If you have a business headshot session in the books, but aren’t sure what to wear for your headshot session, you’re in the right place!

5 Outfit Ideas for Business Headshots

For the best business headshots, there are a few basic rules that should be followed no matter what your profession that apply to both men and women in the corporate world.

These 5 tips for headshot clothing is a guideline

…and as with most things in life - some rules are made to be broken! The highest priority for your headshots is that they make you feel represented well, and that they are appropriate for your company branding. So, after these ideas for headshot clothing choices have been reviewed - feel free to adjust to meet your personal needs! (Just run it by your boss first :)

Let’s go through some simple concepts you can do to make sure you shine in your headshots, and that your message is communicated clearly.

Choose solid colors for your corporate headshots

For corporate business professionals, the best outfit is one that feels highly professional, flattering, modest, and neutral enough to bring the attention to your smile and expression. The easiest way to accomplish a fully professional corporate look is to pick an outfit with solid colors (or mostly solid), and to pick color combinations that are pretty neutral.

Solid-colored outfits keep the focus in the right area - your expression!

Whether you work for a law firm and need a powerful expression, or you need a warm smile to represent your corporate company, your expression should be the first thing that people see when they view your online image.

When you choose simple, solid colors, the eye will naturally begin with your smile. Even a blue color that is bold can be considered neutral when paired with another solid color.

When is is ok to break the rules?

When you are going for headshots that will not be for corporate business purposes.

It’s worth noting - loud colors, patterns, and chunky jewelry are really fun! But, these colors, prints and large accessories can ultimately be distracting and not fit in well with other headshots at your company in the corporate world. Only bring clothing with loud personality when you are a small-business owner or have other goals outside the corporate world.

If you are in business for yourself as an entrepreneur, more extreme colors and patterns are actually welcome and appropriate for sharing a deeper piece of your story! If you’re looking for outfit ideas for personal branding session or small business owners, check out this article for more information and what to wear!

2. Which colors work best for business headshots?

Even though I strongly recommend neutral colors for your corporate headshots, that doesn’t mean it has to be too boring! Add a hint of color to best showcase your personality in a way that doesn’t distract or feel unprofessional.

The best colors to wear for business headshots are:

Black
Blue (medium to dark)
Olive Green
Taupe
Mauve / Maroon
White

Keeping your colors approachable is the best way to make a good impression with your headshot. You will also want to pick a color that goes well with your skin tone, hair color, and eye color! If you have blue eyes, a blue blouse is a great choice (and green eyes - green shirt!).

Outfit colors that are not necessarily common, but still acceptable, (if approved by your company):

Mustard Yellow
Orange
Red / Dark Pink
Bold Green
Brown
Minimal Patterns
Bold Green
Turquoise
Purple

What is the very best color to wear for headshots?

Women: if you really aren’t sure what color to wear for your headshots, go with black. Black is the most flattering color, goes well with nearly any background, any company logo, and any skin tone or hair color. High-end black fabric is also easy to find for nice blouses that fit well.

Men: if you are feeling uncertain what colors to pick, it’s safe to go with a black jacket, paired with a medium blue button-up shirt underneath. This color combination is highly professional, timeless, and flattering.

3. Best fabrics to wear for professional headshots

The fabric you choose matters more than you might realize. Viewers make unconscious assumptions based on fabric choices. Sometimes jersey and cotton feels cheap, and can make you appear unprofessional and inexperienced, while clean, or higher-end fabrics help you appear knowledgeable and trustworthy in the business world.

Here are a few reasons why you need to consider the fabric your clothing is made of, and what looks best for professional headshots photography.

The camera itself looks favorably on some fabric, and very un-favorably on others.
Fabric choice can instantly send a message to your viewer.
Certain fabrics are naturally flattering (and others can cause you to appear heavier!)

