I do like it this question. It is one that if you look at a headshot photographer’s website, they are always ready to tell you exactly what you should wear to a headshot photography session with them.

The truth behind this question is though that it is the wrong question to be asking. The questions you should be asking yourself is what do you want your headshot to say?

The clothes you wear for a headshot are not the same for a portrait (there is a subtle difference here). A headshot, as the name suggests, is usually a photograph, or image, that shows your head and shoulders. That is a bit of relief for you as you don’t need to think about the full outfit. If you want to wear your shorts or tracksuit bottoms, then that’s fine as they won’t be seen in your headshot.

With less to think about it is now time to think about what you want your headshot to say about you. Ask yourself questions like, “what is the headshot for?” or “what am I trying to say?” also, “where is the headshot going to go?”

If it is for work, then it makes sense that you would wear something that you would usually wear for work. There is no point wearing a shirt and tie if you job is as a fitness instructor; it just does not give the right impression.

Many headshot photographers will tell you that you need to think about colours. Yes, the colours that you use should coordinate, however, they should also reflect your personality. If you are a bright person, and you usually wear bright colours, wear them. Think about if the person viewing your headshot met you what would they expect you to be wearing? We have all heard the joke about the person on the first date. They have seen the photos online, and then when they finally meet the other person looks nothing like them.

If your headshot doesn’t represent who you really are, then when you do meet the person who saw your image, they are automatically going to be thinking, “what else did they put that wasn’t true?” That is not a good way to start anything, especially in business.