What to Wear for Your Company Headshot
Company headshots
Good, accurate headshots do a lot to help coworkers become familiar with you, especially when teams work remotely. Your image is important for others to see when you virtually communicate with them. It works well to promote comradery over a conference call or during a meeting. Not only that, but your headshot will help potential clients build a connection with you even before ever meeting you.
Your company headshot reflects your personal style, but it also conveys your company ideals. In general, what you wear and how you look in your headshot tells others about the culture within your company; relaxed, formal, fun, serious. Are your industry or company peers more likely to wear sports jackets or suites & ties? Are blouses/dresses more fashion forward or conservative?
What you wear shouldn’t fight you for attention, but help YOU stand out in your photo. With headshots, the focus is your face, especially eyes. Eyes are what make that ever-important connection with people.
clothing choice
Ideally, you’ll want to wear your industry’s standard “uniform”: For a realtor, that could mean a suit and tie or dress blouse and jacket; for a yoga instructor, it could mean black yoga top and pants; and for an actor, it could mean a simple cotton shirt that matches your eyes. In any case, your outfit should help you look the part while flattering your features and not hiding or eclipsing them.
Here are some tips to help you choose the right clothing details:
Cut - Clothes should never be baggy or tight. The best looks are simple and seem custom tailored. Make sure your neckline suites your jawline. For most women, V-necks (and I don’t mean plunging necklines) are attractive and slimming. Turtle necks may hide your neck (if that’s what you’re going for), but can make your neck look stubby unless you have a very long neck. For men’s casual headshots, a crisp cotton shirt with a V-neck is great if you don’t have a super strong jawline. Collars on button-down shirts should not be too loose or tight when the top button is buttoned.
Texture - Subtle, natural fabric weave in a sweater or shirt can look great, but wrinkles are the worst! Busy patterns, logos, or shimmery fabric are super distracting and will take over your whole headshot. Just don’t wear them. The only thing shining should be your eyes!
Colors - Yes, wear colors that you love and that look good on you. But keep in mind that overly bright clothing can detract from your photo. Nude colors may be tempting, but do nothing to help your headshot pop. A nice contrasting shirt/jacket combo works best, e.g., black/navy jacket and light pastel shirt, blouse. If you have blue, green, hazel eyes, consider wearing a shirt that’s the same color. Rich jewel-tones are very flattering on medium and dark skin tones.
hair & nails
Styled hair makes the best impression! If you’re considering changing your hair though, give yourself time to get used to a new haircut or hair color. Faces should be clean-shaven or beards well-groomed and neatly trimmed.
Your nails can say a lot about you. If you are showing hands in your photo, your nails should be clean, and at an even length. If you polish your nails, try a neutral color – again, nothing should distract from your face.
makeup, skin, & jewelry
Makeup should look natural with clear, defined eyes and natural colored lips. Less is usually more. When I say defined eyes, I don’t mean a smokey eye, just simple eyeliner and/or mascara. False lashes are ok only if you usually wear them. A shiny face is not your friend, so temper any shine with good (not cakey) translucent powder. Use concealer if you have dark under-eye circles.
Both men and women should consider increasing water intake the week before your headshot session for clear, healthy-looking skin. If your lips are chapped, please bring lip balm.
I personally won’t go out of the house without earrings and you may feel the same. Be particular when choosing jewelry for your headshot. Simple is usually better. Jewelry that dangles or is chunky is not the best choice. In some instances, your picture could be tightly cropped and a pendant on a long necklace may be chopped off altogether. A statement-piece necklace can be more distracting than complementary, because it takes away from your eyes. If you wear a necklace, consider one that isn’t overly bold and does not go below your collarbone. As with your necklace, keep earrings simple and classic, like small to medium hoops or studs.
glasses
If you normally wear glasses, plan to wear them in at least a couple of shots. Glasses are a key element of someone’s personality. In general, you wouldn’t want potential clients or employers to be confused by a headshot that doesn’t match what you really look like in person.
So, here’s a quick recap of what you should wear for business headshots:
Wrinkle-free attire that fits well or is tailored
Simple clothing that flatters your skin coloring, cuts that suit your neck, and jawline
Natural-looking makeup / Clean-shaven or trimmed beard
Simple jewelry
Well-manicured nails (when showing hands)
Styled or freshly trimmed hair
Image Thank you to Kelly Vandever (pictured above) for being a great client!
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