Here is a list of fabrics that work well on camera:

Cotton-polyester blends are a good choice - they fit nicely and don’t have an inexpensive look (but are affordable at the same time!)
Linens can be a nice touch for a jacket or dress (just make sure it’s wrinkle-free when you arrive)
Wool in small doses
Leather
Tailored denim (a delightful surprise! A dark denim jacket is a great, modern choice for headshots)
Tweed
Viscose and Rayon - ultra-popular materials for clothes right now. They drape well and are lightweight, but are heavier than cotton

4. Make sure your outfit is tailored to your body type

If your outfit is too big, your body will appear just as large. Big, baggy, or boxy shirts are also very difficult to pose. Many women’s shirts can have “low armpits” where the seam doesn’t go all the way up the arm. These shirts make it very difficult to take headshots in, as they look uncomfortable.

Also remember to check for “pulling” if you have chosen a blouse that buttons up the center. We want your shirt to be movable so we can pose you freely and comfortably without tugging. Fabric choice will play a large role in how successful your outfit pick is.

When possible, always opt for clothing that fits your very nicely and flatters your body type, even with a bit of motion.

5. Other tips concerning what to wear for professional headshots

There are a few more ideas we can provide to help you get started with outfit selection!

What type of blouse should women wear for headshots?

Follow a few simple rules while shopping for your headshot blouse to ensure a beautiful look every time:

V-necks are the most flattering neckline for every bodytype. Lower necklines (especially in the V-shape) lengthen the neck and help elongate the body. This gives you a slimming effect, and looks very tailored and professional. Make sure your neckline doens’t go too low, though! We want to keep a professional appearance.
Long sleeves work best, no matter what your body type is. This is one rule that is ok to be broken if you love your arms (and maybe even worked hard for them!), but they eye goes where skin is showing. So, if you want the focus of your headshot to be on your expression, opt for full-length sleeves on your shirt.
Fitted clothing is always going to look best on women. Make sure there is some definition in your waistline! Clothing that is boxy or baggy, or has low armpits do not look good in photos.
If your blouse has buttons, make sure it’s not so tight that you can’t put your hands on your waist without the buttons pulling apart at the breast. This is a common issue I find, and some of the most flattering poses have hands on the waist and hips. If you are blessed with a bigger bust, avoid button-up shirts.

More ideas for what to wear for men’s business headshots

The same rule for long sleeves applies to men - avoid polo shirts, t-shirts, etc., and go for a long-sleeves button-up shirt for professional corporate headshots.
Many men’s fabrics contain plaid or stripes. Sometimes this is ok, but often it’s too busy to keep the focus of your headshot on your expression. Minimize patterns with a solid jacket if you prefer to keep your business headshot fairly conservative. Always avoid tiny plaid patterns, as this confuses the camera lens.
Make sure your shirt has been pressed and is completely wrinkle free (a step that is often overlooked :)
Your shirt needs to fit you very well. If your button-up is too tight, we will have no room to move or put hands in pockets without awkward stretching. If your shirt is too loose, we often see folding and wrinkles when the shirt is accompanied by a jacket. These folds are nearly impossible to tuck back in, and are impossible to edit naturally.

What NOT to wear for your business headshots

Tiny fabric textures and patterns do not work for photos. Ribbing, teensy plaid patterns, and tone-on-tone textures are very confusing to the lens and create something called the “Moire Effect.” This cannot be avoided if you bring fabric with small texture. The moiré effect is a visual phenomenon that occurs when two or more patterns with similar frequencies overlap, resulting in the creation of new, wavy, or unwanted patterns.
Do not bring cheap fabrics like cotton or some sweater fabrics. For corporate headshots, it is always best to choose nicer fabrics and communicate professionalism with fabric choice.
Avoid silk! The extreme reflective nature of silk is fairly loud and silk wrinkles very easily.
Do not wear loud or large accessories like a big scarf or huge jewelry for corporate headshots. If you bring large accessories, these items usually steal the show, which is not the goal in the business world.

Outfit Ideas for Business Headshots