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What to Wear for Your Headshot, According to the Research

Quick answer: Wear what you’d wear in the room where you’re taken seriously, in solid colours that stand apart from your skin tone. Make sure it fits and isn’t wrinkled. Skip words, big logos and very fine patterns. Keep your hair and makeup close to how you wear them on a good day, keep your glasses if people know you in them, and bring a few options so you can check them on the screen as you shoot.

By Ryan Parker9 min read

Ten headshots on black, five over two: people of many ages and skin tones in suits, bold colours, patterns, glasses and a hijab

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Your clothes show up with your face.

Why It Matters

Most people ask me what to wear before they ask anything else. It makes sense. Your clothes are the one part of the photo you get to plan ahead.

And they do matter, a little. People size up a face in about a tenth of a second, and that snap judgement barely changes when they get longer to look. Your clothes are in that first tenth of a second too. In a set of studies at Princeton, people rated the same faces as more competent when the clothes looked a bit more expensive. It held when they were told to ignore the clothes, and even when they were paid to get it right.

The good news is how small those differences were. They were so subtle that people describing the photos almost never mentioned the clothes. So what matters most is that your clothes suit your room, fit your body and work on camera. Here’s what the research says, and where it runs out.

Dress for Your Room

The best outfit is whatever you’d wear in the room where you’re taken seriously, and that room is different for everyone. When researchers asked over 4,000 American patients what their doctors should wear, formal clothes with a white coat came out on top. But for surgeons and emergency doctors, patients preferred scrubs. The right clothes were the ones that fit the job.

So think about who’ll see your photo. A lawyer, a startup founder, a real estate agent and an actor all walk into different rooms. If you’re an actor, skip anything that looks like a costume for a role, so the photo looks like you. And if your headshot is part of a team shoot, check the dress code with your point person or HR first.

A woman with long straight black hair in teal scrubs, against white
A woman in a black blazer, a beaded medallion and a ribbon skirt, against a dark backdrop
A man in a plain dark green T-shirt, against a warm mustard backdrop
A man in a grey zip hoodie over a white T-shirt, against a dark backdrop
A woman with long blonde hair in a white doctor's coat, arms crossed, against a light grey backdrop
A man in a navy suit and a striped tie, seated on a stool against a dark backdrop

Ties

Fewer people wear ties than ever. Even before the pandemic, only 6% of American men wore one to work every day, and by 2023 just 3% of workers wore a suit most days. So a tie says more than it used to. In one study, the same man looked more competent in a tie, and a little less warm. In another, people looking at a video call were far more likely to pick the person in a suit as the leader, especially when they were the only one dressed up. But when founders pitched investors, the casually dressed ones came across as more genuine. So dress for your room. If a tie is part of how you show up for work, bring it. I always shoot it both ways, and it’s worth asking your photographer to do the same, unless your company’s dress code calls for one.

A man in glasses, a black jacket and a patterned bow tie with a matching pocket square, seated at a white table
A smiling man in a navy double-breasted suit, a red patterned tie and a yellow flower on his lapel
A man in a navy suit and an open-collared white shirt with no tie, against white
A man in black-framed glasses, a charcoal suit and a slim black tie, against white
A young man in a black suit and a black tie against a bright yellow backdrop
A smiling man in glasses, a pale blue shirt and a navy patterned tie, against white

Fit Beats Price

In one study, people saw the same man in two dark blue suits, one made to measure and one off the rack, with his face hidden. In the one that fit, he looked more confident and like he earned more. Whatever you wear, it should fit you now and not be wrinkled, because the camera sees everything. For a chest-up headshot, a closer fit reads best. When the photo is framed wider, looser clothes can work too.

Not Sure What to Wear? Bring a Jacket

A blazer over a simple top gives a clean line. In a study of over 1,300 students, the same instructor, man or woman, looked more competent in a navy jacket than in a hoodie, and a little less warm. It’s the same trade as the tie, and it mattered less in casual fields. So bring it, and try it both ways.

A man in a navy zip jacket over a white collared shirt, against a light grey backdrop
A woman with shoulder-length dark hair in a denim jacket, arms crossed, beside a white panel
A man in a navy blazer over a plain white T-shirt, beside a white panel against a dark backdrop
A man in a deep green velvet blazer with a white pocket square over a white T-shirt
A smiling woman with blonde hair in a black double-breasted blazer with gold buttons over a black top
A woman with bangs and glasses in an olive utility jacket over a navy top, beside a white panel

Colour and pattern

Stand apart from your skin.

