April 15, 2026 · wardrobe · preparation · corporate
What to Wear for a Headshot (Without Overthinking It)
A practical guide to picking outfits for your corporate, LinkedIn, or personal branding headshot — what works, what does not, and the two-outfit rule that solves most of the problem.
The two-outfit rule
The shortest possible answer: bring two outfits, one a half-step more formal than the other, both in solid colors that match your brand or industry. Wear the more formal one first while you are still warming up; switch to the second once you are loose and the keepers happen.
What works on camera
- Solid mid-tones: navy, charcoal, deep green, burgundy, plum.
- Layers: a blazer over a clean tee or shirt adds shape without screaming "I dressed up."
- Texture you can see: knit, tweed, brushed wool. Reads premium.
- Tailoring: a top that fits your shoulders matters more than the brand.
What to skip
- Bright pure white. Blows out the highlights and pulls the camera's exposure away from your face.
- Busy patterns, especially fine pinstripes, micro-checks, and tight herringbone — they cause moiré on digital sensors.
- Visible logos. Dates the photo and signals "stock corporate."
- Anything you have not worn in six months. You will fidget with it.
Industry-specific notes
- Tech / startup: blazer over plain tee, no tie. Approachable but considered.
- Law / finance / consulting: structured jacket, collared shirt, optional tie for headshots used in court or pitch decks.
- Coaches / creators: lean into your brand colors. You are the brand; the outfit is a billboard.
- Actors: solid colors, V-necks for theatrical, layers for commercial. No suit unless it is your type.
Hair, makeup, and the day-of
Get a haircut two weeks before the shoot — fresh cuts photograph stiff. If you wear makeup professionally, this is the right session to bring an HMUA: the difference between a self-applied face and a professional one is genuinely visible at retouching time. A list of Seattle and Bellevue HMUAs is shared at booking.
The five-minute pre-shoot check
- Iron the outfit, including the back panel.
- Trim eyebrows; clean up edges (neck, sideburns, beard line).
- Rest. The single biggest "before/after" between two headshots of the same person is usually how rested they look — not anything I do in retouching.
- Eat something. Caffeine but not a third coffee.
That is it. Bring two outfits, skip the white shirt, and we will figure out the rest in the first ten minutes of the shoot.