Your headshot is the first impression you make on a potential employer, one that might just land you your next job. How you present yourself in the headshot is a huge part of its success or failure. If you make a wardrobe mistake that throws off the whole vibe of your headshot, your first impression could also lose you that job.
The truth is that your choice of clothing and other preparations for headshots matter. If you care to put your best foot forward, a headshot can mean everything. This may sound dramatic, but try to think about it from a recruiter’s point of view. A headshot is how they get their initial idea of you as a person, so it should be impactful and appealing.
The good news is that any man can improve his first impression with the right attire. It’s not always about the sharpest suit; after all, different industries call for different dress codes. However, dressing well for any professional prospect is never a bad idea.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through what you should wear for headshots for different kinds of jobs to really catch a recruiter’s eye.
Top Menswear for Headshots
Men going for a professional headshot have numerous clothing options. Your choice should be based on how formal your workplace is, so we’ve broken down this guide into three categories:
- Traditional formal attire
- Smart casual
- Creative
Your choice of what to wear should be based partly on your industry’s image as well as your own personality. The best clothing makes you feel confident while conveying pride in your job title.
Traditional Formal Headshot Attire
Think of the formal attire that offers a timeless appeal. Law firms, corporate offices, and other professional positions demand formal attire. There is still a lot of space for personalizing your wardrobe, but the basics are set in stone.
For men, the traditional formal attire for a headshot is a three-piece suit, which is common in corporate headshots. In most cases, a good matching tie is also recommended, but not always necessary.
If you want a classy, authoritative headshot, pick a classic suit. That means:
- A jacket in a dark color like black, navy, or charcoal
- A crisp, light-colored shirt, ideally white, but blue and pink are often great choices
If you’re wondering what tie will work best, bring a few. In a normal headshot photo shoot, you’ll have plenty of time to try different ties, or no tie.
The safest bets for ties are solid colors or subtle patterns. Simple stripes or polka dots can add interest to the overall appearance of the shot, but make sure the color complements the layers underneath. Black ties are safest, but burgundy, deep green, or navy can work if they match your other layers.
Overall, your visible clothing (your pants won’t usually be seen in the shot) should be solid and simple. Wearing a light shirt under a dark jacket serves a simple purpose: directing the viewer’s attention to your face, particularly your eyes.
For the same reasons, you need to avoid any distracting things like
- overly decorative ties or necklaces,
- elaborate textures,
- logos and prints, and
- loud patterns
Put some thought into your accessories and grooming. Make sure your hair, including facial hair, is carefully groomed. Clean, well-trimmed hair adds to a confident and put-together appearance. Make sure your face is clean and fresh, and if you’re lucky enough to have thick, lustrous eyebrows, check beforehand that there are no unruly hairs!
In the general rules we will go over, we’ll reiterate the need for well-fitting clothes. And for traditional headshots, clothing that fits well is even more important.
Smart Casual
“Smart casual” is not the most clear-cut category, but there are still easy guidelines for you to follow.
First, there is your shirt. Formal collared shirts are still a great choice, but not completely necessary. The quality of a collared shirt doesn’t need to be as high as it would for a more formal headshot. In fact, you can often dress down a bit with your shirt. An Oxford button-down shirt is a safe option; in some cases, a nice, well-fitting polo shirt or turtleneck will work.
As with other semiformal (or fully formal) dress choices, color choices can make you seem overdressed or underdressed. Solid colors are always the safest option, but you can get away with light, non-distracting patterns. Stripes are fine, and micro-checks can add subtle character to the shot.
In cases where your pants will be partially visible, typical trousers or chinos can work. Your trousers should be darker than your shirt, with black, navy, charcoal, and khaki being the best options in most cases.
You would be overdressing by wearing a three-piece suit jacket in a situation that calls for smart casual; however, it often makes sense to dress up a smart casual headshot with a blazer or sport coat.
A blazer or sportcoat doesn’t require matching pants, making it a cheaper option if you don’t have the right pants. The color rules for these outer layers are similar to those for suit jackets: Blazers and sportcoats should have neutral and darker colors that direct attention to your center and your face. For that, neutral colors like navy or gray are best.
Smart Casual Accessories
In terms of accessories, you can get away with more when dressing smart casual than you can when going formal.
Any accessories you choose should complement your other clothes without pulling attention away from your face.
Smart Casual Grooming
For smart casual shots, you need to put just as much effort into grooming as you would for more formal photo shoots. Your grooming, or lack thereof, has the largest impact in dressing you up or down. Avoid flashy grooming tricks for a smart casual headshot. In general, simply try to look neat and tidy.