Contrast With Your Skin

Pick a colour that stands apart from your skin. Whatever your skin tone, a colour close to it, in how light or deep it is and how warm it is, can blend in and wash you out. On fair skin, that might be pale yellow, pink or beige. On olive or golden skin, it might be khaki, camel or mustard. On deep brown skin, it might be chocolate or espresso. Anything with clear separation from your skin will work.

A note on the research: most studies of clothing colour have only used white faces, which is a real gap. The contrast idea comes from how our eyes see colour, so it should hold for everyone, but nobody has tested it on deeper skin yet.

A woman with long dark hair in a sleeveless lime green top, against a dark backdrop
A man with deep brown skin and a grey beard in a bright orange shirt, against a dark backdrop
A woman with fair skin and red hair in a teal cardigan, against a teal backdrop
A man with light brown skin in a bright pink button-up shirt, against a grey backdrop
A man with deep brown skin in round glasses, a blue blazer and a black turtleneck, against a dark backdrop
A woman with fair skin, short grey hair and glasses in a coral top, against a dark backdrop

Solid Colours

Solid colours are the easiest place to start. LinkedIn’s own photo tips say solid colours tend to do best on camera. Your photo often ends up as a small circle beside your name, and a solid colour keeps the attention on your face.

A woman with a red bob in a sleeveless mustard yellow top, against a dark backdrop
A smiling man in a turquoise shirt under a black suit jacket, against white
A man with a beard and slicked-back hair in a denim shirt over a white T-shirt
A woman with short grey hair and bold blue glasses in a cobalt blue blazer and top
A woman with long dark hair in an olive green suit, arms crossed, beside a white panel
A young man with short natural hair in a plain pink T-shirt, against a teal backdrop

White, Black and Colour Cast

White, black and grey all work, and so does almost any colour. A few things to watch for on the screen:

  • White can lose its texture if it catches too much light. It works on every skin tone, but the deeper your skin, the bigger the jump in brightness from your face to the shirt. Either way, your photographer should expose for your face and make sure the shirt keeps its detail.
  • Black can melt into a dark backdrop and leave you looking like a floating head. A little light from the side or behind brings your shoulders back.
  • Strong colours, green most of all, can bounce a tint onto your skin, usually up under the chin. If it shows up on the screen, it’s worth fixing before you keep shooting.
A woman with long blonde hair in a black blazer and black top, lit to stand out from a dark backdrop
A woman in a white blazer against a grey backdrop
A smiling woman with long grey braids and round glasses in a cream top, against a dark backdrop
A smiling woman with long dark hair in a white sleeveless top, against a grey backdrop
A woman with straightened, softly curled hair and clear round glasses in a white sleeveless top, against a light grey backdrop
A man in a black T-shirt and grey trousers, seated on a stool and lit to stand out from a grey backdrop

What About Red?

You may have heard that red makes you more attractive, or that a red tie is a power tie. Neither holds up well. The attraction effect mostly shrank when other researchers tried to repeat it. And when one researcher switched the ties on videos of three politicians, Stephen Harper among them, from blue to red, nobody rated them any differently as leaders. Treat red like any other colour. If it suits you and stands apart from your skin, wear it.

A woman with long white hair and glasses in a red cowl-neck sweater, against a red backdrop
A woman with grey hair and glasses in a red jacket, against a white backdrop
A man with deep brown skin in a red shirt with an embroidered collar, looking off camera against white
A smiling woman in an orange, blue and white headwrap and a red blazer with embroidered lapels over a white shirt
A young woman with long dark hair and bangs in a burgundy lace top, against a burgundy backdrop
A woman with long twists pulled half up in a red blazer over a black top, against a dark backdrop
A young woman with long brown hair in a red top, against a red backdrop
A smiling man in a navy suit and a red tie, against a grey backdrop
A smiling man with a beard in a burgundy blazer over a white shirt, against white
A woman with natural curly hair and glasses in a red jacket, against a deep red backdrop
A smiling woman with a dark bob and clear glasses in a red blazer over a white top
A smiling man in a burgundy shirt under a black jacket, against a dark backdrop

Patterns, Words and Logos

Faces are the first thing people look at in a photo, and words come next. In an eye-tracking study at Caltech, faces drew about 16 times more looks than other parts of a scene, and text about 11 times more, even when people were searching for something else. So skip shirts with words or big logos, because they’ll pull eyes off your face. A small logo can usually be removed in retouching, so ask your photographer if you’re not sure.

