General Wardrobe:
In general, please avoid extremely bright colours and very bold patterns, as these can stand out too much especially when more than one headshot is viewed together in print or on a company ‘about us’ or ‘meet the team’ page.
People should look professional, and expressions should be positive, along with good posture and stance. We give guidance on poses and how to stand.
Wardrobe for Men:
Blue or grey are good for suits; stark black is not recommended as you will not see the suit’s shape. Lightly pinstriped suits are also fine. A jacket is suggested for the headshot, although we can do versions with and without a jacket or tie when requested.
Ties should be business-like and not too colourful. A tight pattern works better than large bold designs. Ties should match the shirt well, in both colour and tone. If in doubt, bring a second tie.
Shirts should be well pressed, and blue, white, or other light-tone colours are fine. Shirts could have a light, soft pattern, but high-contrast patterns or stripes do not photograph well and make retouching of wrinkles difficult.
Watches and glasses are fine to wear if you normally wear them.
Wardrobe for Women:
Jackets, suits, or dresses should be a solid colour, black, white, or a soft pattern.
Shirts or tops should not be too over dressy. Solid colours, white, and black are recommended; understated patterns are preferred. Bold and large patterns do not photograph or retouch well. Photos will not show subjects below the waist, so there is no specific recommendation on trousers or skirts.
Scarves should be soft patterns and avoid extreme contrasting colours.
Hair should be worn as you would do in most business settings. We are happy to give you variations with hair down/up so you can choose later when previewing your headshots.
Makeup should be understated. We offer a digital makeup service in post-production to remove any spots or scars and reduce wrinkles or eye bags. This gives a much better result than having too much makeup on.
Jewellery should be understated as it can be distracting in the final headshot.
Further tips from a US photographer on women’s wardrobe for a corporate headshot.
Please note. These are only our suggestions for wardrobe, and as an individual, you should wear what you feel comfortable in.
