What to Wear for Headshots: A Complete Guide (Updated 2026)
- Austen Hunter
- Jun 19
- 8 min read
Most people spend more time deciding what to wear for their headshot than they spend in front of the camera. That instinct is correct — the outfit does more work in the final image than almost anything else.
What you wear sets the tone of the whole picture: how approachable you look, how senior, how current. Get it right and the photo carries you for years across your website, LinkedIn, and business cards. Get it wrong and you feel it every time you have to use the image. This guide covers what to wear, what to skip, and the small details that decide whether your clothing helps or quietly works against you.
I'm a retired Air Force officer, a Navy Public Affairs Specialist, and the 2024 Navy Civilian Photographer of the Year. At Austen Hunter Photography, I've photographed thousands of professionals across Pensacola, Northwest Florida, and the Gulf Coast — executives, doctors, real estate agents, actors, and full corporate teams. The wardrobe question comes up before every session, so here are the answers I give my clients.
Key Takeaways
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What Should you Wear for a Headshot?
Wear a solid, mid-tone color in a top that fits close to the body, with a neckline that frames your face — a blazer or structured layer reads as professional in nearly any field. Avoid pure white, bright red, neon, busy patterns, and large logos, all of which compete with your face for attention.
A headshot is a portrait of your face, not your outfit. Clothing is the frame around the subject, so the goal is to look polished and current without giving the viewer anything louder than your eyes to look at. When in doubt, dress one notch above what you wear on a normal workday.
Start with Fit, Fabric, and Neckline
Three things decide whether clothing helps or hurts on camera, and none of them is the brand on the label.
Fit: Tailored close. Shoulder seams sit on your shoulders, sleeves end at the wrist, nothing pulls or bunches. Loose fabric photographs as bulk, so a piece that fits beats an expensive piece that doesn't.
Fabric: Matte over shiny, medium-weight over clingy. A little texture — a knit blazer, a subtle weave — adds depth without the noise of a pattern. Skip anything that wrinkles the moment you sit, like loose linen.
Neckline: Choose one that opens up the face. A structured collar or a clean V creates a line that draws the eye upward; very high, tight necklines can shorten the neck, and very low ones pull the eye down.
Sleeves: Long or three-quarter sleeves keep the composition clean. Bare arms can read casual and tug the eye away from your face depending on the crop.
A few fit situations come up again and again. If you're between sizes, fit to your shoulders and chest and have the waist taken in — shoulders are the hardest thing to fake on camera. If your collar gaps at the neck or your buttons pull, both only get more obvious in a tight crop, so swap or pin the piece before we start. And if you tend to carry a little weight through the midsection, a structured layer that skims rather than clings will always photograph cleaner than a tight knit.
Fit beats brand every time. A shirt that fits will out-photograph a designer one that doesn't. — Austen Hunter
Choosing Colors that Photograph Well
The best headshot colors are mid-tone and slightly saturated: navy, soft blue, teal, deep green, burgundy, charcoal, plum. They separate cleanly from most backgrounds and flatter the widest range of skin tones.
Color works in relationship to the background, so we pick the two as a pair — dark clothing on a dark backdrop turns into a floating head, and light on light washes out. If you want to read warm and approachable, deep green and burgundy do that; blues read steady and trustworthy, which is why they dominate corporate and finance. For the backdrop side of that decision, see my guide on choosing a professional headshot background.
Skin tone nudges the palette too. Fair skin holds up well against deeper colors like navy, charcoal, and deep green that keep you from washing out. Medium and olive complexions have the most room to play, including warm tones like burgundy and rust. Deeper skin tones look striking in saturated jewel tones and crisp mid-blues, while flat, true black can lose definition without a textured layer to catch the light. None of this is a strict rule — it's a starting point, and we fine-tune it on the day.
Three colors to be careful with: pure bright white blows out under studio light and can make skin look darker by comparison; bright red bleeds color onto the skin and tends to vibrate on camera; neon throws a colored cast across your face. None are banned outright, but each one needs a reason to be there.
What to Wear by Industry
The fundamentals hold everywhere, but the bar bends a little by field. Here's the short version of where each profession tends to land.
Field | Go-to look | One thing to skip |
Corporate / executive | Blazer over a solid shirt or shell, in navy or charcoal | Loud ties and novelty accessories |
Finance / law | Suit or jacket, crisp collar, conservative color | Trendy patterns that date fast |
Medical | Simple blazer or solid top, clean and minimal | Busy scrub prints; a white coat unless it's required |
Real estate | Approachable blazer or smart-casual layer in a warmer color | A stiff all-black suit that reads cold |
Tech / startup | Smart-casual: a quality solid tee or button-down, optional unstructured blazer | Stiff formal suiting that reads off-brand |
Education / nonprofit | Approachable, warmer mid-tones; layered but relaxed | Anything cold or corporate-stiff |
Creative / actor | More personality — texture, color, a relaxed layer that fits your brand | Corporate stiffness that isn't you |
Photographing a whole team? Consistency across people matters more than any single outfit — I cover that in my guide to corporate headshots for your team.
