What to wear for your LinkedIn Headshot.
What should you wear for your LinkedIn Headshot?
You’ve decided to update your LinkedIn headshot. Or at least, it’s on your mind that it needs doing.
It can be a tricky and tedious thing to update your headshots. LinkedIn is a platform where we are making first impressions all the time. Every comment, post and search result shows that headshot whether you like it or not.
Your headshot on LinkedIn is more than just a visual. It puts a face to your name, and helps people form a connection with you. I’ve written previously about my tips for a great LinkedIn headshot and the benefits of having a LinkedIn headshot, but in this blog post I want to talk about how to dress for your headshot.
After all, knowing what to wear is tricky!
Your outfit conveys who you are
Even if you don’t love fashion, I hate to tell you, but the outfit you wear in your headshot is going to communicate a LOT to other people.
First up, consider your profession or field of study. Think about the role you’re in or the role you want to be in.
What you wear needs to be appropriate for your field.
In professional industries like law, finance and business, button up and collared shirts, paired with blazers are a good start. Some of these industries still wear ties, so do some research and get a feel for what the standard is.
If your field is a little more relaxed and creative, such as design, tech, arts and humanities, then you might be able to opt for something more casual. This can include t-shirts, jumpers, and relaxed jackets and cardigans.
Colour or Black and white?
First, think about if you would like your final portrait to be in colour or monochrome. Some people are really drawn to the dynamic look of a black-and-white photograph, while others love colour to convey more personal style and vibrancy.
For those black and white lovers, you need to consider how the colours of your outfit will convert into tones. You want to make sure that the tone of your top isn’t too similar to your skintone – you’ll look washed out, with the risk of being shapeless.
Aim for block tones that will contrast to your skintone and stand out. This can be as simple as adding a jacket to add a different tone and break things up.
Choosing Colours to match your eyes
Colour is a great way to convey personality, to showcase your favourite features, and even draw attention to yourself. Most people like to draw attention to their eyes in their headshot, and colour is a great way to do that.
For headshots, luckily we’re just planning the top half of your body. Your headshot should be from your chest up. Some people crop in even closer for more emphasis on their face and expression – after all, those LinkedIn thumbnails are small.
My favourite technique for drawing attention to eyes is to incorporate similar colours (eg blues with blue, greens with green), as well as using colours that make them pop.
Here are my recommended colours to wear for each eye colour:
Blue Eyes: wear blues, yellows, and oranges.
Green Eyes: wear green tones, autumn tones, and reds.
Grey Eyes: wear blue tones, blacks, and greens.
Light Brown & Hazel Eyes: wear green, yellows, and browns.
Dark Brown Eyes: wear warm tones, blacks, dark purples and reds.
From a photography perspective, also consider these tones and colours within the background of your headshot too.
Try a few different looks.
I always suggest trying a couple of different looks for your headshots. The outfit you think may work the best may not end up being your favourite on-camera. Remember to consider different necklines, and ensure your neckline isn’t too low.
And lastly, don’t get caught up if one outfit doesn’t work. Pick a different one and try something new!
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I’m a specialised heashot and personal branding photographer based in Melbourne, Australia.
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