What to Wear for Your Professional Headshot: A Tucson Photographer's Guide
It's the question I hear more than any other: "What should I wear for my headshot?"
And I get it — what you wear matters. The wrong outfit can distract from your face, clash with the background, or just feel off. But here's the good news: you don't need to overthink it. After photographing hundreds of professionals in my Tucson studio, here's exactly what works.
The Most Important Rule
Wear something you feel great in. If you're uncomfortable, fidgety, or constantly adjusting your collar — it's going to show in your expression. Your headshot should look like you on your best day, and that starts with wearing something that makes you feel confident.
A good rule of thumb: dress the way you would for an important meeting in your industry. If you're a corporate executive, that might mean a blazer and crisp shirt. If you're a creative entrepreneur, it might be a fitted tee and a statement jacket. Match your outfit to your professional identity.
Colors That Work
Solid colors are your best friend. They keep the focus on your face and look clean against any background. Here are the colors I recommend most often:
Best choices: Navy blue, charcoal gray, black, deep green, burgundy, and jewel tones. These photograph beautifully on almost everyone and project confidence and professionalism.
Also great: Soft white, cream, and light blue — especially if you want a brighter, more approachable look.
Use carefully: Bright red, orange, and neon colors can be distracting and cast color onto your skin. They can work for creative branding shoots, but for a professional headshot, I'd lean toward more subdued tones.
Avoid: Busy patterns, large logos, thin stripes (they create a moiré effect on camera), and all-white outfits (they tend to wash out under studio lighting).
Bring 2–3 Options
This is my top tip. Bring more outfit options than you think you need — even if it's just swapping a blazer, changing a shirt, or adding a scarf. Your favorite outfit in the mirror might not be your favorite under studio lighting, and having options means we can find the look that photographs best.
During your session, we'll review your outfits together and I'll give you honest feedback on what's working and what might not photograph as well. That's part of the coaching experience.
Fit Matters More Than Fashion
Your clothes don't need to be expensive or trendy — they need to fit well. A perfectly fitted $30 shirt will look better on camera than a baggy $300 blazer. Here's what to look for:
Shoulders should sit where your shoulders are. If the seam is drooping off your shoulder, the jacket is too big.
Nothing too tight across the chest or buttons. Pulling fabric creates lines and shadows that the camera picks up.
Sleeves should hit your wrist bone. Too long and they look sloppy; too short and they look like you borrowed someone else's jacket.
If you're between sizes, it's OK to bring something slightly snug — we can adjust angles and poses to make it work. Just avoid anything that restricts your movement or makes you tense up.
What About Accessories?
Less is more. A simple necklace, stud earrings, or a clean watch can add personality. But avoid anything chunky, dangling, or reflective — it will catch light and pull attention away from your eyes.
Glasses are totally fine. If you wear them daily, wear them in your headshot. Just make sure they're clean (fingerprints and smudges show up on camera more than you'd think) and we'll angle the lighting to minimize reflections.
Grooming Tips
A few things that make a big difference:
Hair: Come with your hair styled the way you normally wear it. If you're booking our Hair & Makeup session, arrive with clean, dry hair and the stylist will take it from there.
Skin: Moisturize the night before and morning of. Hydrated skin photographs better than dry skin — it's that simple.
Facial hair: If you have a beard, trim and shape it the morning of. If you're clean-shaven, shave that morning to avoid 5 o'clock shadow under the lights.
Nails: If your hands might be in the shot (branding sessions, lifestyle poses), make sure your nails are clean and trimmed.
Don't Stress — That's My Job
Here's what I always tell clients: your only job is to show up feeling good. My job is everything else — coaching your expression, finding your best angles, adjusting the lighting, and reviewing images with you in real time until we nail it.
If you're still not sure what to bring, reply to your confirmation email with photos of your outfit options and I'll give you feedback before you even get to the studio.
Ready to Book?
Sessions start at $190 with up to 2 hours of studio time, expression coaching, and real-time image review. See all session options and book online at cchavezphoto.com/headshots.
Carlos Chavez Photography is located at 181 S Tucson Blvd, Suite 107, Tucson, AZ 85716. Serving professionals across Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana, and Southern Arizona.