Professional Houston Business Headshots
WHAT TO WEAR FOR YOUR SESSION
Clothing Guide
The right outfit helps you look confident, professional, and polished in your portraits.
Michael Carr Photography
5701 Woodway Dr.
Ste 108,
Houston, TX 77057
Helpful clothing tips for your session:
MEN’S WARDROBE GUIDE
Classic choices that convey confidence and professionalism.
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☑ Suits in navy, charcoal, or gray
☑ White or light solid dress shirts
☑ Simple, quality accessories
☑ Well-fitted and tailored
WOMEN’S WARDROBE GUIDE
Refined options that look modern, authentic, and professional.
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☑ Blazers or professional dresses
☑ Solid or subtle texture tops
☑ Minimal, elegant jewelry
☑ Well-fitted and tailored
Clothing Tips
Your Wardrobe Plays an Important Role in Your Professional Image
Choose clothing that fits well, feels comfortable, and makes you feel confident. The right wardrobe should look polished while still feeling like you.
The clothing you wear should support your personal brand, complement your profession, and ensure the focus remains on you rather than your outfit.
Whether you are updating an executive portrait, business headshot, or personal branding session, thoughtful wardrobe planning helps create timeless images that communicate confidence, credibility, and professionalism.
Need help planning your wardrobe for your portrait session?
Start with Your Professional Goals
Before selecting clothing, consider how your images will be used.
An executive portrait for a law firm’s leadership page may call for a different wardrobe than branding images for a keynote speaker or entrepreneur. An executive portrait for an attorney may call for a more traditional suit, while a physician, business owner, speaker, or entrepreneur may want a look that reflects their individual role and professional brand.
During your consultation, we will discuss your profession, audience, and intended use of your images so your wardrobe supports the message you want your portraits to convey.
Have questions about what will work best for your profession and audience?
Recommended Colors for Professional Portraits
Solid colors continue to photograph best because they keep attention on your face rather than your clothing. Simple, classic clothing styles are recommended for professional portraits because they create images that remain polished and relevant over time.
NAVY
CHARCOAL
BLACK
BURGUNDY
FOREST GREEN
SOFT BLUE
TAUPE
WHITE
These colors create timeless portraits while complementing a wide variety of skin tones and backgrounds.
Not sure which colors work best for you?
What to Avoid Before Your Portrait Session
Clothing to Avoid
Certain wardrobe choices can distract from an otherwise excellent portrait.
Avoid busy patterns: stripes, plaids, and floral patterns.
AVOID BUSY PATTERNS
OR DISTRACTING PRINTS
AVOID SMALL STRIPES OR
TIGHTLY SPACED PATTERNS
AVOID LARGE LOGOS
AVOID NEON OR HIGHLY SATURATED COLORS
Simple, well fitting clothing almost always photographs better than highly patterned or distracting outfits.
Personal Preparation to Avoid
- Do not try/use any new product on your hair, face or body the day before or a few days before your shoot.
Just in case you have a bad reaction to the product. - Tans and sunburns will show in photographs.
If you are planning to be outdoors before your session, keep this in mind when initially scheduling your session. Advance retouching is available for an additional fee. - Don’t arrive with heavily wrinkled clothing.
Bring your clothing pressed and ready to wear. - Don’t make a major hair change right before your session.
Haircuts, color, highlights, or other significant changes are best done about two weeks before your session. This gives you time to get comfortable styling your new look.
If you’re unsure whether an outfit will photograph well, call us.
Wardrobe Tips for Women
Try your outfit on at home before your session. If you are unsure which look will photograph best, bring two outfit options and our studio team can help you select the best one. Wear clothing that fits properly, slims your silhouette, and aligns with your professional style.
For a polished business portrait, we recommend a jacket with a colored top underneath or a long-sleeve blouse.
Covering the arms creates a clean, streamlined appearance and keeps attention centered on your face.
RECOMMENDED:
- Wear a jacket with a colored top underneath.
- For a no-jacket casual look, bring various long-sleeve colored blouses – ideally darker than your skin tone.
- Wear colors that complement your features.
- Darker colors project a more business-like image.
- Makeup: wear a little darker than you normally would. Avoid shimmers or products with lots of sparkle or shine.
- Wear clothes that are comfortable, that make you feel confident and look your best.
- Make sure your clothing fits you well. Clothing that is too big or too tight will be obvious in the photos.
- Simple and classic clothing styles are recommended.
- Clothes should be clean, neatly pressed and should look new or like new.
AVOID THE FOLLOWING:
- Avoid big prints and busy patterns.
- Avoid a white or cream colored blouse by themselves is not recommended.
- Avoid sleeveless blouses or short-sleeve tops by themselves are not recommended.
Jewelry:
- Keep jewelry simple.
- Avoid jewelry that would distract from your face or that looks dated.
- Bring a few accessories with you if you are unsure.
Arrive with:
- Hair styled and makeup already applied.
