The wardrobe conversation is the part of the booking process where most photographers send a generic PDF and call it done. “Wear solid colours. Avoid patterns. No white shirts.”
That advice isn’t wrong. It’s just incomplete.
After hundreds of sessions, here’s what I’ve actually learned about what photographs well — and what doesn’t.
Bring more than you think you need.
Clients who show up with one outfit almost always wish they’d brought three. Clothes look different on camera than in the mirror. A shirt that fits perfectly in real life can pull weirdly across the shoulders in a tight crop. A jacket that feels structured can look bulky.
I tell every client: bring two to four full looks. We test them in the first five minutes of the session and pick the strongest one. The difference between the right shirt and the wrong shirt is the difference between a good photo and a great one.
Texture beats colour.
Most wardrobe advice obsesses over colour palette. Navy. Charcoal. Cream. That’s all fine, but the more important variable is texture.
A flat polyester shirt looks dead under studio lighting. A wool blazer, a knit sweater, a linen shirt — these have texture that reads on camera. They add depth. They look expensive without trying to.
If you’re between two options, pick the one with more interesting texture, even if it’s slightly more casual than you’d planned.
The shoulders matter more than the rest of the outfit.
Studio headshots are usually cropped at mid-chest. That means the shoulders are doing 70% of the visual work. Whatever you wear, the shoulder line should be clean, structured, and not pulling.
This is where blazers earn their reputation. Even a casual session looks more intentional when the shoulders have a defined line. If a blazer is too formal for your industry, a structured cardigan or a fitted button-up works the same way.
What gets cut from the final selection:
After every session, my clients sit with me and pick their favourites. Here’s what consistently doesn’t make the cut:
— Anything bright white near the face. It blows out the skin tones and pulls attention away from the eyes.
— Heavy logos. Even small ones. They date the photo and distract.
— Trendy patterns. Plaid, checks, busy florals. They flicker on screens.
— Anything wrinkled. We can spot-edit a lot of things. We can’t make a wrinkled collar look pressed.
— Necklaces with strong reflections. They catch the lights and pull focus.
What consistently makes the cut:
— Solid mid-tones. Soft greys, warm browns, deep navy, muted greens.
— Layered looks. A simple shirt under a jacket. A sweater over a collar.
— Anything that fits the shoulders properly, even if it’s a few years old.
— Glasses. Whenever the client actually wears them in daily life. They add character and read as confident.
The honest truth:
The wardrobe that works isn’t the most expensive one. It’s the one that looks intentional, fits properly, and feels like you on a day you’re put together.
When clients ask me what to wear, my real answer is: bring the version of yourself you’d wear to a meeting where you wanted to be taken seriously. Then bring a backup. We’ll figure out the rest in the studio.