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...
