Picking The Right Outfit For Corporate Headshots
What To Wear For Corporate Headshots
One of the biggest contributors to a great headshot is wardrobe.
Sometimes, it's as simple as wearing what you'd wear to work.
Other times, it's worth stepping back and remembering that a headshot isn't simply documenting what someone wore on a Tuesday. It's creating an image that may represent them for years across different platforms and use cases—LinkedIn profile photos, published articles, company and event websites, speaking engagement jumbotrons, proposals, company announcements, and countless other marketing materials.
Sometimes, the idea isn't simply to "be yourself"—as strange as that may sound coming from a headshot article—but rather to dress intentionally, while still being yourself.
The Message
Before deciding between a blue jacket or a burgundy one, ask two questions:
Who is the audience?
What do I want them to take away?
Those two answers influence almost every wardrobe decision that follows.
When the audience for a particular headshot consists primarily of peers, it may make sense to present as relatable.
Someone building a personal brand around expertise, on the other hand, may benefit from dressing a level up. Not because nicer clothing automatically creates authority, but because audiences tend to grant experts permission—even an expectation—to present themselves that way.
Some of this is obvious. Someone interviewing at a large law firm probably wouldn't wear the same thing they would to a creative agency. Different professions carry different expectations.
The more interesting question is what you're trying to communicate within your profession. Dressing like every other attorney may not be the right choice if you're intentionally trying to position yourself differently. Likewise, showing up to a creative agency in a three-piece suit may communicate something you never intended.
Neither approach is better, and only the individual can ultimately know their positioning within the bigger picture, but this is where the thought process starts.
The clothing simply needs to support the message you're trying to communicate.
Visual Communication
People, whether they consider themselves creative or not, are wired to form impressions from how things look.
A shag carpet immediately places most people somewhere around the 70s. Likewise, when someone says Wacker Drive feels more modern than LaSalle Street, they're reacting to architecture whether they realize it or not.
Clothing does the same thing.
Layered versus unlayered. Traditional versus contemporary. Ordinary colors versus unexpected. Even glasses or no glasses all give people subconscious clues about the person wearing them.
Of course, there are great headshots that break every "rule." But commercial headshots are a little different. The most effective ones are those where the wardrobe, expression, lighting, and environment all reinforce the same message instead of competing with one another.
Your Style, And Your Headshot Style
Choosing clothing for a headshot differs from choosing clothing for everyday life in two important ways: the crop, and the professional context in which the image will be used.
When it comes to composition, a headshot only shows a small portion of what you're wearing, cutting off most of the arms and nearly 80% of the torso and below.
That changes what feels balanced.
A blazer with a low-cut undershirt may as well be a blazer with no shirt at all. Puffy sleeves might create an interesting silhouette when your whole body is in view, but inside a headshot crop they can become a surprisingly distracting base to the frame.
Patterns, jewelry, and fabrics that feel very "you" in person can end up becoming the subject of the photograph instead of supporting it.
This isn't about saying your personal style is wrong. It's simply recognizing that if something feels visually "off," that impression becomes part of how the photograph—and by extension, you—is perceived.
A flimsy collar or wrinkled lapel becomes surprisingly noticeable when it's sitting directly beneath your face without much else to compete for attention. The tighter the composition, the more every detail matters.
That's why solid colors tend to work well. Not because patterns are inherently bad, but because the goal isn't for someone to notice your shirt.
It's for them to notice you.
Subtle texture, on the other hand, can add visual interest without demanding attention. Think of the difference between a plain white T-shirt and a heavyweight cream tee with beautiful stitching and texture.
They're both simple, but one carries far more character.
Variety
It's funny—most would agree it would be odd if someone showed up to work wearing the same thing every day. That concept has proven to trickle over into using the same headshot on every piece of collateral, every post, and every profile.
So bring options, for that reason and other more practical one":
What you see in your mirror is not going to be the same as how it looks in the headshot crop.
The balance of a certain jacket shape might not flatter the shape of your face, but something that you didn't expect to love might work perfectly, especially with the pair of glasses you weren't even sure about.
It can't be understated: what you see in real life is not how it looks in a headshot.
With multiple options, you have backup and the ability to create images that are distinct across different platforms instead of using the same image every time, in every place.
During The Session
It’s one thing to imagine how things will turn out, but sometimes the best images come as a result of experimentation.
So if you’re willing to try, there are all kinds of moods that can result from different blends of outfits, lighting, and backgrounds.
The best thing about creating a variety is it becomes easy to imagine how the headshots will work in context and with the message once you can actually see it.
Again, it's less about fashion and more about communication.
Final Thoughts
Wardrobe is an important creative tool used to support the message you want your headshot to communicate.
If you're unsure what to wear, don't stress over getting it perfect—just bring options. If you are on location, consider reaching out beforehand. You're more than welcome to send photos of the contenders, or even your entire closet.
We'll look at them, discuss where the images will be used, and decide which wardrobe best supports the impression you're trying to make.
