What to Wear for Professional Headshots
Matthieu van Haperen
Founder & CEO, Portreya · Updated Feb 2026
TL;DR: Quick Answer
Wear what your audience expects from you on a good workday. Choose clean lines, solid colors, and enough contrast with the background.
Use Portreya when you need a realistic individual headshot for LinkedIn, job search, or a public professional profile.
Use a photographer for casting, editorial, or high-stakes press work.
This guide is written for an individual who needs a credible professional image, not a corporate team rollout. The priority is to look natural, current, and ready for the context where the photo will appear.
Start with the role
A lawyer, designer, founder, therapist, and real estate agent can all dress professionally in different ways. Match trust expectations for your field.
Colors that work
Solid navy, charcoal, white, cream, forest green, burgundy, and black usually photograph well. Avoid tiny patterns that shimmer or distract at thumbnail size.
Create your first headshots free
Upload a selfie and see the result before you pay.
Try it freeAI-specific advice
Upload source selfies where clothing edges are visible and not hidden by hair, hands, or bags. Better source structure gives cleaner generated wardrobe.
Next step
If you want to test this with your own face, start with the AI headshot generator. You can also compare AI versus a photographer before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
Should I wear a suit for a headshot?
Only if a suit matches your role. A clean blouse, shirt, knit, blazer, or simple jacket can be equally professional.
Are patterns bad for headshots?
Large simple patterns can work, but small busy patterns often distract and can render poorly in thumbnails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I wear a suit for a headshot?▼
Only if a suit matches your role. A clean blouse, shirt, knit, blazer, or simple jacket can be equally professional.
Are patterns bad for headshots?▼
Large simple patterns can work, but small busy patterns often distract and can render poorly in thumbnails.
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About the Author
Founder & CEO, Portreya
Matthieu van Haperen runs Portreya, where he has helped hundreds of teams get professional AI headshots. Before founding Portreya, he spent 6+ years building and scaling tech startups. He writes about professional photography, team branding, and how AI is reshaping corporate imagery.
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