What to Wear for Your LinkedIn Headshot: Advice from a Needham Headshot Photographer
The best outfit for a LinkedIn headshot is one that suits your audience, your role, and your brand. That means solid colors you’re often seen in, nothing that competes with your face, and two looks, one structured and one more relaxed. It’s the advice I give at almost every outfit consult in my studio in Needham, MA, whether the client is a CPA, a founder, a therapist, or an executive from elsewhere in MetroWest Boston. Below is how I work through each decision with clients, so you can walk into your session knowing your outfits are right.
Dress for your audience, not only your job title
Before we talk about clothes, I ask who you’re trying to reach. Your job title tells me what you do, and your audience tells me how you need to come across. A CPA doesn’t have to look buttoned-up in every frame. For one look, we might pair a structured jacket with jeans instead of slacks, which keeps the authority of the jacket and makes the whole look warmer and more approachable. A great headshot doesn’t always mean a suit. It means looking like the person your clients will actually meet.
How many outfits should you bring to a headshot session?
Bring two, and give them different jobs. The first is structured, such as a tailored jacket or a crisp collar, something that signals you take your work seriously. The second runs from business casual to casual and gives your personality room to come through. Between them, you’ll have a photo for formal settings like a conference program or a board bio, and one for everyday places like LinkedIn, your website, and email introductions. That’s why every headshot mini at Studio S includes two outfits.
What colors should you wear for a LinkedIn headshot?
Not always neutrals. I consult on color based on the brand you represent or the colors people most often see you in. If your company’s brand is a deep green, or you’re known for wearing cobalt, that color belongs in your headshot, because it helps people recognize you. Your personality and your brand should guide the choice rather than a safe default. Solid colors work best because they keep the attention on your face.
Should you avoid patterns, prints, and shiny fabrics?
Yes. Leave loud or large prints and anything with shimmer at home. A headshot is about you, not the fashion, and a bold print or a fabric that catches the light pulls the eye away from your face. If a pattern is the first thing you notice in the mirror, it will be the first thing people notice on your profile.
Can you wear logos in a professional headshot?
Only if it’s the brand you represent. A company logo on your jacket or polo makes sense when your headshot is representing that company. Other logos, including luxury labels, are best left out. Luxury isn’t about screaming. It’s a subtle nod of elegance that comes from fit, fabric, and how you carry yourself, not from a visible label.
What jewelry should you wear for your headshot?
Wear what you always wear, especially pieces that mean something to you, like a wedding ring or a necklace with your children’s initials as charms. Details like these make the photo feel like you, and they’re usually the pieces you’d feel strange without. A headshot isn’t the moment for a statement piece bought just for the shoot.
Should you wear glasses in your LinkedIn photo?
If you wear glasses day to day, wear them in your headshot. Your photo should look like you in real life, so that when someone meets you on a video call or across the room at an event, they recognize you right away.
Why the head-and-shoulders crop matters on LinkedIn
LinkedIn shows your photo as a small circle next to every post, comment, and message, so every session includes a head-and-shoulders frame with your face at the center. That frame is built for the thumbnail, but your headshot has to do far more. It appears on your website’s About page, speaker bios, press features, podcast guest pages, and your company’s team page, and many of those need a wider frame or more of your outfit. So we plan each session for every place your photo will appear, not only LinkedIn.
How outfit planning works at Studio S Portraits
Before your session, we talk through your audience, your role, and your brand, then choose your two looks and your colors together. I use that conversation to plan your shot list, so the 30 minutes in the studio go to photographing you rather than deciding what to wear. Professional hair and makeup and posing guidance are included. If you’re nervous about your expression, my guide on how to smile for a headshot is a good place to start.
Book your headshot in Needham before the year ends
My last headshot mini day of 2026 is Friday, November 13, at the studio at 20 Chestnut Street in Needham Center. Each 30-minute session includes two outfits, professional hair and makeup, posing guidance, and three high-resolution edited images delivered within five days. Booking closes November 5 so there’s time to schedule hair and makeup. Reserve your headshot mini here. Minis return in January, and you can join the list on my headshots page to hear the new dates first.
If you need more than a headshot, with more looks, more locations, and images for your website and launches, a personal branding session is the better fit.
Frequently asked questions about LinkedIn headshot outfits
What is the best color to wear for a LinkedIn headshot?A solid color tied to your brand, or one you’re often seen in. It doesn’t have to be a neutral, as long as it isn’t a loud print or a shiny fabric.
Should I wear a suit for my LinkedIn headshot?Not necessarily. Dress for your audience. A structured jacket with jeans can look polished and approachable at the same time, and a second, more casual look gives you options.
Can I wear glasses in my headshot?Yes, if you wear them every day. Your headshot should look like you in real life.
How many outfits should I bring to a headshot session?Two: one structured and one business casual to casual. Headshot minis at Studio S Portraits include two outfits.
How much does a professional headshot cost in the Boston area?At Studio S Portraits, a headshot mini is $850 with professional hair and makeup included, and an individual headshot session is $1,500. For more detail, read how much professional headshots cost in the Boston area.
Where can I get a professional headshot near Needham or Boston?Studio S Portraits is a headshot, personal branding, and portrait studio at 20 Chestnut Street, Suite 8, in Needham Center. It serves professionals across MetroWest Boston, including Needham, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, Natick, and Framingham.
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