What to Wear for Your Professional Headshot (Beyond the Navy Blazer)

What to Wear for Headshots Takeaways at a Glance

• Rob Faber Photography is a Peter Hurley trained headshot photographer serving professionals and teams across Northern Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, including Suffield, Simsbury, West Hartford, and Glastonbury.
• Knowing what to wear for headshots comes down to five decisions: color, neckline, fabric, fit, and how well the outfit matches the industry you work in.
• The navy blazer is a safe answer, not always the right one. The best outfit is the one that looks like you on your most important workday.
• Bring options. Two or three looks give us room to choose what actually works under the light, instead of guessing at home in front of a mirror.

Almost every client asks me the same question a few days before their session: what should I wear? Usually it comes with a photo of a navy blazer hanging on a closet door and a hopeful “this works, right?” Most of the time it does. But figuring out what to wear for headshots deserves a little more thought than defaulting to the one jacket everyone owns.

Your clothing takes up a surprising amount of the frame in a head-and-shoulders portrait. It sits right next to your face, it sets the tone before anyone reads your title, and it either supports your expression or quietly competes with it. Here is how I walk clients through the decision, from color to fit to the specific expectations of their field.

Why the Navy Blazer Became the Default

There is a good reason the navy blazer shows up at so many sessions. It is a mid-to-deep tone that flatters most skin, it reads as professional in nearly every industry, and it rarely goes wrong. If you are completely stuck, it is a reasonable choice.

The problem is that safe is not the same as right. A real estate agent, a therapist, a software founder, and a litigator should not all look like they shopped at the same store on the same afternoon. Your headshot is personal branding in its most concentrated form, and I say that as someone who teaches business and marketing by day. If your clothing could belong to anyone, your headshot starts to look like it could belong to anyone too.

So think of the navy blazer as a baseline. Then ask whether something else tells your story better.

Color: What to Wear for Headshots That Flatter You

Color is the first thing people notice and the easiest place to make a smart choice.

Choose Solids Over Patterns

Solid colors keep the attention on your face. Busy patterns, small checks, and tight stripes can create a shimmering effect on camera, and bold prints pull the eye away from your expression. A subtle texture is fine. A loud pattern almost never is.

Lean Toward Mid-Tones and Deeper Colors

Mid-tones and richer shades photograph beautifully for most people. Think charcoal, deep green, burgundy, slate blue, warm brown, or a soft gray. These colors give the image weight without stealing focus.

Very bright colors, like neon or saturated orange, tend to reflect color back onto your skin and draw attention to themselves.

Think About the Background, Too

The background and your outfit need to work together. In my Back in Black studio style, I use rich shadows, soft directional light, and dark backgrounds. That look is striking, but an all-black outfit against a black background can make your shoulders disappear into the shadows. A jacket or top with a little more tone, such as charcoal, deep blue, or a jewel color, gives the light something to catch and keeps a clean edge around you. On lighter backgrounds, the opposite logic applies: very pale clothing can blend in, so a medium or darker tone keeps you separated from the backdrop.

Neckline: The Detail Closest to Your Face

Because a headshot is cropped tight, the neckline is often the most visible part of your outfit. It frames your face, and it shapes how your neck and jaw read on camera.

Necklines That Photograph Well

A V-neck or open collar creates a clean line that draws the eye upward toward your face. Collared shirts, with or without a tie, give structure. Simple crew necks and modest scoop necks work well for a more relaxed look, especially for creative fields.

Necklines to Think Twice About

Very high necklines and turtlenecks can shorten the neck in a tight crop. They are not off limits, and they can look sharp in an editorial style, but they work best on people who already wear them regularly. Very low necklines can read as too casual or simply disappear once the image is cropped for LinkedIn. Strapless or thin-strap tops tend to make a tight headshot look like there is no clothing in the frame at all.

Fabric: How Your Clothing Holds the Light

Fabric affects how your clothes look under studio light more than most people expect.

Matte fabrics, like wool, cotton, and many knits, photograph cleanly and hold their shape. Very shiny materials, like satin or high-sheen synthetics, catch the light and create bright hot spots that distract from your face. Thin, clingy fabrics show every wrinkle and seam.

Wrinkles are the quiet enemy here. They show up far more on camera than they do in the mirror. Hang your outfit the night before, keep it on a hanger in the car, and bring a lint roller. I retouch with a light hand in Lightroom, and while I can clean up a stray piece of lint, I would much rather start with fabric that already looks crisp.

Fit: The Difference Between Polished and Borrowed

Fit might be the single most important wardrobe detail, and it is the one people overlook most.

A jacket that is too big makes your shoulders look slumped and your posture look tired. A shirt that is too tight pulls at the buttons and bunches when you lean toward the camera, which is exactly what I will be asking you to do. During a session I coach you to bring your forehead slightly forward and down to define the jawline, and clothing that fights that movement shows it.

