What Not to Wear for Professional Business Headshots

Getting professional headshots done isn’t just for actors and models. Professionals from a number of industries use professional corporate headshots in DC for a number of purposes. Staff profiles on the company website, résumés, LinkedIn profiles, and more—there are countless ways that your company will benefit from having professional headshots of its core staff members. If you’re getting ready for an upcoming photo session, here are a few tips on what you should not wear when getting your corporate headshots done.

Unprofessional Attire

Remember, these are professional headshots, so a professional is exactly what you want to look like. This isn’t the time to dress down or wear something more casual. Even if your business tends to have a more casual feel to it, you should always err on the side of overdressing when it comes to your headshots. You want to look your very best, so wear something highly professional, like a nice suit, a sharp blazer, or your best blouse.

Loud Colors or Patterns

Even if you’re someone who loves all of the brightest, wildest colors, your headshots may not be the best time to express that side of your fashion tastes. You don’t want to wear anything that distracts from your face or overpowers the photo; you want people to be looking at you, not that neon-colored animal print on your shirt. Tone it down and wear muted color or neutral tones for your photos.

Distracting Accessories

Along the same lines as loud colors and patterns, you don’t want to wear any accessories that distract from your face either. If you’re wearing a tie, pick a solid color or more subtle pattern, such as a nice pinstripe. For jewelry, keep it simple; studs or other small earrings are ideal, and if you want to wear a necklace, pick something like a simple silver pendant that won’t overpower your picture.

Clothing That Doesn’t Fit Right

While only a small portion of your clothing will show in a corporate headshot, you want to ensure that what does show is flattering to your figure. Don’t wear an oversized suitcoat that will dwarf you in your photo, and avoid too-tight clothing that may turn out unflattering in a close-up picture.

Wrinkled Clothing

Again, while it’s true that most of your headshot will be focused on your face, the upper portion of your torso will show, so make sure that your clothing is clean and properly pressed. Wrinkled or stained clothing is highly unprofessional and can make you look sloppy in your headshots, which is probably not the impression you want to make on potential customers.

Of course, the lower half of your body won’t show in your headshots, so don’t worry if your slacks are a bit wrinkled or if your skirt as a small spot on it from your lunch. Nobody will see these things in your photo.

Trendy Styles

While you may want to appear to be up on the latest fashion trends, this is something you should do with your day-to-day outfits—not your professional headshots. You want your headshots to last you at least four years, so pick a classic look and color that never goes out of style.

For high-quality DC corporate headshots, contact DC Headshots today at 202-422-3086.