What tone of image are you after?

Is your image going to be used for personal branding or professional services? The tone of the image is how you want to convey yourself. This could be more casual if you work in a trade or creative business, or if you work in a Corporate environment you may prefer to come across a little more formal.

What do I need to wear?

Like most portraits, I recommend plain colours. Patterns, stripes or bright prints can be very distracting and will date your images. Some general tips on what to wear:

• Arrive in the first outfit that you'd like to be photographed in
• Any additional outfits or jackets should be ironed and hanging (garment bags work well for this)
• Bring a suit jacket that fits well - not baggy and not too tight. A jacket that doesn't fit well will be obvious in the photos
  
• For shirts or blouses underneath the jacket, solid colours work well. An example of colours that work well is a light blue dress shirt in combination with a dark grey or dark navy suit jacket
  
• Dresses should be comfortable and fit you well
• Shirts and blouses should be well fitting. A dress rehearsal at home is a good idea to avoid arriving in the studio and realising the clothes don't fit well. It can be very hard to photoshop gaps in blouses etc

What to Wear - Men

• The standard business look is a suit jacket, dress shirt and tie
• A casual business look is often a jacket and open-collar dress shirt, shirt and tie (no jacket), or shirt on it's own
• A white dress shirt can be too bright - unless you plan to wear it underneath a suit jacket
• An example of colour combination that work well is a blue shirt teamed with a dark navy or dark grey suit jacket.
• Avoid bright distracting prints on business shirts
• Ensure business shirts are ironed

What to Wear - Women

• Avoid big prints and busy patterns
• Bring a variety shirts/blouses with different necklines
• Sleeveless tops/dresses can draw attention to your shoulders and arms. Consider bringing items with a variety of different sleeves if you are conscious of your arms
• A white shirt can be too bright and can draw the attention from your face. A white shirt under a dark suit jacket is fine
• A bright coloured top that has a shiny texture can work well under a jacket, like red, purple or turquoise