What to wear for an actor headshot
Importance of Clothing
Actors at all stages of their journey will have different needs for their headshots. You might be at the very beginning and open minded to all possible castings or you might have a very well informed and specific idea about what look you want to go for.
Whatever your situation, the clothing you wear during the photography session will play a big part in telling the story of what you will provide as an actor so making good decisions on clothing is an important task.
So What is Best?
My first advice is to bring as many outfits as you like, but make sure you actually like them. It’s always best to have options you like so having a range of choices is always a benefit. Be sure to bring a variety if you are unsure.
If you would describe your casting as being close to your own personality or an exaggerated version of yourself, perhaps consider wearing the clothes that you really love or feel are "very you”. A large benefit to this is that you will feel comfortable and confident in this clothing, you might even wear it in your self tapes or auditions which will help casting agents and directors feel that they are recognising you from the shot and sensing your authenticity.
What not to wear (most of the time)
Some things don’t work very well on camera but these rules are not concrete, there can be exceptions:
I often find that very strongly patterned clothing doesn’t look great as it can look noisy and distracting
Large logos and branding can look unprofessional so I recommend avoiding them.
Very, strong bright colours may become distracting but colourfulness in general is good.
A basic black or white tee on its own can be quite dull or wash you out (layered with something else can be much better)
Noisy and distracting
Ideas for Clothing
As said before, casting is the top priority and comes first but if you are looking to improve an outfit for a headshot there are a few things to consider:
I am a big fan of layering your clothing, multiple layers can add depth and complexity to your look.
I really like characterful clothing, especially if it fits your casting.
Consider V necks for tops - They can be great for connecting the body to the head.
Jewellery can add loads of character and strengthen a particular casting so I love it. Be aware that it can say a lot when used in an image. Trendy jewellery might be great for emphasising a more contemporary/urban casting but could ruin the chances of a period drama casting so choose wisely!