What to Wear for Your Branding Headshot
General Tips for Everyone
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Drink lots of water and be well rested (so your eyes will not have dark circles).
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Your skin might not look its best after drugs/alcohol use. Try to abstain from these before your shoot.
What to Wear – Everyone
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Plan to arrive in the outfit you will be photographed in.
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Wear clothes that are comfortable and that make you look great.
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Make sure your jacket and shirt/blouse fit you well. A poorly fitted jacket or shirt/blouse will be obvious in the portraits (especially around the neck for men).
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Don’t overdress.
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Turtlenecks are almost always a bad idea, since they crowd the face.
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Clothes should be neatly pressed and should look new.
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Avoid busy patterns and large lines/stripes.
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Blue/green/turquoise shirts/blouses or accents can help emphasize blue/green/hazel eyes.
Hair and Facial Tips – Everyone
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Don’t get a new haircut just before the shoot. You may want to let it grow out a bit or get used to styling a new cut.
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Do not try/use any new product on your hair, face or body the day before or a few days before your shoot, in case you have a bad reaction to the product.
Your Wardrobe Should Fit and Flatter
Nothing flatters more than clothing that fits properly. Please try everything on in advance.
If you aren’t sure, it isn’t the right size.
The Clothing You Choose is Important!
We encourage one outfit that represents your brand – dark colors are slimming, stand the test of time, and ensure we photograph you at your very best. Styles come and go! This portrait will represent what you choose so your face and eyes should draw the attention, not your clothing. Because not everything that feels right photographs well, following our recommendations is essential to your successful session.
Let Your Personality Shine
Arrive well rested and well fed; you can’t hide a bad mood, or fake a good one. Details count. If you see it, so will the camera. This is where you have control over the impression you will create. Dressing your best means you won’t look back on a missed opportunity and experience the regret of wishing you had take the time and care to dress appropriately.
Essentials for Everybody
• Arrive with well styled hair. We recommend that you don’t cut your hair less than a week before the session. Hair should not block the eyes. Bangs should be short enough to allow both eyes to be seen.
• Eyeglasses should have a non-reflective coating.
• Clothing texture adds dimension and interest.
Essentials for Ladies
What to Wear – Women
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Avoid big prints and busy patterns.
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Be aware that different necklines will change the apparent shape of your face.
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For a no-jacket casual look, choose a blouse in a color other than white – ideally darker than your skin tone.
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A white shirt by itself is generally a bad idea – unless you plan to wear it underneath something (like a jacket).
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Be stylish and fashionable, but remember, the portrait is about your face and not your clothes.
Jewelry
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Keep jewelry extremely simple – small is better.
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Avoid jewelry that would distract from your face or that looks dated.
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The portrait is about your face, not your jewelry.
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Be prepared to remove facial piercings or multiple ear piercings.
Makeup Tips
Style Suggestions
Worried about looking photogenic in front of the camera?
Essentials for Gentlemen
What to Wear – Men
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The standard business look is a suit jacket, dress shirt and tie
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A casual business look is often a jacket and open dress shirt, a shirt and tie (no jacket), or a dress shirt on its own
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Polo shirts are a good look for some businesses. Be sure the shirt is in good condition and fits well
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For a no-jacket casual look, wear a colored shirt
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A white dress shirt by itself is generally a bad idea – unless you plan to wear it underneath something (jacket or sweater)
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Make sure your jacket and shirt fit you well. A poorly fitted jacket or shirt will be obvious in the portraits (especially around the neck for men)
-
Don’t overdress
-
Turtlenecks are almost always a bad idea (since they crowd the face)
-
Clothes should be neatly pressed and should look new or like new
-
Avoid busy patterns and large lines/stripes
Remember: Select and wear clothes that make you feel comfortable — something that makes you look and feel good.
Jewelry
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Keep jewelry simple – a great watch or cufflinks
Hair Tips
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Don’t get a new hair cut just before the session (you may want to let it grow out a bit or get used to styling a new cut)
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Do not try/use any new product on your hair, face or body the day before or a few days before your shoot, in case you have a bad reaction to the product
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Comb and style your hair. Product is your friend – especially for those stubborn cowlicks or hairs that don’t want to lie down.
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Don’t just roll out of bed. You want to look awake and ready to be productive –not like you are ready to go back to sleep after this.
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Groom your brows. Tweeze the ones in the middle – no unibrows. Brush your brows up and outwards to avoid the mad scientist look.
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You should also groom your facial hair. Keep it neat and low or none at all.
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Do use lip balm. Your lips should not be chapped or flaky. If you have chapped lips, start a few days in advance to get your lips in shape. Don’t wait until the day you are getting your headshot.
Style Suggestions
Below is a great video for helping you to figure out the best clothing for your body type. It’s shorter than 4 minutes, so please take time to watch it!
How to Dress to Flatter Your Body Type for Men: Men’s Fashion Advice
How to match your tie and pocket square
is a great read,
Be sure to check out our BRANDING Clothing Suggestions for Men Pinterest board
Wish you had a personal stylist? Check out Stitch Fix for Men
We consider ourselves storytellers that uses photography as our medium. We typically work with moms and dads who realize that their children won’t be young forever. They all say, “Where did the time go?”
We can’t stop time! That’s why parents commission Ever After to create beautiful heirloom portraits of their children and family so they can decorate their home with the ones they love. The heirloom products that we create are museum quality.
They are heirloom legacy pieces handed down to your children so they can treasure the memories of YOU and their childhood long after each is gone — and then they will hand them down to THEIR children, to become even more valued as years pass. It’s this type of heirloom artwork that if a disaster struck, you would grab your kids, your cat and these portraits because they mean that much to you…