What to Wear (and Bring) for Your Headshots — GVP Studios Style Guide

*** Professional Female Edition ***

A headshot session is your chance to show the most confident, authentic you — and your wardrobe plays a starring role. We want you to feel comfortable, beautiful, and seen. Below you’ll find our wardrobe & kit recommendations, complete with style inspiration so you can visualize your look.

✨ The Foundation: Your Base Outfit

Think of your base outfit as the “canvas” for your headshots.

• Choose one solid base outfit that is appropriate to your profession — either pants (slim or wide-leg) a solid dress, or a skirt (knee to midi is safe).

• Pair it with a neutral top — a blouse, camisole, or crisp white button-up. Avoid heavy patterns or logos that compete with your face.

  • Base outfit ideas: example 1, 2, 3.

  • For blouse inspiration: see neutral blouse outfits on Pinterest

  • For versatile camisoles, see Pinterest ideas

This base gives you a grounded, versatile look — especially helpful if we shift from studio to natural light or change background tones.

🎨 Add Layers & Variety (No Full Outfit Changes Necessary)

To keep things fresh during the shoot — without running out the door to change — bring a few well-chosen pieces to layer or swap:

• Jacket or Blazer
  A tailored blazer brings structure, polish, and instant pullback on shoulders and neckline. Check out ideas : blazer, blazer styles/colors

• Layering Top
  Think light cardigans, knit shells, or a fine sweater. It’s great for softening shoulders or adjusting the vibe. Check out ideas : example 1, 2

• One Bold / Saturated Solid or a subtle pattern
  This is your “pop” — a rich jewel tone or saturated color that complements your skin tone (emerald, deep teal, berry, etc.). It doesn’t have to dominate your look, but it gives us variety in the final gallery. Check out ideas : example 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

• To determine the best colors on you, there are color quizzes available online, or you can choose a complementary color to your hair, eye, and skin color. What color gets you the most complements?

• Casual Top, optional
  A well-fitting tee, relaxed blouse, or soft knit top — something that feels relaxed and approachable. It lets us get more candid, personality-driven shots. Wear what is normal to you. This would be an alternative look for professional use in more casual environments, or to use on your personal social media profiles. Check out ideas : example 1, 2, 3

Tip: If your base outfit is a camisole, you can easily add or remove jackets or layers without needing to dash to the bathroom or car to change. Seamless swaps are ideal in a session.

👝 The Little Bag of Magic: What to Bring in Your Touch-Up Kit

You don’t need a giant makeup case — just a small pouch with essentials to keep you camera-ready:

• Your go-to lip color (or two)

• Compact mirror

• Powder (matte, translucent)

• Blotting papers if your skin is oily

• Comb or brush

• Bobby pins / hair ties

• Tweezers, if you’re prone to stray hairs

• Moisturizer / balm (travel size)

And don’t worry — I’ll bring:

• Lint roller

• Extra blotting papers

• A few safety pins / tape for wardrobe emergencies

🎨 Styling Tips & Final Notes

• Wear glasses? We will take photos with both glasses on and off. There will be a challenge to avoid glare, so we will use careful positioning, or you can bring an older pair without lenses in them.

• Avoid big patterns, busy prints, or large logos — they distract from your face. You can bring a pattern as an option, but make sure you also bring a solid.

• Necklines matter — V-necks, scoop necks, or small collars usually work best.

• Jewelry — keep it simple and minimal (a small necklace or stud earrings), or go with something bold if it works with your personality.

• Fit is everything — wear clothes that flatter your proportions; don’t squeeze into something too tight.

• Underlayers — bring nude or skin-tone camisoles if layering pieces are slightly sheer.

• Shoe & accessory coordination — bring shoes that you’d actually wear with your outfit, but we’ll mostly focus above the waist.

• Steaming / ironing — get your pieces wrinkle-free and on hangers before the session to reduce postprocessing time.

📸 Why This Strategy Works (From our Experience)

Because we value authenticity, we don’t want you looking stiff or overly styled. Because we value experience, I know how to light, position, and guide so your wardrobe accents you—not overpower you. And because we believe in things looking natural, this approach gives you easy, interchangeable variety in your final image set.

By having one clean base outfit and a few layering or accent options, we get multiple looks without fuss or time waste. It’s luxe, it’s refined — and it’s you.

• what to wear for headshots

• headshot outfit ideas

• Sacramento headshot photographer

• professional headshot tips

• headshot wardrobe guide

• how to prepare for a headshot session

• business headshot outfit inspiration

• what to bring to a photo session

• neutral headshot outfit ideas

• studio headshots Sacramento