It is the question I get asked most, usually the night before a shoot, often by text, frequently with three photos attached and the words "which one?"

What should I wear?


Here is everything I tell my clients, so you can plan properly rather than panic the evening before.


Start with where the images are going


Before you open your wardrobe, think about where these photos will be used. A LinkedIn profile for a corporate consultancy needs something different from Instagram content for a wellbeing brand. A speaker bio needs different energy from a behind-the-scenes shot of you working.


If your clients are corporate, dress the way you would for a good client meeting. If your work is creative or wellbeing-led, you have far more freedom with colour and texture.


The simplest test: would you feel comfortable meeting your ideal client in this outfit? If yes, it is probably right.


How many outfits to bring


For a 30-minute headshot session, one outfit is enough. Bring a second top as a backup if you want options.


For a two-hour brand shoot, plan for two or three outfits. Any more and we spend the session changing rather than shooting.


For a full-day shoot, four or five works well, because we have time and usually more than one location.


A good structure for three outfits: first, polished, how you show up for your most important client meeting. Second, approachable, smart but relaxed, the version of you at a workshop or coffee. Third, personality, colour, texture or something that feels distinctly you.


That gives you images that work across formal and informal contexts without looking like three different people.


What photographs well


Solid colours keep attention on your face. Choose colours that suit you, not just colours you like. Good fit matters more than price, and well-fitting mid-range clothes photograph better than expensive things that do not fit. Structure helps, so a blazer, a good collar or a defined shoulder gives shape. Texture reads beautifully on camera, whether knit, linen, wool or silk. Layers are useful too, because a jacket on and off gives you two looks from one outfit.


What tends to photograph badly


Tight, busy patterns can create a strange shimmer on camera, particularly small checks and thin stripes. Large logos and slogans date the image and pull focus. Very bright white or pure black can lose detail in strong light. Anything you keep adjusting is a problem, because if it rides up or gapes you will look uncomfortable, since you will be. Brand new shoes are a risk if we are walking between locations. And heavily creased fabric photographs exactly as creased as it looks, so steam everything the night before and bring things on hangers.


A few practical things people forget


Bring more than you think. It is easier to leave options in the bag than to wish you had them.


Consider your background. If we are shooting in your office and the walls are dark green, a dark green dress will make you disappear. Tell me your locations and I will flag any clashes.


Think about your nails if your hands will be in shot. Working shots, holding a coffee, typing, hands appear more often than people expect.


Bring your glasses if you wear them daily. If you have an anti-glare pair, even better. People should recognise you.


And do not buy a whole new wardrobe. The photos should look like you on a good day, not like you in a costume. Clothes you already feel confident in almost always photograph better than something bought in a panic.


What about hair and makeup


Whatever you would normally do for an important meeting, plus slightly more definition. Cameras flatten features a little, so a touch more than usual reads as natural in the final image.


If you are booking professional hair and makeup, book it to finish 30 minutes before we start, not at the start time. Sessions always run over.


If you are doing it yourself, that is completely fine. Most of my clients do.

The thing that matters more than the outfit


Here is the honest truth after years of shooting founders and business owners. The outfit matters far less than how you feel in it.


I can work with almost any clothing. What I cannot fix is someone spending the whole session tugging at a waistband or worrying that a colour was a mistake.

Wear the thing you feel good in. Confidence photographs better than anything you can buy.


Still not sure?


Send me photos before the shoot. Every client I work with gets a planning conversation before the day, and outfits are part of it. I would far rather help you decide in advance than have you stressed the night before.

That is what the prep is for.


Planning a brand shoot in London, Walton on Thames or across Surrey? Every session includes a proper planning conversation before the day, so you arrive knowing exactly what to bring. Get in touch.