Start here
What’s This About:
Choose headshot clothes for the way the photograph will be used, starting from any employer or photographer brief and an outfit that fits you well.
This guide walks through the practical checks, such as:
– asking for the brief before buying anything
– a starting outfit for a formal company portrait or a business-casual portrait
– testing the fit seated and standing, in the positions you will use
– checking colour, pattern and undershirts together with the photographer
– preparing the clothes for the journey and the final checks before the camera starts
and many more!
A suit is right for some headshots and not others; the brief and the people who will see the photograph decide.
Key Points:
01Confirm the intended use, crop and any company requirements before choosing clothes.
02Test the outfit while seated and standing, not only on a hanger.
03Ask the photographer about patterns, background and lighting rather than following blanket colour bans.
04Clothing can support the brief, but it does not guarantee credibility, promotion or sales.
Find out whether the photograph is for a company directory, LinkedIn profile, speaker biography, personal website or a wider set of branding images.
A team may want a consistent level of formality, while an independent professional may need several versions.
Ask whether the session will include head-and-shoulders, seated or wider photographs.
Confirm whether you can change clothes and how many alternatives are useful.
Do not arrive with a suitcase of outfits if the booking allows only a short session and one look.
The VOU’s business image-consulting process guide discusses the wider context.
This article deals with preparing clothing for the photograph, not choosing or promising a consulting service.
Choose a Starting Outfit
A Formal Company Portrait
Try a navy or charcoal jacket with a plain white or pale-blue shirt.
Add a tie if it matches the company brief or your usual professional setting.
Check the knot, collar closure and jacket together.
For a team photograph, follow the shared instructions rather than deciding independently that a more formal outfit must be better.
Consistency may be what the brief asks for.
A Business Casual Portrait
An open-collar shirt with a soft jacket can provide a useful alternative.
If your normal work clothes are less formal, consider a plain shirt or a fine knit, subject to the photographer’s advice and the intended use.
Choose something that feels like an appropriate version of your real working wardrobe.
There is little value in buying a garment you cannot wear comfortably merely because it is associated with a particular job title.
Several Uses from One Session
If outfit changes are included, a jacket-and-tie version and an open-collar version may cover different contexts.
Keep the changes manageable.
Ask whether changing only the tie or jacket creates enough variation before carrying a second complete outfit.
Test Fit in the Positions You Will Use
Put on the clothes and sit down.
Check whether the collar feels comfortable, the shirt front pulls and the jacket sits as you want.
Move your arms naturally and look for a cuff or underlayer that has shifted.
Photographer Nataliya Lalor’s men’s headshot guide recommends trying the clothes before the session and checking fit.
Use that preparation principle without assuming every fold of fabric means a shirt is too large.
Seated posture naturally changes how clothing sits.
A photographer may make small styling adjustments for a particular pose.
That does not mean the garment must be worn that way throughout an ordinary working day.
Check Colour, Pattern and Underlayers Together
Plain fabrics are a straightforward starting point because they leave fewer competing details in the frame.
A pattern you regularly wear may still work; show it to the photographer and ask for a test rather than assuming every stripe or check is forbidden.
Photographers can give different colour advice.
Janelle Rose’s preparation guide discusses both neutral outfits and circumstances where black or white clothing can work.
This is a reason to coordinate with your own photographer, not to memorise a universal list of banned colours.
Try the intended undershirt beneath the actual shirt.
Check the neckline and whether its edges show through.
Do not remove a comfortable underlayer automatically, and do not assume the lighting will conceal it.
The VOU’s undershirt guide covers the garment choice in more detail.
Prepare the Clothes for the Journey
Check for marks, loose threads, missing buttons and visible creases.
Follow the care label for any cleaning or pressing.
Carry the jacket and spare shirt so they do not arrive tightly crushed in a bag.
Keep small accessories together.
If you want advice about a tie, bring the actual options rather than relying on how their colours look on a phone screen.
Wear suitable trousers and shoes even when you expect a close crop.
The session may include a wider frame, and a complete outfit makes changing plans easier.
Before the Camera Starts
– Confirm that the outfit matches the agreed brief.
– Check collar points, tie placement and jacket lapels.
– Remove visible lint and empty bulky pockets where appropriate.
– Tell the photographer about an underlayer or pattern you want to test.
– Check that you can sit, stand and move comfortably.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Must men wear a tie for a professional headshot?
No; follow the employer or photographer brief and the image’s intended use.
A tie can suit a formal portrait; an open collar may better represent another professional context.
Q. Can I wear my usual glasses?
Tell the photographer in advance and bring them clean.
Let the photographer advise on lighting and any reflections rather than changing something central to your everyday appearance without discussing it.
Q. Should I buy a new suit?
Not automatically; try your existing clothes first.
A suitable outfit that fits well may serve the brief better than an unfamiliar purchase made at the last minute.
Mandy Meyer’s focus at The VOU is men’s body-shape styling, garment fit and outfit proportions. Her coverage addresses the practical questions behind a wardrobe choice: how a jacket sits across the shoulders, how trousers fall and how different cuts change the silhouette a wearer wants to create.
Her subject areas include the triangle, inverted triangle, rectangle, oval, trapezoid, hourglass and diamond labels used in body-shape styling. These provide starting references for comparing visible proportions; they do not capture every body or prescribe one correct way to dress. The focus connects those observations with garment shape, construction, length and the relationship between the upper and lower parts of an outfit.
Mandy’s editorial coverage combines visual comparisons with fit checks for comfort and movement. Readers can consider whether a cut gives them the room they need, where clothing pulls or gathers and which changes might support their preferred look. The aim is to make menswear choices more understandable while keeping personal preferences and the wearer’s own styling goals central.
#Men #Wear #Professional #Headshots #Practical #Outfit #Check
