The Power of Classic: Why Your Wardrobe Choice Is the Most Important Decision You'll Make Before Your Headshot
There's a reason certain things never go out of style.
A well-tailored navy blazer. A crisp white button-down. A deep burgundy that makes your eyes pop and your skin glow. These aren't boring choices. They're the choices that hold up.
When someone books a headshot session with me, one of the first things we talk about is wardrobe. Not because I want to tell you what to wear, but because what you wear will either work with your photos for the next three to five years or quietly date them in twelve months.
That's a long time to be stuck with a photo that feels off.
Classic colors do something trendy colors can't.
When you put on something timeless, the focus shifts. Instead of the viewer's eye catching on a pattern or a color that's very "this season," they see you. Your face. Your confidence. The thing you're actually trying to communicate.
That's the whole point of a headshot.
Navy, black, white, cream, soft grey, forest green, camel, deep wine. These colors photograph beautifully across skin tones, they hold up across platforms, and they don't announce what year your photo was taken. They let your expression and your presence be the loudest thing in the frame.
Trendy colors and bold prints are fun in your closet. They're genuinely fun to wear. But in a headshot, a busy pattern competes with your face. A very-right-now color can start to feel very-two-years-ago faster than you'd expect. And when that happens, people start wondering if your headshot is current, and by extension, if you are.
Texture over pattern. Fit over flash.
Classic doesn't mean boring. It means intentional.
A blazer with a beautiful drape reads as polished and confident. A chunky knit in a neutral tone adds dimension without distraction. A simple v-neck in a rich jewel tone flatters your face and keeps the focus exactly where it belongs.
What you want to avoid: anything with large logos, busy prints, or very thin stripes (they tend to do strange things on camera). Anything you bought specifically because it was trending this season. Anything that doesn't fit well, regardless of how much you love it.
Fit matters more than you'd think on camera. A top that pulls across the shoulders or a jacket that's slightly too big will catch your eye every time you look at the photo. A well-fitting piece in a classic color? You stop noticing the clothes and start seeing the person.
Bring options. You'll be glad you did.
Most of my clients bring two or three wardrobe options for their Essential Headshot Session and I love when they do. Different looks give you range, especially if you're using your photos across multiple platforms or for more than one purpose. A more polished blazer-and-blouse combination for LinkedIn. A softer, relaxed layer for your website bio. A little variety goes a long way.
If you're not sure what reads as "classic," think about what you'd wear to a meeting that really mattered. Not a costume, not your most-impressive-outfit. Just what makes you feel put-together and like yourself. That's usually the right call.
The photos you'll actually use.
Here's the thing I see over and over: the clients who show up in classic, well-fitting, simple wardrobe choices are the ones who use their photos. They update their LinkedIn, they put the headshot on their website, they use it in their email signature. They're still using those photos two years later because the photos still look like them.
The clients who take a swing on something very trendy or very specific to a moment often end up back in my studio sooner than they planned, because the photos started to feel off and they stopped using them.
Your wardrobe is part of your visual brand. Treat it like one.
If you're planning a headshot session and have questions about what to bring or what works best on camera, reach out. That's what I'm here for. We'll figure it out together before you ever step in front of the lens.
Still and Wild Photography serves Holton, Topeka, Lawrence, Atchison, and Northeast Kansas. Book a session at stillandwild.com.