Glasses, Grooming, and the Details that Show up Close
A headshot is a tight crop, so small things you'd never notice in a full-length photo become obvious. A few to plan for ahead of time.
Glasses: Anti-reflective lenses photograph best. If yours reflect, I can tilt the frames slightly or capture a few frames without them — bring the pair you actually wear so the photo still looks like you.
Makeup: Matte finishes beat dewy under studio light, and a touch more than your daily routine reads well on camera. Skip heavy shimmer and first-time bold looks you haven't tested.
Facial hair: Clean up the lines a day or two before. Intentional stubble is fine; patchy, half-grown is harder to make look deliberate.
Hair: Style it the way you normally wear it. A headshot should match how clients and colleagues actually recognize you, not a one-off look.
Hands and nails: If your session includes a crossed-arm or hand-near-face pose, simple, clean nails keep the focus where you want it.
One Session, Two Looks
The fastest way to get range out of a single session is a layer you can add or remove. A blazer over a solid shell gives you a formal look with the jacket on and a softer one with it off — same lighting, same setup, two distinct headshots for two different uses. Bring one layer you feel good in and you've doubled your options without adding time to the shoot.
What to Avoid
Large logos and graphics — they date the photo and pull the eye off your face.
Busy patterns, tight stripes, and small checks, which can shimmer or moiré on camera.
Ill-fitting clothes — too big reads sloppy, too small reads uncomfortable, and the camera exaggerates both.
Heavy or trendy jewelry; one or two simple pieces is plenty.
Brand-new haircuts, fresh spray tans, or first-time bold makeup — do them a few days early or save them for after.
All-black or all-white with no layer to break it up, which flattens depth and detail.
Your clothes aren't the subject of a headshot — your face is. The best outfit is the one nobody notices, because they're looking at you. — Austen Hunter
A few Days Before your Session
First impressions form fast. A 2006 study in Psychological Science found that people form trait judgments of a face — trustworthy, competent, likeable — in about 100 milliseconds. Your wardrobe is part of that instant read, so a little preparation earns its keep.
Try on every option in good light a few days out. Move, sit, and check how each piece behaves.
Steam or press everything the night before — wrinkles are hard to fix later and read as careless.
Bring two or three tops or layers on hangers so we can compare them on camera.
Keep grooming consistent with how you normally look. A headshot should look like you on a good day, not a stranger.
Final Thoughts
You don't need a new wardrobe for a great headshot — you need the right two or three pieces and a little prep. Bring options, keep it simple, and let your face carry the frame. If you're unsure, send me what you're considering before the session and I'll tell you what will photograph best. For the bigger picture on everything that goes into a strong portrait, see my complete guide to professional headshots in Pensacola.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color should I wear for a professional headshot?
Mid-tone, slightly saturated colors photograph best — navy, soft blue, deep green, burgundy, and charcoal. They separate from most backgrounds and flatter the widest range of skin tones. Avoid pure white, bright red, and neon, which compete with your face.
Should I wear a suit or a blazer for my headshot?
A blazer or structured layer reads professional in almost every industry, even over a simple shirt. A full suit fits law, finance, and executive roles; for real estate or creative work, a smart-casual layer usually looks more natural.
Can I wear patterns in a headshot?
Small, busy patterns like tight stripes or fine checks can shimmer or moiré on camera and distract from your face. A subtle texture or a very simple pattern is fine. When in doubt, choose a solid.
Can I wear glasses in my headshot?
Yes. Anti-reflective lenses photograph cleanest; if your lenses reflect, I'll tilt the frames slightly or capture a few frames without them. Bring the pair you actually wear so the photo looks like you.
What should women wear for a headshot?
A fitted top or shell in a solid jewel tone, optionally under a blazer, with a neckline that frames the face. Keep jewelry simple, and bring a layer you can add or remove so you leave with two distinct looks.
What should men wear for a headshot?
A well-fitted collared shirt, often with a blazer, in navy, blue, or charcoal. Make sure the collar sits clean and the shoulders fit. Skip loud ties and large logos — for tie guidance specifically, see my guide on the best ties for headshots.
How many outfits should I bring to a headshot session?
Two or three. That gives us range without eating into the session — usually one polished, more formal look and one slightly softer one, so you walk away with options for different uses.
