The Best Colors & Clothing to Wear On-Camera

Figuring out what to wear for a photoshoot can feel quite stressful.

​You probably know you look good in certain things, but how do you know if they'll be OK for camera?
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​"I wonder if that houndstooth jacket I have will look good in pictures..." 

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"Will wearing a black suit jacket look too formal?"

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We've worked with people wearing ripped, dirty T-shirts (yes, really) all the way to full tuxedos (which we don't usually recommend).

​Since we've seen so much, we decided to put together a simple guide to help you out!

But remember, what to wear is only one piece of what you can do to prepare for a headshot session. You might also consider reading this article: How to Prepare for a Successful Headshot Session
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​Now let's get started on how to figure out what to wear for a shoot! If you like video feel free to watch this, and then you can scroll down to continue reading more details.

​Tip 1:
​Any Color Can Technically Work

First off, any color can work if you like wearing it.

​If the shooter knows how to light you properly and balance the background with what you're wearing, you name it - white, gray, black, blue, purple... anything will work!

Bring Different Variations:
Different variations of your favorite colors will give you options. The photographer or stylist can help suggest which versions might look best.​

For instance, if you love blue, bring a light blue, dark blue, and really dark, navy blue. Then, based on where you're shooting and the background and lighting in the image, certain versions of that color might work better than others.

Wear What You Love:
Why do we recommend wearing colors you love? Because you'll be most comfortable in those colors and this translates to feeling more confident on-camera, which leads to a more successful shoot and better expressions.

Remember - emotion is going to be the key determining factor on how memorable your headshot is to people.

​Tip 2:
Certain Colors Pop on Camera

Rich, Deep Colors Pop More
In general, shy away from using white and other pale colors like pink, pale yellow, light green, or sky blue as the main color.

They can overexpose on camera and distract from your face, especially with outdoor shoots. The lighting might be too bright on the clothing and make it look flat white in places (like on top of the shoulders), even if the shirt you were wearing was pink!

What if you want to wear a really pale color anyway? Wear a jacket or other darker layer over the pale color.

A bright yellow might overexpose whereas a darker, forest green would look great because the amount of light that reflects from it is less.

Complimentary Colors Pop More
If you're going to be wearing layers (like a jacket over your shirt), you'll need to be sure the colors compliment and support one another​ or they won't look as good.

​The next section discusses what colors go well together.

​Tip 3:
Let's Find Out What Colors Go Well Together

Intense color combinations can be distracting, so you should keep your combinations simple.

​Make sure the color combinations you wear are made of solid-colored pieces layered over one-another. Layers add more interest and make you look more dynamic and visually appealing.

Avoid single-layered shirts with patterns.

For a more in-depth guide on matching clothes and coordinating, you might want to read this article ​(primarily written for men): How I Stay Coordinated With No Sense of Style


Color Combinations That Work:

​​Red
Pairs well with light green, pink, dark brown, and purple.

Yellow
Pairs well with dark blue, red, light blue, and black.

Green
Pairs well with dark blue, dark purple, dark green, and black.

Teal
Pairs well with dark green, dark red, peach, and dark blue.

Blue
Pairs well with dark green, pale green, white, and dark red.

Purple
Pairs well with dark blue, red, pale purple, and pale green.

Pink
Pairs well with gray, blue, red, and black.

​Tip 4:
Avoid Certain Patterns & Distractions

Do not wear strong patterns on-camera because they can be highly distracting.​

So What Patterns to Avoid?
​Keep away from plaid, big checks, and any really small patterns such as tiny stripes or checks.​

Big patterns can draw too much attention to themselves if the colors are high-contrast, meaning they are opposite one another on a color wheel.

Very tiny patterns can be distracting because they cause a phenomenon called moire where it looks like there is a weird pattern showing up on-camera (that's invisible in real-life) because of the way the pixels on the camera work.

What Kind of Patterns Can You Wear?
The only kind that work are very subtle ones with a slight difference between the colors. And if that sounds confusing, keep it simple and just use solid colors.

Or email our stylist with any questions you have.

Stay Away From Logos or Pictures!
Logos and images are incredibly distracting and definitely don't look good in headshots.

For actors, jewelry is generally a no-no.

Make Sure What You're Wearing is Representing You Well.
It's not enough to just follow general color guidelines and wear something that works on-camera. You should also keep in mind that the style of clothing you wear can say certain things about you.

If you want to project professionalism, formal clothing works well. If you're looking to give off a casual vibe, feel free to dress it down. Just because you're doing a headshot doesn't mean you need to dress super fancy!

For actors, keep in mind that you want to capture your brand in your headshot, so make sure what you're wearing supports that. For submitting to commercial auditions, you might want something more casual and colorful. And for legit auditions, you'll probably want something more reserved.

Not sure of your actor brand? Check out my free guide: Discover Your Brand

​​Tip 5:
Use Color Meanings to Send the Right Message

Did you know that certain colors can unconsciously say you're "confident?"

And other colors can say you're "jealous and inexperienced?"

Color meanings can unconsciously influence what a viewer thinks of you when they see your picture.

Although hidden color meanings are outside the scope of this article, I'm happy to send you the free guide via email. Just let me know where to send it!

Further Reading

If you enjoyed this article, I recommend considering any of these:

• What Backdrop Will Work Best for Me?
• How to Prepare for a Headshot Session
• How to Look More Confident On-Camera