the client’s shoulders end and the background begins.

What to Wear for Headshots: Accessories

I think this is the toughest one to give advice on. I’ve seen some colored glasses make the shoot and demonstrate who the client is in one photo. I’ve also seen earrings that show up just in one ear because of a head turn, and nobody wants to add in or subtract an earring in Photoshop. Necklaces can also lay funny on your client’s neck and be a distraction to the image. Just be mindful of the addage you should always be thinking: does this ADD or SUBTRACT from the power of this image. Clients who have a clear vision of their brand, are more likely to be able to pull off accessories. The further out the image is (half crop, 3/4, full length), the more impactful the accessories can be. It may be an opportunity for you to sell additional images. As the photographer, you could say, “I think that necklace would be distracting in the headshot but would work well with this other outfit and maybe do a really flattering half crop that you could use for social media with a different background color.”

What to Wear for Headshots: Bring the Closet!

I’m kidding…kinda. Have clients bring at least 1 or 2 more outfits than you are planning to shoot. If she says she only needs one headshot, have her bring at least 2 options. If the client thinks she is going to want 4-8 images, I would say bring at least 4-6 options. It could be 2 pairs of pants but 6 different shirts. This does several things:

It prepares the photographer the flexibility to pivot if there is a small wardrobe issue – the material is reflective, there’s a button missing, or it got stained on the way out of the house because it is raining.
It gives you options to match with the background.
It adds to the experience for your client. You provide more value by giving the client input and helping her make the best selections.

More Things to Consider

Grooming

It seems obvious, but sometimes clients don’t realize that stubble or their roots distract from driving the focus to their eyes. The photographer should remind the client to time haircuts and to shave that morning. I’ve waited half an hour for a client to go to the pharmacy and buy an electric razor before, and it was well worth it in the image and to the client, but it was avoidable.

Background

Using a white, gray or black background is classic and allows the photographer to match most colors and outfits. If you are more daring, try to match the background color to the client’s outfit using analogous colors – break out the color wheel and match colors that are next to each other or opposite (if you want contrast).

Tethering: A Very Helpful Tool

Ok, this technically is not what to wear for a headshot, but it will help to educate the client and drive the point home. Shooting tethered (in studio) is not expensive (if you have a laptop and a camera with an import), and it can save you a ton of time in editing. Seeing the image immediately on the screen adds to photographer’s authority, and visually enforces the points on what to wear in headshots. Here’s my favorite cord.

Conclusion

The most crucial points of what to wear for headshots are to wear solid colors (or at least not busy) and to ensure clients bring more outfit options than will be photographed. Remember that you want the client’s eyes to pop, so ensure that the contrast is there and not the neckline or her earrings. Communication on what to wear for headshots should always happen several days, if not weeks, before to ensure that hair is perfect and the client has time to shop for new options if their current options aren’t sufficient. With more options and knowing what you are looking for, as the photographer, you can match the choices to the background options you have available.