Dress for Success with Confidence

First impressions are everything, and in today’s digital world, your profile photo or personal branding images are often the first point of contact for potential clients, customers, partners or employers.

It can be daunting though when you don’t know what clothes to choose which is why I recently shared an article discussing what to wear for a Personal Branding or Headshot Photo Shoot.

Following your feedback, and subsequent questions, I’ve put together this list to help you dress for success with confidence. Whether you’re a creative professional, entrepreneur, or anyone in between, you’ll find helpful tips to ensure you look and feel confident in front of the camera.

Colour is important. Wear colours that complement your skin tone. Think about the colours you’re wearing when you get the most complements, the ones you’ve got on when people say things like, “that top brings out the blue in your eyes so beautifully” or “ that shirt looks like it was made for you”.
Consider how the colour works with your Personal Brand. It doesn’t have to be complementary, sometimes a contrasting colour packs more of a punch.
Consider the background: Choose colours that complement the background and avoid blending in with it. Make sure you don’t clash with it either though.
Dress for the occasion. Think about where and how you’ll be using your Personal Branding or Headshot photos. Consider your audience and how they dress. Choose outfits to resonate with them, as well as to suit your style. If you’re a jeans and tee kind of woman you probably won’t want to wear a suit, unless it’s essential to connecting with your client.
Go for quality clothing that will look great in photos. Make sure there’s no pilling or fallen hems. Check for stains and loose threads. Try to avoid things that pick up every piece of lint. It’s amazing what a difference the fabric and cut can make to your final images.
Solid colours work well for most people when it comes to your personal branding photos. Patterns, particularly small busy ones including stripes or polka dots, can be distracting. That being said, if your favourite shirt or uniform has a small pattern, bring it along and let’s see how it looks. Don’t be afraid to break the rules.
Choose clothes that you’re comfortable in. You want to be able to move easily, and not look stiff in photos. They’ll help you feel more confident too.
Outfits that are fitted are usually more flattering and polished. Contrary to what many of us believe, baggy clothing can make us look bigger than we are. Well cut, fitted clothes can be posed to show off your best curves.
Avoid tops with plunging necklines or distracting details, as they can detract from your face. Generally speaking you want the attention on your face not on your other ‘assets’.
Choose clothing that flatters your body shape. If you feel like none of your clothes look nice, maybe it’s time to see a Personal Stylist and get some help dressing to look your best. This is a worthwhile investment prior to your Personal Branding Session if you can’t find anything from your wardrobe to wear. Don’t just go out and buy new things that might not work any better than what you already own.
Accessories are fun but use them wisely. For headshots a good rules of thumb is to keep accessories to a minimum and choose simple, elegant or sentimental pieces that won’t go out of fashion. For branding photos you can get a bit more adventurous and change up your accessories to add variety. Choose things that suit your brand and suit your personality.
Wrinkled clothing can be distracting in photos, and might look like you didn’t make an effort to dress well. Even if you don’t iron anything normally this is one time you’ll want to.
Bring at least one pair of shoes for a full body shot, especially if you’re getting Personal Branding photos. This is not necessary for headshot sessions unless you’d like a full length shot. Shoes with a heel can make your legs look longer and add a nice shape to your body when standing. Choose shoes that match your style of outfit, and aren’t scuffed. Make sure they’re nicely cleaned and polished.
Add variety to your outfits by wearing layers. This is a great trick to get a couple of different looks in a short amount of time. Layered clothing can also add interest and texture to your photos.
Choose clothing that will still look good in photos when the new fashion trends change next season. If you’re investing in Personal Branding or Headshot photos you want them to last longer than one or two seasons, unless of course your industry is fashion and you’ll be updating your Personal Branding photos more than once a year.

Now you’ve got the knowledge to choose your outfits and accessories with confidence, I’d love to see how Dressing for Success looks on you!

Till next week,

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PPS. Although what you wear has a major impact on how you look and feel in your Personal branding & Headshot photos, it is just one of the many elements that can make or break your photo shoot. If you’d like to learn more about How to Look and Feel Confident in your Photos please click here to get my free guide.

Consider how the colour works with your Personal Brand. It doesn’t have to be complementary, sometimes a contrasting colour packs more of a punch.

Consider the background: Choose colours that complement the background and avoid blending in with it. Make sure you don’t clash with it either though.

Go for quality clothing that will look great in photos. Make sure there’s no pilling or fallen hems. Check for stains and loose threads. Try to avoid things that pick up every piece of lint. It’s amazing what a difference the fabric and cut can make to your final images.

Choose clothes that you’re comfortable in. You want to be able to move easily, and not look stiff in photos. They’ll help you feel more confident too.

Outfits that are fitted are usually more flattering and polished. Contrary to what many of us believe, baggy clothing can make us look bigger than we are. Well cut, fitted clothes can be posed to show off your best curves.

Avoid tops with plunging necklines or distracting details, as they can detract from your face. Generally speaking you want the attention on your face not on your other ‘assets’.

Add variety to your outfits by wearing layers. This is a great trick to get a couple of different looks in a short amount of time. Layered clothing can also add interest and texture to your photos.

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