Don’t think for a moment that just because you’re a professional that you need to have stuffy, yearbook looking headshots. Most of my clients own service based businesses and want to attract clients with their awesome brand and personality. They want to seem approachable and friendly and dream of having images that reflect this quality.

Preparing for your headshot session can seem like a daunting task. I get a lot of questions surrounding what to wear, so here are a few tips for putting together your outfit:

Dress in something you feel comfortable and confident in:

This is a huge one…if you don’t feel comfortable you definitely won’t look comfortable. If you feel like your top is pulling in the wrong place or the zipper is digging into your skin it’ll show in your images…at the very least you’ll always remember when you look at the image of yourself that you hated that darn dress. Make sure you select an outfit that you feel confident in!

Make sure it fits

This is tagging off the last point, make sure you’re comfortable in your outfit and make sure it’s the correct size for your body. If your dress is too tight, you’ll be pulling at it, trying to situate it correctly on your body during your entire session. Many times, something that is too tight can make you look bigger than you actually are…but the same is also true for something that is too big. If the shirt or dress has no structure to it, many times it can swallow you and make you look larger. Make sure your outfit fits, has structure, and is flattering to your body type.

Avoid busy patterns

The whole point of these headshots is to spot YOU, the wonderful person behind your business. Try to stick to smaller patterns or solids, as to not distract from your gorgeous face.

Bring clothes that can easily transition

Since our time together is limited I want to make sure to use it to the fullest. Most of my sessions are on-location, making it hard to find a place to change. I suggest that clients bring two outfits to their session, this can be done with the same pants/skirt and simply changing your top. This can also be accomplished by wearing a dress and bringing a blazer, you’ll get two different looks by just adding a jacket!

Professional v. Personal

You want to make sure to be the true professional that you are, but also show a bit of your personality in these images. Select a few outfits that show the different sides of you. For example, 1. an outfit that you would to to a client meeting in 2. an outfit that you would be working in 3. a cute casual outfit that you would be wearing on the weekends

Use this as an excuse to go shopping

Now days many stores/boutiques have services that will help you select an outfit that looks great…and most times it’s free of charge (who doesn’t love free?!?).