What to wear for your portrait or headshot photography session.
Once you choose your best portrait photographer near go ahead and ask guidance from them that is best fit for your specific needs, however here is some good general but sophisticated guidance specifically for portraits and headshots that account for colour harmony and putting you at the centre of attention.
At the forefront, it is best to wear a good night sleep, and a bright mood because your expression is the most important part.
You are going to have some photos taken, it is not a visit to the dentist, it is meant to be fun, you can loosen up and relax.
Second to that, well-groomed hair and or beard with a polished appearance without it being overdone.
Hair is among the most difficult things to fix in post-production.
As for clothes, the more timeless and less trendy they are, the longer your portrait will stay relevant.
Smart, smart casual, business, classic and elegant attire are sure bets.
Clothes that are cultural, traditional or part of folklore including uniforms if that's what you wish to portray are always good but paying attention to the colour of possible complements.
Avoid saturated bright colors and patterns.
Saturated colours might be good for fashion and lifestyle but take attention away from you in headshots and portrait photography.
Patterns are generally distracting, unless they are very subtle. Fine patterns cramped together like very small lines, nets or squares can be problematic causing an image problem called moiré that can be difficult or impossible to correct, those are well known in filming environments. If you must wear them, talk to your photographer as it can be avoided before it happens, however it will slow you down in test and review. Check the video below moiré can be seen on the metal wall that has an intricate pattern to it, you would need to play it in HD to see it.
Favour dark colours over black and favour light tones over white.
Black tends to blend with the background in dark moody photos and loose details even in bright background settings, a dark colour instead will keep the mood without the downside.
White tends to catch too much light and the eye goes first to the brightest part of the frame, you want that to be your face, not your shirt.
Black and white are not dealbreakers and tent to look good, however if you follow these guidelines it will all look even better.
The best choice of colour shade for you portrait is ideally a couple of shades darker than your skin colour, making your face the brightest part of the portrait.
Best colours are earthy tones like beige, dark browns or dark blues, dark reds like Bourdeux and complimentary colours to either your hair or eyes. For example, if you have red hair, turquoise is a great choice to wear.
Of course bring different combinations and get different looks, it is important that you feel comfortable in what you are wearing and is within your style and what you like.
Jewellery is fine as long as it not too attention grabbing.
Check examples here and if you are in London or Barcelona do not hesitate to get in touch.