MotoPhoto

We've put together some Tips for Dressing for a Business Portrait that may prove helpful:

Dressing for your Business Portrait

What type of clothes should I wear?

This image will be used to represent you and/or your company so you need to dress accordingly. You’ll want to wear professional business attire that is classic and timeless so you can use your photos for years to come.

• Men should wear a suit jacket, sweater, or a nice dress shirt.
• Women should wear a blouse or a tailored jacket.
• It is best to wear long sleeve shirts for your portrait. Long sleeves are much more flattering on arms than short.
  
• You also want to be somewhat comfortable in what you’re wearing or your picture will look stiff and unnatural. But be aware of clothing that wrinkles easily as that will look sloppy and unprofessional.
  

What colors photograph best/worst?

• Solid colors photograph best, and most people look good in midtones (green, blue, brown, etc.). We suggest avoiding extremes - no all-black or all-white ensembles. Deep colors, such as navy blue, gray and brown, are great jacket choices. Best of all, deep colors are slimming too.
  

• Avoid white and colors that approximate your flesh tones (this might be beige, tan, or very pale peach, pink, and gray). For dress shirts, avoid bright white if possible especially if you won’t be wearing a jacket. A little color, or at least an off white shirt, is helpful.
  

• Busy is bad—be it a jacket, shirt or tie. Avoid wearing clothing with patterns or accessories that distract from your face. Very bright reds, yellows and oranges can also be distracting. Men, if you'll be wearing a tie it's hard to go wrong with a solid color or simple striped tie in red or blue. A minimal pattern will always look better than a busy tie.
  

Should I wear jewelry?

• Jewelry can be a great accessory to your outfit, but should not distract from your face. Less is usually more. Necklaces look best when they are shorter and mimic the neckline of your shirt.
  

How much makeup should I apply?

• Wear what you would for a nice evening out. Well done, but not overdone.
• Avoid overly glossy or shimmery makeup as it will catch the light and be distracting.
• If you normally don’t wear makeup, your pictures will look better if you at least wear foundation. This will help even out your skin tone.
• Bring extra powder as you’ll want to reapply during the shoot to avoid shine.
  

To dress for a slimming effect, remember:

• Darker colors are slimming; light colors are not.
• Solid colors are slimming; bold patterns are not.
• A single color from head to toe (i.e. a suit) is slimming.
• Vertical lines are slimming; horizontal lines are not. This can apply to pleats as well as prints.
• The v-neck shape is slimming. This is achieved by the cut of a sportcoat, or the v-neck opening in a shirt or sweater.
• Single-breasted jackets are more slimming than double-breasted.
• If you'll be standing for a full-length portrait, high heels are slimming—as are clothes that are well tailored rather than too loose or too tight
  

 

Remember - Smile from within!

Think of how you would look if you just ran into a dear friend on a nice sunny day at the beach...