Very fine patterns are the real trouble: tight stripes, small checks and fine weaves. They can clash with the camera’s sensor and make a shimmering ripple called moiré. It’s hard to spot on a big screen, and it shows up once the photo shrinks down to a profile picture. It’s also a pain to fix afterward. A good photographer should steer you away from those, and if moiré shows up on the screen during your shoot, change tops before you keep going.

Bold patterns are different. They can work, especially against the right backdrop. I’ve had a patterned top look busy against a dark grey backdrop and come alive against a bright one. So bring it, and try it on the screen with your photographer.

A swatch of fine blue and white pinstripe fabric, shown at full size
A fine stripe, full size
The same pinstripe shrunk to profile-picture size and zoomed back in, now wide wavy bands that aren't in the fabric
The same stripe at profile-picture size, zoomed in
A smiling man in glasses and a cream sweater with wide black stripes, against a grey backdrop
A woman in a bold, colourful print jacket against a dark backdrop
A smiling woman with short blonde hair in a bold black and white circle-print jacket over a pink top
A woman in a bold blue and green floral dress, beside a white panel
A woman with short white hair and glasses in a white dress with a large soft-coloured print, beside a white panel
A smiling bald man in a black blazer over a colourful patterned shirt, against white

Hair, makeup and glasses

It should look like you.

Hair

Wear it the way you would on a day you want your hair to look good, whatever that looks like: straight, curly, coily, braided, locs, a fresh fade, a hijab, a headwrap or a turban. Bring what you’d normally use for touch-ups before a big meeting or an audition. Don’t worry about flyaways. Those are easy to clean up in retouching.

Haircut timing is different for everyone. Some people love their hair right after a cut, or get it done professionally the morning of the shoot. Others like a week for it to grow in. You know what works for you.

A smiling woman in a cream patterned hijab and a cream and blush jacket with black trim, against a grey backdrop
A man with shoulder-length locs in a denim jacket over a patterned shirt
A smiling woman with long, softly waved straightened hair in a black and white geometric print top, against a dark backdrop
A woman with natural curly hair in a light blue crop top and jeans, against a dark backdrop
A woman with natural coily hair and round glasses in an orange top under a black blazer
A smiling man with a high-top haircut in a black turtleneck, against white
A young man with a natural afro in a mustard sweater, against a warm grey backdrop
A smiling woman with long straight hair in a burgundy jacket, arms crossed, against a light grey backdrop
A woman in a pink patterned headwrap, gold hoops and a brown knit cardigan, against a deep blue backdrop
A woman with long straight black hair, bangs and thin glasses in a black blazer over a white top
A smiling woman in a grey hijab, a white top and a black blazer, against a dark grey backdrop
A woman with long braids in a teal blazer, beside a white panel
A woman with curly grey hair and red glasses, against a black backdrop

About Natural Hair

Research shows a real bias against it. In one set of studies, people acting as recruiters rated Black women with natural hair as less professional than the same women with straightened hair. In a 2023 survey, 44% of American Black women under 34 said they felt pressure to have a headshot with straight hair. And it isn’t one group’s bias. Black and white raters both showed it. I don’t agree with it, and the only way it changes is if we stop going along with it. So go with your gut and wear your hair the way that feels like you. A photographer’s job is to make it look great.

Makeup: Less Than You Think

If you wear makeup, keep it close to how you’d wear it on a good day. In one study, people saw the same women with no makeup and with natural, professional and glamorous looks. At a quick glance, every look helped. But given time to look, people found the glamorous look less trustworthy. Another study found women wore more makeup than people actually preferred, and that people wrongly assumed everyone else wanted more. Makeup trends also date a photo fast, while a natural look holds up. And blemishes can be cleaned up in retouching.

Some definition still helps. Makeup works partly by making your eyes and lips stand out a little from your skin. So a lip colour close to your own is a good idea, matte or glossy. Gloss gives a dewy look, which some people love and some don’t. It can catch the light, but that’s easy to retouch.

