Not sure what to wear for your Women’s Corporate Headshot? Our 5 expert tips will help you

(This guide is specifically for Women. To view our Men’s guide, click here.)

One of the most common questions we receive from our female clients is “What to wear for my corporate headshot?”. And we’re so happy you ask, because your wardrobe plays a large part in the first impression your corporate headshot or portrait gives to your potential employers. 

We’ve compiled a list of quick tips to help you prepare, and make sure you leave your photo session with new corporate portraits that you’ll love. And if you’re still stuck for ideas, we’ve included some style inspiration at the end. 

Tip 1: Dress like the person you want to become. 

This may sound a little deep, but your new portraits are a major step towards becoming the person you want to be. 

Let me explain: imagine you feel stuck in your job, and you’ve decided that you want to attract bigger and better work opportunities. You’ve realised that improving your professional online profiles with stylish headshots will give your dream employers confidence that you’re the perfect person for the job. We suggest dressing like the kind of person who gets the work opportunities that you dream of. If you want to be promoted to a Senior Manager, then dress like a Senior Manager.

Another way of putting it, is to dress how you would if you were going to a job interview with your dream employers. 

Dress to impress (your future employers)

Dress how you would if you were going to a job interview with your dream employers.

Tip 2: Don’t let your clothes take all the attention.

Of course, while your choice of wardrobe is very important in setting a first impression, research has shown that other factors, namely body language, eye contact and your smile, are more important.

If you’re getting your new corporate portrait taken by a specialist portrait photographer, they will know exactly how to guide and direct you through the session to ensure your body language, eye contact and smile give off a confident, friendly and approachable vibe.

Clothes are important, but body language is even more so

Your clothes are like a supporting actor, which should strengthen, but not take the attention away from the star of the show – you!

Tip 3: Bring these essentials to achieve a variety of looks. 

In general, we find that a business casual style works best for most of our clients who choose our corporate portrait packages (of course, if your dream job requires you to dress more casually or formally, dress suitably for the role).

Essentials: For a women’s business casual look, we recommend bringing a suit jacket or two (if this is something you normally wear), a variety of tops (crew neck, boat neck and narrow v-necks are always flattering), smart trousers and shoes. A smart sweatshirt can also work nicely. With these essentials we can create a number of looks, ranging from casual to more formal.

Try to avoid short sleeves or sleeveless tops (unless you want to show off your arms), low necklines, turtlenecks and shiny fabrics. 

Colours: In general, we recommend keeping the colours darker than your skin tone as this helps the attention stay on your face. If you know which colour palette works best for you, bring options in those colours, or try hues which bring out your eye colour and flatter your skin tone. Rich colours can be great choices for women to make your corporate portraits really stand out.

Don’t be afraid to add some colour to your Business Portrait

It’s best to avoid pure black and pure white tops, however, if white is a colour you like to wear, it can work when matched with a jacket or a different coloured option. 

Patterns: In general, plain solid colour clothes work best, as patterns can be a distraction (remember that we want the focus of the portrait to be on your face, not the clothes). The same applies to logos; avoid anything with a large, distracting logo.

Fit: We always recommend trying your clothes on a week before to check how they feel and fit. Suitably fitted clothes will always be the most flattering (avoid anything too baggy or too tight). You can always take photos on your phone beforehand to see how they look, or ask a friend for their honest advice. 

Accessories: When it comes to jewellery, we believe in keeping things simple (if big jewellery is part of your signature look, bring it along and your photographer can show you how it looks in the photo). That being said, simple jewellery can add a great accent or splash of colour to your corporate portrait. 

Simple earrings add a touch of class while not being distracting

When it comes to earrings, stud’s tend to photography better. (Extra expert tip: make sure you remove everything from your pockets during your photoshoot – a phone bulging out of your pocket is a big no no).  

We recommend bringing multiple options (in different colours) as your photographer can help you decide which works best with the rest of your outfit, and the background. 

Whatever you bring, make sure you feel good wearing it

Whatever you bring, make sure you feel good wearing it. If you feel uncomfortable wearing it, the chances are the photo will look awkward too.

If you need more inspiration, check out out Style Inspiration Pinterest board here!

Tip 4: Don’t forget to iron.

Please make sure that your clothes are neatly ironed and pressed before the shoot. If your top is wrinkled in real life, it will appear wrinkled in the photo. 

We suggest to our clients to get changed once they arrive to our studio to avoid unnecessary creasing that can happen when travelling to the studio wearing their outfit. 

Freshly pressed clothes always look best!

Tip 5: A little grooming goes a long way.

While not exactly a wardrobe tip, being well groomed is essential preparation for your photo. 

• Keep your makeup simple (as you would if you were going to a job interview). If you opt for a few different looks, you can always add extra makeup during the session.

If you choose to do your own make up, make sure you read our ’20 insider tips’ to doing your own headshot makeup.

But for the very best results we always recommend working with our professional Hair and Makeup artist (click here for more info).

• Drink plenty of water in the days leading to your business headshot session. 
• Get lots of sleep the night before your shoot to avoid dark bags under your eyes.  
• Moisturise like your life depends on it – ideally twice a day for the past 15 years. But if that never happened, twice a day in the days leading up to your shoot will help. 
• Recently cut hair is usually a good idea, and it’s always good to have a quick spruce up before the shooting begins (don’t be afraid to ask your photographer for a few moments to check everything in a mirror before the session starts). 

For the best results, we recommend working with our professional makeup artists

What should I wear for my Corporate Portrait, Women’s edition – That’s a wrap! 

We hope this guide has helped prepare you for your women’s corporate headshot session. The most important thing to bring to your session is a positive attitude, as that looks great on everyone! 

If you’d like to learn how our Corporate Portraits can help you land your dream job, click here.