What to Wear for a Professional Headshot: Men's Complete Guide

Your professional headshot is a valuable career investment. And the outfit you choose is one of the few variables that you have in your full control. When confused over what to wear for professional headshots, men can miss out on the importance and power of how the right outfit will make or break the shot.

If you're planning a professional headshot and unsure about what you should wear — suit or no suit, tie or no tie — this practical and useful pre-shoot checklist is for you. We cut through generic advice and offer specific, actionable guidance on what you should wear, what you should avoid, colors that photograph well, and how the right accessories will elevate your headshot from mediocre to impressive.

The Tie Bar's photo-ready accessories provide the finishing details that will make the difference between a good headshot and a great one. Dress shirts, ties, pocket squares, tie bars — we carry the clothing and accessories that will showcase and maximize your self-assurance and confidence.

Dress for Your Industry First

First and foremost, choose attire that's appropriate to your industry or field. Clothing standards for a Silicon Valley tech executive can be quite different from a Wall Street attorney. Let your industry standards guide what you wear for your headshot...

• Corporate/Finance/Law: The benchmark for formal credibility includes a full dark suit, a crisp dress shirt, and a tie. Choose conservative, traditional colors and avoid bright tones and patterns. Wear minimal accessories and jewelry. Fit is as important in photos as in everyday life. Make sure each piece is tailored correctly for your body. 
  
• Creative/Marketing/Media: These industries allow more room for creative attire. You can wear a smart shirt or a blazer without a tie. If your sector is especially casual, you may even consider wearing a three-quarter zip pullover or a tailored long sleeve polo. 
  
• Healthcare/Education/Nonprofit: Neat, approachable business casual attire like an oxford dress shirt or a button-down collar shirt and chinos is a great choice for these professions. You want to express reliability and trustworthiness. Add a blazer and tie if you want to elevate your look. 
  

What to Wear for a Professional Headshot: The Core Pieces

Suits and Blazers

When you're contemplating what to wear for professional headshots, suits and jackets are the single most reliable clothing choices across industries. Classic navy, charcoal, medium gray, and rich brown come across cleanly and authoritatively.

We caution against wearing a black suit or blazer for headshots. Under studio lighting, black can photograph flat and dull because it absorbs light and obscures details. A black jacket or suit can also create unappealing contrast with your complexion.

Dress Shirts

Under studio lighting, solid colored dress shirts in muted tones photograph best. Although tasteful shirt patterns like micro-checks and fine stripes look great in person, they can cause visual distortion on camera. So stick with solid colored dress shirts.

Dress shirt colors that photograph best include white, light blue, and pale gray. These tones let your face remain the focus of the shot and still provide sufficient contrast.

Be sure your shirt fits well and is well-ironed for a crisp, wrinkle free look. Even small wrinkles are magnified in close-up head shots. A shirt that's too baggy with obvious bunching won't photograph well. The Tie Bar dress shirts are available in both trim and standard fit, giving you the option to choose the best sizing for your build.

Ties: When and What to Wear

A tie signals formality, intention, and sophistication. In many industries, a tie adds credibility and will make your headshot look polished rather than too casual. Of course, you'll wear a tie with your suit if you're in the corporate, finance, or law industries. But even for creative industries like architecture, film, advertising, and music, where neckwear may not be required, adding a tie to your headshot outfit can elevate and polish your look.

For professional headshots, the best colors for men's ties include navy, burgundy, deep green, and charcoal. These rich tones photograph well because they provide sufficient contrast against your shirt. And when it comes to contrast, the basic rule of thumb is to choose a tie that's darker than your shirt. 

When it comes to tie fabrics, silk will add texture and visual interest without distraction. If you'll be dressing more casually but still want to wear a tie, a textured silk with a white button-down will look sharp and stylish without being too formal. 

For headshots, avoid dramatic tie patterns. They'll not only compete with your face but won't photograph well because pixel interference will create a wavy or rainbow effect. Also avoid wearing a tie in a novelty print (no frogs or favorite team logos) or bright, garish colors.

Bow Ties

If you're confident wearing a bow tie, it can be a strong choice for a headshot. Bow ties work best for men who work in creative, academic, or entrepreneurial industries. When worn with conviction, a bow tie can express your sense of style and fashion — and even symbolize that you're a guy who thinks out of the box.

Bow ties in classic solid colors will work best for a pulled-together, camera-friendly look. Just as with neckties, a bow tie in navy, burgundy, deep green, or charcoal will photograph well by providing the necessary contrast between neckwear and shirt.

Accessories That Elevate the Shot

When choosing what to wear for headshots, men need to know the power of accessories. Well-chosen, tasteful accessories can transform an average, uninspired look to an elevated, finished, and balanced look.

Headshots are tightly cropped so your accessories will be more visible than they would be with full-body photos. Accessorize your headshot outfit with a...

• Tie Bar: Select a simple, clean design. Tie bars keep your tie centered and add a clean, deliberate detail to your outfit. Avoid novelty and intricately designed tie bars.
  
