Over the years I have learned that this ONE THING makes all the difference when it comes to having a professional headshot that looks good for any subject. In a large city or any surrounding suburb, especially where we are in Denver, there is a ton of business competition and YOU want to be the one to stand out from the crowd! When you see someone’s headshot, there are several things you look at when you decide that it “looks good” or that person “is relatable” or you decide “I want to work with them!” In my 19 years of photographing, I’ve realized there is one wardrobe item that makes our brains signal to us that we see a “good headshot.”
It’s TAILORED JACKETS!
I’m not talking about a jacket that comes straight down – those tend to leave you looking frumpy and your eyes will instead follow the straight line down to the bottom of the photo. I’m wanting you to find a jacket that comes IN at the waist – guys too! Look for something that is form fitting and has the ability to pull in at your waist. You actually then create a sort of V feature in your top. This can be done with a zipper or a button or just the natural cut with darts hitting at the waist of the jacket. Even if you are heavier, I can promise you will tell a difference if a jacket pulls into your waist!
Why am I saying this?
1) It’s a fact that jackets that tailor to your body will make you look FIT and slim the body. The V that you end up creating will actually draw the viewers eyes UP to your face – which is where we want them! Underneath, you can choose to wear a casual button up (guys), a V neck blouse (ladies), or any knit shirt.
2) The choice of shirt can make all the difference and can turn the photo “busy” if you have a pattern or style feature to the shirt that distracts from your face. A jacket tends to be solid and just “plain enough” that the viewer’s eyes will look elsewhere – like up at your smile! Solid colors works best all around!
3) We want the viewer to see your smile, your eyes, your expression – THAT is what gets them to determine an impression about you. So how do we get their eyes up there? A tailored jacket!
4) You will look more professional, more “put together”, and more organized when you wear a jacket. Trust me, clean lines do big things!
Guys – a lot of you tend to wear button-down shirts but when you don’t wear a jacket overtop, you end up seeing wrinkles and the puckering between the buttons. There’s a reason most business or formal attire requires jackets, they hide all those button-down-shirt-mishaps! We encourage you to always wear a sports coat that fits right.
This is an important photoshoot so stop at a local store and ask for a stylist to get you the right fit! And button ups +jacket is always great as a stable but we’re seeing a trend towards KNITS and a jacket. Think about the box and wear a graphic knit, solid, or turtle/mock neck!
Making sure your jacket fits well and pulls in at the waist is going to make the biggest POSITIVE difference in the look of your final headshot photoshoot images! When you book with me, I even have a few on hand for the ladies or I’m always open to helping you choose when you bring a few to the session! Let’s do this!
Contact me by emailing kelly@kellyweaverphotography.com, call me at 720-201-0402, or click here to schedule a Zoom Consult with me and I’ll answer all your wardrobe questions!
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