What you wear is the single thing you control most on a headshot day. Get it right and the photo looks effortless. Get it wrong and even perfect lighting cannot fully fix it — a busy pattern, a bad neckline or a creased collar pulls attention straight off your face.
After 20 years photographing Sydney professionals, the same wardrobe decisions come up on almost every shoot. This guide covers what works, what to avoid, and how to prepare, so you arrive ready and leave with a headshot you will actually use.
Start with solid, mid-to-dark colours
Solid colours keep attention on your face, which is the entire point of a headshot. Mid-to-dark tones — navy, charcoal, deep green, burgundy, slate grey — photograph cleanly and read as professional across almost every industry.
Darker clothing also separates you from a light or white background, so your shoulders and outline stay defined rather than washing out. If your company headshots sit on a white background, a mid-to-dark top is the safest single choice you can make.
Dress one notch above your day-to-day
A headshot should look like you on a good day, not in costume. The reliable rule is to dress one notch above what you wear to the office on a normal Tuesday.
If your workplace is business casual, a blazer lifts the image without looking stiff. If your industry is formal — law, finance, advisory — a suit with a considered tie or a clean blouse is the expected standard. If you work somewhere creative, a sharp knit or a well-cut shirt keeps it polished without overdressing.
What to avoid
- Bright white directly against the skin — it can glow and pull exposure off your face
- Busy patterns, tight stripes and small checks, which can shimmer or distort in a sharp photo
- Large logos or slogans that date the image and distract from you
- Fluorescent or neon colours that cast coloured light back onto your skin
- Anything ill-fitting — clothes that bunch at the shoulder or gape at the collar read instantly in a close crop
Mind necklines, fit and layers
A headshot is usually framed from the chest up, so necklines do a lot of work. Crew necks, collared shirts, blazers and structured tops all sit cleanly. Very low or very busy necklines compete with your face.
Fit matters more than the garment. A modest jacket that fits at the shoulder beats an expensive one that does not. If you are buying something for the shoot, prioritise the fit across the shoulders and the collar, because that is what the camera sees.
Layers give the photographer options. A jacket over a shirt or knit can be worn done up, open, or removed entirely, which means several distinct looks from a single outfit.
Grooming and the small details
- Iron or steam everything — creases are obvious in a high-resolution photo
- Make sure collars sit flat and jackets fall straight at the shoulder
- Keep jewellery simple so it does not pull focus from your face
- If you colour your hair or get a haircut, do it about a week before — not the day before
- Bring a lint roller and a small mirror; final checks happen on the day, not in the edit
Bring options and decide on the day
Most sessions allow more than one outfit. The Essential session at $395 includes one to two changes, and the Professional session at $695 allows three to four — so use them.
Bring a couple of tops in different tones, a jacket, and a backup in case something photographs differently than you expect. It is far easier to compare two looks side by side on the screen during the shoot than to commit in advance and wish you had tried the other one.
A note on industry expectations
Different sectors carry different defaults. Law firms and finance lean conservative — suits, neutral backgrounds, a serious-but-approachable expression. Technology and startups can dress down a notch, with a smart shirt or knit and a more relaxed feel. Real estate and personal-brand professionals often want a warmer, more individual look that still reads as credible.
If your headshot needs to sit alongside colleagues on a team page, check what everyone else is wearing first. Consistency across a team page matters more than any one person's outfit, which is exactly why a coordinated headshot day produces a stronger result than people booking separately.
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