- You can arrive dressed in your outfit, or you may change here in the studio. If changing here, please arrive 10 minutes prior to your session time.
- Various changes of clothing as needed. The basic package includes (1) outfit. Some people decide to upgrade and be photographed in two different outfits.
- Good attitude.
- Hair brush/comb and spray.
- Makeup and lipstick for touch-ups.
- Lip balm.
Not sure which outfit or accessories will photograph best?
Wardrobe Tips for Men
- The corporate look is a suit jacket, dress shirt and tie.
- The top button of your suit jacket and dress shirt must button.
- A casual business look is often a jacket and open dress shirt, or dress shirt on it’s own.
- For a no-jacket casual look, bring several colored shirts – ideally darker than your skin tone.
- For photography purposes, a white dress shirt by itself is not recommended. However, you can wear a white shirt underneath a jacket.
- Make sure your clothing fits you well. Clothing that is too big or too tight will be obvious in the photos.
- Simple and classic clothing styles are recommended.
- Clothes should be clean, neatly pressed and should look new or like new.
- If you tend to have a 5 o’clock shadow in the afternoon, either schedule your session for a morning time slot, or plan on shaving before your session if it is in the afternoon.
Arrive with:
- Various changes of clothing as needed. The basic package includes (1) outfit. Some people decide to upgrade and be photographed in two different outfits.
- Good attitude.
- Hair brush/comb and spray.
- Lip balm.
Need help choosing between jackets, shirts, and ties?
Should You Bring More Than One Outfit?
For most business portrait sessions, we recommend bringing multiple wardrobe options whenever possible.
Changing jackets, shirts, or accessories allows you to create a wider variety of images while maximizing the value of your session.
Many professionals appreciate having different looks for company websites, LinkedIn profiles, speaking engagements, publications, and marketing materials.
Have several outfits in mind?
Accessories and Finishing Details
Small details often make a significant difference.
Before your session, consider:
• Pressing clothing
• Cleaning eyeglasses
• Polishing shoes if photographed full length
• Removing lint
• Trimming facial hair
• Neutral nail polish or well-groomed hands
• Minimal distractions in pockets
These finishing touches help create polished, professional portraits.
Have questions about preparing for your session?
Need Help Choosing?
Many clients bring several wardrobe options to the studio.
We’ll review your selections together and recommend combinations based on your profession, intended image usage, background selection, and overall personal brand.
You don’t have to make these decisions alone. Helping clients prepare is an important part of our portrait experience.
Ready to plan your portrait session?
Frequently Asked Questions
What colors photograph best?
Classic, solid colors tend to photograph best and keep attention on your face. Navy, charcoal, black, burgundy, forest green, soft blue, taupe, and white are all good choices. For a shirt worn without a jacket, darker or more saturated colors often provide better contrast than very light shades.
Should I wear a tie?
A tie is recommended for a traditional corporate or executive portrait, but it is not required. If you want both a formal and more relaxed look, bring a tie and an additional shirt or jacket so you have options.
Can I wear glasses?
Absolutely. If you normally wear glasses, you should wear them for your portrait. If you have more than one pair, bring your options and we can help determine which frames photograph best.
Should I wear jewelry?
Keep jewelry simple and understated so it complements your portrait without becoming a distraction. If you are unsure, bring a few options and we can help you choose.
How many outfits should I bring?
Bring a few clothing options if you are unsure what will work best. Your basic session includes one outfit, and additional outfit options may be available depending on your session. We can help you narrow down your selections before photographing you.
Should I wear short sleeves?
Long sleeves are generally recommended for professional portraits because they create a more polished look and keep the focus on your face. Short sleeves can work for a more casual portrait, depending on the intended use.
Can I wear patterns?
Yes, but choose patterns carefully. Subtle patterns and textures can photograph beautifully, while busy prints, very small stripes, and tightly spaced patterns can be distracting or create visual distortion in photographs.
Should I get a haircut before my session?
Yes, but avoid getting a major haircut immediately before your session. Ideally, schedule your haircut several days beforehand so your hair has time to settle into its natural shape. If you regularly experience an afternoon five-o’clock shadow, consider scheduling your session in the morning or shaving before an afternoon appointment.
Should I wear makeup?
If you normally wear makeup, wear your usual professional makeup or keep it natural and polished for your session. You want to look like yourself, just a little more camera-ready.
If you would prefer professional hair and makeup, a makeup artist is available for an additional fee, with a polished, natural look designed for photography.
Can you help me choose my clothing?
Yes. If you are unsure what to wear, bring several jackets, shirts, and ties or other options. We can help you select combinations that complement your coloring, photograph well, and fit the professional image you want to present.
Still have questions about your wardrobe or portrait session?
Houston Business Headshots
We’re Centrally Located
5701 WOODWAY DR. STE 108,
HOUSTON, TX 77057
By Appointment only
Monday-Friday | 9:30AM – 5:30PM