The 10 Best Outfits for a Corporate Headshot (From a London Photographer)
What you wear for your corporate headshot matters more than almost any other decision you will make before arriving at the studio. The right outfit can communicate authority, warmth, and credibility. The wrong one can make even the best photographer work against you. After shooting thousands of corporate portraits in London, here is what actually works.
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The Golden Rules Before We Get to Specifics
Before we look at specific outfit choices, three principles apply regardless of industry, gender, or personal style.
First: solid colours almost always outperform patterns. The human eye naturally gravitates toward the face in a headshot, and a busy pattern competes for that attention. Second: fit matters more than label. A well-tailored suit from a high street brand photographs better than an expensive suit that does not fit. Third: wear something you actually feel confident in. Nervousness shows in headshots, and the best antidote to camera anxiety is wearing clothes you associate with being at your best.
The 10 Best Outfit Choices for a Corporate Headshot
1. A Well-Fitted Dark Navy Suit
Navy is the single most reliably successful colour for corporate headshots. It reads as authoritative without being as severe as black, works across all skin tones, and photographs cleanly under studio lighting. A well-tailored two-piece in a mid to dark navy, with a white or pale blue shirt, is the benchmark for corporate headshots across law, finance, and consulting.
2. A Crisp White or Pale Blue Shirt or Blouse
For more informal or creative industries, dropping the jacket and shooting in a well-fitted white or pale blue shirt projects professionalism without formality. Ensure the garment is freshly ironed — creases photograph more dramatically than they appear in real life under studio lighting.
3. A Charcoal Grey Suit
Charcoal grey offers everything navy does, with a slightly more classic and less corporate feel. Works particularly well for professionals in consulting, finance, and the creative industries who want to signal authority while avoiding the more aggressive corporate associations of black.
4. A Solid-Colour Blazer Over a Simple Top
For professionals in creative, tech, or communications roles, a structured blazer in a solid colour — camel, forest green, deep burgundy — worn over a plain top strikes the right balance between professional and approachable. Avoid blazers with strong patterns or prominent logos.
5. A Classic Black Dress or Top
For women, a simple black dress or fitted black top is consistently one of the strongest headshot choices. Black is slimming, focuses attention on the face, and works across every background colour. Avoid anything with a neckline that sits awkwardly in frame, and keep jewellery minimal.
6. A Jewel-Toned Top
Emerald, sapphire, ruby, and deep teal all photograph beautifully under studio lighting and work across a wide range of skin tones. A jewel-toned top in a good fabric — silk, high-quality cotton, or a well-cut jersey — immediately reads as confident and polished without the formality of a suit.
7. A Turtleneck or Roll-Neck
Increasingly common in professional headshots, a well-fitted turtleneck in black, navy, or grey projects intellectual confidence and photographs cleanly. It works particularly well for academics, consultants, and creative professionals. Avoid chunky or heavily textured knits.
8. A Collarless or Mandarin-Collar Jacket
A modern alternative to the traditional suit jacket, collarless blazers and mandarin-collar coats have a cleaner, more contemporary profile in a headshot. They work best in neutral colours — stone, grey, ivory, or black.
9. A Tailored Shirt in a Subtle Check or Micro-Pattern
If you want to wear a pattern, a very subtle check or micro-pattern — nothing that resolves into a busy print at photo size — can add personality without competing with your face. This works best for professionals in less formal industries. When in doubt, lean toward the solid-colour version of the same garment.
10. Your Industry's Uniform (Done Well)
In some industries — medicine, law, academia — there is a de facto uniform that immediately signals your professional context. A barrister's collar, a doctor's white coat over smart clothes, or a QC's gown for a formal portrait: leaning into your industry's visual language can be the most effective choice of all. The key is always fit and condition — the garment should be immaculate.
What to Avoid for Your Corporate Headshot
Busy patterns, large logos, or brand insignia (unless you are specifically representing a brand)
Anything you would not feel confident wearing to an important client meeting
White on white — a white shirt against a white background flattens the image
Sleeveless tops or anything with thin straps — these look informal and fragment at the shoulder
Brand new clothes — if you have not worn the garment before, you will not be comfortable in it on the day
Practical Tips for Shoot Day
Bring two or three complete outfit options to your session and let your photographer advise on what works best under studio lighting. Colours that look great in natural daylight sometimes behave differently under artificial light — your photographer will have seen this hundreds of times and can guide you quickly.
Pack a lint roller, a small steamer or travel iron if possible, and an extra shirt or blouse in case of travel mishaps. If you are bringing a suit, hang it rather than folding it in a bag.
For skincare: keep your routine simple on the day of the shoot. Heavy or shiny products catch studio light and can create unintended highlights. A light, matte foundation or powder is more reliable than a full face.
Booking a corporate headshot session at STU22? We advise on outfit and styling as part of every session. Bring two or three options and we'll guide you on the day. Studio in Wapping, East London — message us on WhatsApp or book online.
STU 22 is founded and operated by Pass The Lens & R/HOOD