Creative Headshots
Some industries and job titles call for less formality. In these contexts, appearing too “rigid” may actually hurt your image. Some positions in the arts, media, or design, for example, call for you to show more personality and less rigidity.
The goal with creative headshots is to break conventions, but only to a particular extent. You still need to look polished and neat. “Unconventional” can look great, as long as you appear creative, measured, and thoughtful.
The shirt you use in a creative headshot can be much bolder than it would be with formal or smart casual headshots. You have more freedom to experiment with colors and patterns. You can use dark, bright, bold, or solid-colored shirts as you wish. The hard part is that the more unconventional your shirt is, the more thoughtful you’ll need to be with the rest of your appearance.
Your clothes can have more creative and outstanding textures and patterns, too. Unique geometric patterns, or even abstract patterns or imagery, can contribute to a great photo. Depending on how artsy and unconventional your workplace is, you might experiment with floral patterns and bold layering.
Speaking of layering, you can try adding visually interesting articles like a denim jacket, unique blazer, and other things that make you stand out. In appropriate contexts, there is more room for jewelry and accessories like scarves.
One great idea for artistic headshots is mixing formal and casual pieces. A blazer over a T-shirt with a playful design could work great for certain environments, for example.
General Rules for What to Wear for a Headshot as a Man, Plus Additional Tips
Regardless of how formal your industry is or what your particular workplace expects, some rules remain the same. Formality is a flexible concept across different industries, but thoughtfulness is not something you can do without.
Below are some general rules to keep in mind when preparing for any headshot.
Well-Fitting Clothes
No matter whether your headshot includes a three-piece suit made by your law firm’s select tailor or a ninja turtle T-shirt, if it doesn’t fit well, you’ll be dealing with a bigger faux pas than underdressing or overdressing.
Well-fitted clothes serve several functions that you may not be considering.
First, clothes that fit well help focus the attention on your face. Baggy clothes stand out due to their disproportionate alignment relative to your body. If your clothes are too big or too small, they can distract from your face.
Second, well-fitting clothes create a look that demonstrates your self-respect and ability to represent yourself (and by extension, the company) well. Oversized clothing naturally has a “sloppy” look, which is fine in many cases, but not for a work-related headshot. Undersized clothing in a headshot similarly comes across as unprofessional, even in creative fields.
Care for Your Skin
Skincare is an often-overlooked part of men’s headshots. While it’s not the most crucial part of a headshot, basic skincare can go a long way. Healthy skin that is well cared for communicates vitality and professionalism. If it helps you feel more confident, that’s a bonus.
What you want to aim for is skin that is as clear and smooth as you can make it. The main skincare issues that can make a headshot not as great as it could be are oiliness, shine, and dead skin. Correcting these issues on the main focal point of your headshot—your face—will give you a great head start.
Use whatever skincare routine works for your skin type. If you have sensitive skin, try to avoid redness or inflammation. If your skin is dry, focus on the hydration aspect of skincare. Maintaining the right balance on the day of your photo shoot can contribute to a better headshot.
Mood and Posture
Most professional headshots call for a similar mood. There may be some differences in how serious you look, but the golden rule is to always have a genuine smile.
Some people think smiling makes them look like they’re not serious about their profession. However, the data consistently demonstrates across industries that a smile helps. A simple, genuine, warm smile makes you more likely to get hired and find clients.
The happier and more confident you feel, the better your headshot will look. If you’re dealing with a good studio, they’ll want to make the effort to build rapport and get you comfortable. Your confidence and warmth will pay dividends!
In terms of your headshot pose, try to stand upright and not slouch. Also, avoid crossing your arms. While it may make you look more serious, crossing your arms creates a defensive mood, which is not what you want in a headshot.
Solid Colors
Lastly, while not entirely necessary, it’s a good rule to defer to solid colors when in doubt. Even in highly creative fields, it’s easier to pull off a great final headshot when you apply solid colors to at least one layer.
Solid colors are easy to match with other attire based on the common rules we’ve outlined above. Even when you wear more decorative shirts, it’s simpler to match them with a solid-colored jacket.
If you want to learn more, read our comprehensive guide to choosing the right colors for your headshot.
Another Way: AI Headshots
The good news is that if this all sounds like a bit much, there is a great new alternative.
AI headshot generators use AI image-generation technologies for the specific purpose of learning the most intricate details of a person’s face. The algorithms can then recreate that face, creating headshots in many different situations.
AI headshot generators also do the steps outlined in this guide: they put you in the ideal clothes for the portrait you’re after.All you need to do is upload a photo or selfie and select from our settings. Portrait Pal creates AI headshots for a fraction of the cost of going to a photography studio. Our algorithms have been honed over time, and our AI shoots provide many options that you can choose from.