• Pocket Square: Whether you wear a tie or not, a pocket square tucked into your jacket's breast pocket will add an interesting visual layer without overwhelming the frame. When wearing a tie, avoid matchy matchy and instead, select a pocket square in a complementary color. For example, if you're wearing a navy tie, select a medium blue pocket square. 
  

Colors and Patterns: What Photographs Well

You'll achieve a great looking headshot when you're aware of which colors photograph well and which don't. Before you choose your outfit colors, ask the photographer which background color will be used for the headshot. Then test your outfit choices against the background color to make sure you and your clothing stand out. For example, a dark suit on a dark background will "disappear." And so will a white shirt against a white background. 

The best colors and patterns to choose include...

• Best Colors: Suit or jacket in navy, charcoal, medium gray or rich brown. Cream or light blue dress shirt. Navy, deep green, or burgundy tie. All of these colors will appear confident and professional on camera.
  
• Best Patterns: Solid color suits, jackets, and dress shirts are best for headshot photography. Tone-on-tone tie patterns can work well, otherwise stick to solid color ties.

Colors and patterns to avoid...

• Colors to Avoid: A bright white shirt worn without a jacket will overexpose under studio lighting. Black can look flat and dull. Neon or highly saturated tones will detract from your face and look out of balance. 
  
• Patterns to Avoid: Fine stripes, herringbones, and small checks will cause a wavy, distorted moiré effect that will ruin your photo. Wear solids or very subtle textures.
  

What to Avoid for a Professional Headshot

If you know what to avoid, you'll end up with a much more professional-looking headshot...

• Overly Casual Clothing: T-shirts, hoodies, or untucked shirts undermine credibility.
  
• Distracting Patterns: Busy prints and patterns will pull attention away from your face.
  
• Poor Fit: Ill-fitting jackets and shirts look unprofessional.
  
• Badly Tied Necktie Knot: Loose or incorrectly tied necktie will look sloppy.
  
• Too Much Jewelry or Overdoing Accessories: Overdoing jewelry and accessories will detract from you and the professional impression you want to create. 
  
• Wrinkled or Unwashed Clothing: Dirty and wrinkled clothing will look careless and negligent. Assure cleanliness and steam or press your garments the day before the shoot. 
  

Shop Headshot-Ready Accessories at The Tie Bar

Seize the opportunity to add intentional polish to your headshot. You'll create a stand-out look when you choose from The Tie Bar's wide range of neckties, bow ties, pocket squares, and tie bars — all beautifully designed pieces guaranteed to photograph well. 

And don't forget that a crisp dress shirt sets the stage for your tasteful accessories. We offer both standard and trim sizing in a variety of camera-ready colors. 

If you're searching for a suit or jacket that will elevate your photograph, take a look at our timeless linen, cotton, and wool suits and jackets — available in colors and styles that will assure you look your very best. With quality, style, and affordability, The Tie Bar makes it easy to build a complete headshot ensemble look without overspending.

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Professional Headshot FAQs

Should men wear a tie for a professional headshot?

It all depends on your industry. Your profession should be your primary guide as to whether or not you should wear a tie for your headshot:

• If you're in corporate, finance, or law, wear a dark suit and tie to strengthen your professional impression.
  
• If your profession focuses on marketing, a creative field, or a media industry, wear a blazer and dress shirt without a tie. Going without a tie may create a more approachable look. Alternatively, a skinny tie can create a modern vibe.
  
• For healthcare, education, or nonprofit industries, go with a more traditional business casual look that reflects a reliable, trustworthy impression. An oxford button-down collar shirt and chinos will create an appropriate look for these industries. Wearing a tie is optional and will depend on how casual or formal you want to appear.

When in doubt, men's ties or bow ties rarely hurt in a headshot because neckwear adds polish and sophistication. You can control the level of refinement with your chosen knot:

• A knot like the Four-in-Hand will offer a more casual, informal look. 
  
• A Windsor knot provides the most formal look. 
  
• For example, wearing a button-down collar shirt with a tie knotted in a Four-in-Hand will cast a more casual look than wearing a dress shirt with a Windsor knotted tie.
  

What colors should men wear for a professional headshot?

For a professional headshot, the following colors express professionalism and confidence — and will stand up best to studio lighting...

Suit or Jacket: Navy, charcoal, medium blue, and brown provide sufficient contrast with a lighter shirt.

Dress Shirt: Light muted solid color dress shirts work best. A white shirt will look great under a navy or gray blazer but if you're wearing a shirt without a jacket, it's best to avoid wearing pure white. As a standalone garment, the white shirt will look overexposed in photographs. A light blue dress shirt will work with all skin tones and photographs well. 

Tie or Bow Tie: Deep, saturated colors such as wine or burgundy, rich navy, and emerald green will photograph well. Pastel tones can get lost in studio lighting. Choose solid color ties or very subtly patterned neckwear. Patterns can get distorted in studio photography. 

Harmonizing with Skin and Hair Color: Avoid colors that create a monochromatic look (red hair, ruddy complexion, pink shirt, burgundy tie). In general, contrast works best for studio headshots. Earth tones go well with warm skin tones. Contrasting colors work well for both pale and dark skin tones. Cool skin tones are complemented by jewel tones.