An executive headshot is one of the most valuable assets to your personal brand. That’s why it’s important that your clothing reflects your personality, credibility, and who you are as a professional in your industry.
Solids work better than patterns
Keep it simple when it comes to the design and style of your clothing. Patterns and heavily textured items tend to distract from the main focus of the headshot, which is you, and that defeats the purpose.
For example, tight grid-like patterns can have a weird effect on the camera, but if you would like to incorporate a pattern, thin stripes usually work well. However, under no circumstances should your clothing have writing or a logo displayed on it.
Clothing tips for men:
- Avoid shiny, reflective materials, like silk ties
- Stay classy with a dark suit in navy or gray
- Try to land the color of your tie between the tones of your suit and dress shirt
- Bring a variety of outfits, suits and ties, and at least one business casual outfit
Clothing tips for women:
- Stay away from stark white, unless under a jacket, cardigan, or sweater
- Jewelry should add to an outfit, not detract from it
- Avoid short sleeves – bare arms usually take away from an executive headshot
- Bring a variety of dress shirts, suits, and professional blouses
Choosing the right colors
It’s a general rule of thumb with any headshot that brighter colors express youth and darker colors express maturity. Keep this in mind when considering the image that will represent your professional persona. Factor in your skin tone as well. If you have a lighter skin tone, avoid lighter colors that could make you appear washed out. If you have medium or darker skin tones, stay away from earthy tones that may be similar to your skin color.
And of course, make sure to choose colors that you love and that look good on you. If you don’t know what those colors are, consider a hue that brings out the color in your eyes. If you’re still struggling, that’s what options are for! Bring at least 4 different outfits and I’ll help you find the most flattering one for you. Give me a call at 214-394-1384 today to book your headshot or executive portrait!
I was looking into getting corporate headshots the other day. Having tips to make sure that you are getting the best pictures possible. Choosing the right colors is a great idea so that you can look mature in the corporate pictures.
Absolutely! Thank you so much for reading and the awesome feedback!
Would an off white silk button up be too reflective? It’s one of my favorite shirts for professional events or when I need tondress business casual, but I am aware the fabric or color may be an issue.
I think the off white might be a little reflective, however I wouldn’t worry about it too much. As long as your photographer does a little retouching you can fix it if the white flares. Be sure to wear a cute black jacket too. Call me if you have any questions and thanks for reaching out!
Thank you for your tip for women to stay away from stark white. My daughter is an actress and we need to get her new headshots. I’ll be sure to help her find an outfit that isn’t all white so she can take the best picture possible.
Thank you for your much effective tips for men. It helps me to exact clothing.
Thank you so much for the support. I’m glad we could help. Good luck on your shoot! – Beau
Thanks for your tips about how you should avoid shiny materials and try to get more medium tones of color by choosing things that look good with their skin tone. My cousin wants to increase her chances of getting a job by getting a better picture and she really wants to make sure that she will look presentable and nice. Getting photos done by a professional could be really useful and allow her to appear more professional.
Thanks for the tip that solid colors would work well with corporate headshot photography. I’m planning to get my photos taken soon in order to look more professional in my resume. I had been self-employed for almost five years so I have much to prepare for when it comes to applying for a more traditional job.
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