What to Wear for Business Headshots

Corporate Headshot Photography Los Angeles by Vanie Poyey

To figure out exactly what is appropriate for your business headshots, first determine who your target audience is. For a conservative sector, it goes without saying that business attire like suit jackets or button-downs are appropriate. For a more casual appearance, you can ditch the suit jacket and opt for a button-down shirt or blouse. If you’re a creative professional, you can skip the business attire altogether.

Regardless of your choice, I recommend you prepare wardrobe based on the following basic guidelines:

• Vibrant primary colors are great for color portraits.
• Unless you are layering over them, try to stay away from whites, pastels, pinstripes and large patterns. For ties, small patters are okay.
• Bring dark colors only for suits not for blouses or button down shirts.
• Be sure to iron or steam your clothes beforehand.
• Large accessories like chunky jewelry or accessories are distracting (especially around the wrist area) and therefore discouraged.

*For group portraits I recommend having the team dress in similar clothing to prevent the image from becoming too busy. Put together a theme for your group. For example, if one team member is wearing a blue button down shirt under a black blazer, other team members may wear a blue blouse with a black skirt or slacks, etc.

If you still need expert help with wardrobe, I highly recommend personal stylist, Rayne Parvis.