The fix is simple: wear what fits you now. Not the jacket from five years ago, not something you bought online and have never tried on. If a piece needs tailoring, a small adjustment to the shoulders or sleeves can make a noticeable difference in a tight frame.

What to Wear for Headshots in Your Industry

Your industry sets the expectations your clients bring with them. The goal is to meet those expectations, then add just enough of yourself to be memorable.

Law, Finance, and Corporate Leadership

Structured jackets, collared shirts, and refined accessories still lead here. This is where the navy blazer earns its reputation, but charcoal, deep gray, and dark green offer the same authority with a little more character. Keep it tailored and understated. Trust is the message.

Healthcare and Wellness

Many healthcare providers want to look capable and warm at the same time. A clean collared shirt or blouse, a soft knit, or your professional attire, including a well-fitted white coat if that is what your patients see, all work. Softer colors help you feel approachable without losing credibility.

Real Estate and Client-Facing Sales

You are often the brand. Dress the way you would for a listing appointment or a first meeting with a buyer: polished, confident, and current. A color that is easy to recognize across your signs, cards, and social posts can help people remember you.

Creative Fields, Tech, and Entrepreneurs

You have more freedom, and you should use it, within reason. A well-fitted sweater, a quality T-shirt under a structured jacket, or a signature color can say more about your brand than a suit would. The key is intention. Casual should still look chosen, not like you came straight from the gym.

If you are not sure which direction fits your field, my guide to corporate vs. creative headshot styles walks through how different industries tend to land.

Accessories, Glasses, and the Small Stuff

Keep accessories simple. Small earrings, a classic watch, or a meaningful piece of jewelry can add personality. Large, reflective pieces catch the light and pull attention away from your eyes.

If you wear glasses every day, bring them. People should recognize you in your headshot, and I can adjust the light to manage reflections. If you sometimes go without them, we can photograph both ways so you have options.

Coordinating Wardrobe for Team Headshots

When I photograph a team, wardrobe becomes a group decision. The goal is not identical uniforms. It is a set of images that look like they belong on the same page.

A simple wardrobe guide helps a lot. Agree on a level of formality, such as jackets for everyone or no jackets for anyone, and a general color direction, such as mid-tones and deeper colors with no bright patterns. When every person shares the same light, background, and framing, coordinated wardrobe is what makes the whole team page feel unified and organized.

What to Bring to Your Session

Here is the short list I send to clients before a professional headshot session:

1. Two or three outfit options in solid colors that fit your industry.
2. Layers, like a jacket you can wear open, closed, or not at all, which gives us several looks from one outfit.
3. A lint roller and anything you use to keep your clothing crisp.
4. Your glasses, if you wear them regularly.

Because I shoot tethered, every frame appears on a large screen as we work. That means we can see exactly how each outfit looks under the light, compare options side by side, and choose what works before you change. You never have to guess.

For clients who want every detail handled, my Black Label Experience is guided from wardrobe through final delivery, so we plan your clothing together well before you arrive.

Frequently Asked Questions

What colors are best for a professional headshot?

Solid mid-tones and deeper colors, such as charcoal, slate blue, deep green, burgundy, and warm brown, flatter most people. Avoid neon, very bright colors, and busy patterns, which pull attention from your face. Your background matters too, so we will plan colors that stand apart from it.

Should I wear a jacket for my headshot?

It depends on your industry and personal brand. A jacket adds structure and works well in law, finance, and corporate leadership. In creative fields, tech, or wellness, a well-fitted sweater or shirt can feel more authentic. Bring a jacket as one of your options, and we can photograph with and without it.

How many outfits should I bring to a headshot session?

Two or three is ideal. That gives us enough options to find what works best on camera without turning the session into a wardrobe marathon.

Do you photograph teams in CT and MA?

Yes. I photograph individual professionals and full teams throughout Northern Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, including Suffield, Simsbury, West Hartford, and Glastonbury. For teams, I can help put together a simple wardrobe guide so everyone’s images feel consistent.

How do I book a headshot session?

Fill out my contact form, and I will send over more information. From there, we will talk through your goals, your industry, and what to wear for headshots that fit the way you want to be seen.

Dress for the Version of You People Should Meet

The navy blazer will always have a place in my studio. But the best answer to what to wear for headshots is the outfit that fits well, flatters your coloring, holds the light cleanly, and looks like you on the day that matters most. When your wardrobe supports your expression instead of competing with it, the whole image comes together.

If you are ready to plan your session, explore my professional headshot sessions, then reach out through my contact form to start the conversation. If LinkedIn is where your headshot will work hardest, my headshots for LinkedIn guide is a great next read. And if you want something with more drama than any outfit can deliver, my Rain Rig portrait sessions bring falling water into the frame for a truly cinematic portrait.

For more behind-the-scenes conversations on portraits, branding, and business, subscribe to the Shoot for Succession podcast, available on all major podcast platforms.