Go light on powder. Heavy powder shows fine skin texture on camera, and heavy “HD” setting powders can flash white under a flash. For shine, I much prefer blotting papers. My favourites are Tatcha’s Aburatorigami Japanese blotting papers. They soak up shine without disturbing makeup, and they work whether you wear makeup or not. A light matte powder can help with shine too.

A few things I’ve seen work against people: heavy eyeliner top and bottom, heavy eyeshadow, brows pencilled in with a hard line, false lashes, which can weigh down your eyelids, heavy blush and lip liner.

All of that comes with one big exception. If a defined makeup look is part of who you are, wear it. Your headshot should look like you, whatever anyone tells you, me included.

A woman with shoulder-length dark hair and natural makeup in a grey sleeveless mock neck, against a dark backdrop
A woman with sleek hair in a low bun, winged liner and a plum lip, in a bold orange, red and cream print dress, against a dark backdrop
A woman with long straight black hair and natural makeup in an off-the-shoulder tan sweater, against a warm brown backdrop
A woman with curly dark hair and natural makeup in an olive satin blouse, smiling against a dark backdrop
A woman with long blonde hair, glasses and natural makeup in a black blazer, against a dark backdrop
A smiling woman with long dark wavy hair and natural makeup in a black T-shirt, against a teal backdrop

Glasses

If people know you in your glasses, keep them on. A headshot is meant to help people recognize you. In a study at the University of York, people were about 80% accurate at telling whether two photos showed the same stranger when both photos had glasses or neither did. When only one photo had glasses, accuracy dropped about six points. And in the same study that tested ties, glasses made the men look both more competent and warmer.

Glare off your lenses is a lighting problem, so it’s on your photographer to fix, usually by moving the light or fixing it in retouching. If you’re not sure about wearing them, bring them and try it both ways.

A smiling woman with dark curly hair in blue and pink frames and an olive jacket
The same woman in pastel frames, a white top and a blue beaded necklace
The same woman in clear patterned frames and a black top
A smiling man in round metal frames, a dark suit and a rust tie, against a warm orange backdrop
A smiling woman with short grey hair in black-framed glasses and a grey sweater, against a rose backdrop
A man with a high-top haircut in round black glasses and a black shirt, against a dark backdrop
A close portrait of a man in thick black frames, a dark suit and a tie, on white
A smiling woman with long straightened hair in tortoiseshell glasses and a black and white houndstooth blazer, against a grey backdrop

On the day

Bring options.

Wear Something You Feel Good In

You may have heard that putting on a doctor’s lab coat made people sharper on an attention test. That famous study didn’t hold up when another lab repeated it. But when the original researchers pulled together 40 studies, the newer, better-run ones did find that what we wear has a small to moderate effect on how we think, feel and act. So if there’s a piece that makes you feel like yourself, wear it. If there’s one you’ve been eyeing, buy it and keep the receipt.

A smiling woman in a white sleeveless blouse with red and black embroidery, against a dark backdrop
A woman in a black hat and a dark floral dress, arms crossed to show a tattoo, against a light grey backdrop
A woman in a black leather jacket and jeans, seated on a stool against a grey backdrop
A smiling man in a royal blue blazer over a blue patterned shirt, beside a white panel
An older woman in a bright blue fringed top and a black skirt, standing against a grey backdrop
A smiling man with a grey beard in a flat cap, glasses, a blue shirt and a dark blazer, beside a white panel

Bring Options, and Check as You Go

Bring more than you think you need: a couple of classic, simple pieces and one or two with more personality. Clothes can look different on camera than they do in the mirror, so the best test is the screen. Ask your photographer to show you the photos as you shoot, and swap things out as you go.

And let your face be the first thing people notice. If someone’s first reaction to your headshot is “wow, look at that top,” the photo starts to say something else the longer they look at it: look at my outfit instead of my face. A standout outfit can be great in a portrait or an editorial shoot. In a headshot, your face is the point.

One last thing. In a 2025 study, people judged the same faces in formal and casual clothes, with different expressions. The clothes made a difference, but the expression made a much bigger one. So pick clothes you can forget about once you’re in front of the camera, and put your energy into looking like yourself.

Above all, trust yourself.

A smiling man in a navy suit and a patterned blue tie, against a dark backdrop
The same man in a grey blazer and an open-collared white shirt
The same man in a grey V-neck sweater

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