Professional Headshots: What To Wear, and more tips!

Preparing yourself and your clothes is the most important thing you can do to look your best for your headshots. If you look your best, you're going to feel confident, and this will come out in your headshots. Here are some tips to choose the right clothes and be prepared so you get the best results.

Sleep: I recommend getting plenty of sleep the one or two nights leading up to your headshot session. A good night sleep will help you look healthy and refreshed and prevent those dark circles and bags under your eyes.

Wash/Shave: Wash your face before the session to remove dirt and oil from your skin and to reduce shine. If you shave daily, we recommend shaving within 4 hours of your session, before that 5 o’clock shadow starts to appear. If you have a beard, make sure it’s neatly trimmed. If you have razor cuts or irritation, these can be removed in retouching.

Makeup: Your makeup should have a blurred, soft-focus effect. Use natural shades like ivories, peaches, browns, apricots, and pinks on the cheeks and eyes, to compliment your natural undertone. Avoid hard lines such as, overly sculpted brows, lips, or eyeliner. Many make-up products contain shimmer. Use these sparingly as shimmer will reflect light and can make features look either larger, smaller or skin oily. Stick to the top of cheek and brow bone and bridge of the nose, and avoid the t-zone area. I recommend a creamy lip; a soft matte chin, nostrils, and forehead.

Clothing: Wearing proper fitting clothes is the most important step you can take to look your best. Make sure clothes are wrinkle and lint free before arriving. Consider choosing clothing with a timeless style. Women, avoid blouses and jackets that have loose hanging fabric in the sleeves. If the fabric fills the area between your arms and torso, your body will appear larger than it actually is, especially with dark clothes. The human eye is drawn to the brightest part of a photo, so avoid wearing a bright-tone shirt. Solids mix well with patterns or textured fabric, as long as the patterns are subtle rather than extravagant. Collars should be crisp and not limp. They can be worn inside the jacket or outside and having them upright rather than flimsy makes a more polished impression. Dresses should be tailored and simple. Keep in mind the neckline and how a headshot is cropped when making your selections. Choose colors that flatter your eye color and underlying skin tones for best results. If you will not be wearing a jacket, go with a medium to dark-tone shirt/dress. Bright and busy patterns should be avoided on jackets and shirts that will be worn without jackets as they are distracting. When in doubt, consider browsing high-end clothing catalogs for inspiration. The models in catalogs are professionally styled and you'll get a good visual of clothing and color combinations.

Accessories: If you chose to wear jewelry in your headshot, choose subtle and classic pieces, as they can date your headshot. Statement pieces look great in person, but in the small space of a headshot, they can completely steal the spotlight from you. If you wear glasses and have more than one pair, bring them all with you. Different glasses will sit on your face differently and lenses react to the light differently as well. Lenses with the anti glare coating is preferred, or bring frames without the lenses if you don’t have the coating applied. Some glasses are difficult to shoot due to the glare.