What to Wear for Corporate Headshots

Updated 3 November 2026

A good headshot is mostly about the face, but clothing decides whether the photo looks current, calm and on-brand, or whether it dates in a year. Here is how to choose an outfit that works for a company website, a LinkedIn profile and a speaker bio.

Start with where the photo will be used

Before thinking about colours, think about context. A headshot for a law firm's team page, a café owner's Instagram and a tech start-up's investor deck all call for different levels of formality. The simplest rule is to dress the way you would for an important meeting with your best client: slightly smarter than an ordinary day, but still recognisably you.

If the photos are for a whole team, agree a dress code in advance. One person in a three-piece suit next to five people in fleeces looks like a mistake on a website grid. It does not need to be a uniform, just a shared level of formality and a palette that sits together.

Colours that photograph well

Solid, mid-tone colours are the safest choice. Navy, charcoal, mid-blue, forest green, burgundy and soft earth tones flatter most skin tones and hold detail in both bright and dim light.

• Avoid pure white shirts on their own. Bright white can lose detail and draw the eye away from the face. Under a jacket or knit it is fine.
• Be careful with all-black. Black can merge with dark backgrounds and hair, leaving a floating head. Add a lighter layer or choose charcoal instead.
• Skip neon and very saturated colours. They reflect colour onto skin and can look harsh on screen.
• Think about the background. If the brand uses a grey or white backdrop, a mid-tone top gives contrast. If the shoot is outdoors in a green park or against brick, avoid matching it exactly.

If your company has brand colours, a top in one of the secondary colours can tie the photo to the rest of the website without looking like merchandise. Our guide to what goes into brand guidelines explains how photography rules usually sit alongside colour palettes.

Patterns, textures and logos

Fine stripes, small checks and tight herringbone can produce a shimmering effect called moiré on screens, especially when images are resized for LinkedIn or a website. Large bold patterns pull attention away from the face. Plain fabrics or soft texture, such as a fine-gauge knit or a matte cotton, are a better bet.

Avoid visible logos other than your own organisation's. A sports brand on a quarter-zip ages a photo quickly and can be awkward if the image is used in a press release.

Necklines, collars and fit

A headshot is usually cropped at the chest, so the neckline does most of the work. Collars and V-necks frame the face; crew necks are fine but can look casual; very high necks can shorten the neck in a tight crop. Whatever you wear, it should fit well across the shoulders. A jacket that is too big will bunch up when you sit or turn, and that is very visible at headshot distance.

Iron or steam everything the night before and bring it on a hanger rather than folded in a bag. Creases that are invisible in a mirror become obvious in a high-resolution photo.

Glasses, jewellery and accessories

If you wear glasses every day, wear them in your headshot. People should recognise you when they meet you. Clean them well and mention them to the photographer, who can adjust lighting angles to reduce glare. Anti-reflective coatings help.

Keep jewellery simple: a watch, small earrings or a single necklace. Large statement pieces catch light and draw the eye. The same goes for lanyards, badges and pens in shirt pockets, which tend to be forgotten until the photo is on the website.

Hair, grooming and make-up

• Get a haircut about a week before rather than the day before, so it has time to settle.
• For beards, a tidy-up a day or two before gives a sharper line without looking freshly shaved.
• Matte products work better than shiny ones under lights. A little powder or blotting paper deals with shine on the forehead and nose for anyone, whether or not they usually wear make-up.
• Bring a comb, hair ties or a small brush. Wind on the way to an outdoor shoot in Dublin can undo half an hour of preparation in seconds.

Dressing for Irish weather and light

A lot of Irish headshot sessions happen on location, outside an office or on a quiet street, because natural light is flattering and gives a sense of place. That means planning for wind and rain. Bring a coat to wear between shots, an umbrella, and a spare top if you are cycling or walking in. If an outdoor shoot is moved indoors because of the weather, a mid-tone outfit will still work against an office wall, while a pale outfit chosen for a bright day may not.

Soft, overcast light is common here and is actually kind to faces, so a grey day is not a reason to cancel. It does make dark colours look darker, which is another reason to avoid all-black.

LinkedIn headshot tips

LinkedIn displays profile photos as a small circle, so the image needs to read well at thumbnail size:

• Fill most of the frame with your head and shoulders, leaving a little space above the head for the circular crop.
• Look at the camera. Profile photos that look away tend to feel less approachable at small sizes.
• Choose a plain or softly blurred background so the face stands out.
• Use the same photo across LinkedIn, your company's team page and speaker bios so people recognise you.
• Update it when your appearance changes noticeably, such as a new hairstyle, glasses or a beard.

What to bring on the day

• Two or three tops in different colours, plus a jacket if relevant
• Spare glasses cloth, comb, lip balm and powder or blotting paper
• A lint roller (dark wool jackets pick up everything)
• Water, and a coat or umbrella for outdoor shots
• A note of where the images will be used, so the photographer can shoot the right crops: square, portrait and landscape

Consent and team photos

If an employer organises a staff photo day, people's images are personal data. It is good practice to explain how and where the photos will be used and how long they will stay on the website. The Data Protection Commission publishes general guidance on personal data at dataprotection.ie, which is a useful starting point for HR and marketing teams planning a shoot.

For more on planning a shoot that goes beyond headshots, see our brand photography tips for small businesses, or browse examples of portrait and promotional work on the photography page.