What should I wear?
Whatever you’d wear to meet a client. That’s the whole answer, and everything below is just detail.
What photographs well
- Solid colors. Mid and darker tones sit better against most backgrounds than very light ones.
- Layers. A jacket or a structured cardigan gives the frame some shape, and it comes off for a second look in the same sitting.
- Necklines where you actually wear them. A portrait’s cropped close, so the neckline takes up more of the picture than you’d think.
What doesn’t
- Tight stripes and small patterns. They can shimmer on camera.
- Bright white against a light background. It flattens you into it.
- Logos, unless it’s your own company’s.
- Anything brand new. Clothes you haven’t worn yet tend to sit oddly, and you’ll notice it in the photo even if nobody else does.
Does it matter more than lighting or expression?
No, and that’s worth saying plainly on a page about clothes. A good portrait in a plain shirt beats an uncomfortable one in a perfect outfit. Wear the thing you stop thinking about the second you sit down.
Can I bring a change?
Yes, and on a portrait day it costs you nothing. One change of top gets you a second look in the same sitting.
Glasses, makeup, hair?
Wear your glasses if you wear them every day. I light to keep the reflection out.
Otherwise do whatever you’d do on a working day. A portrait that doesn’t look like you on a Tuesday isn’t much use to you.
