I post a weekly photograph on my Instagram and Facebook page on what to wear to work. Okay – sometimes it is just a Wednesday work wear tip. However, the pic is designed to demonstrate corporate style and office wear for the working woman. I’ve had some great feedback – thank you – and hopefully it does help you with the office wear conundrum.
Often though we face the dilemma of what to wear on a daily basis – let alone weekly. Many of us face this problem just about every day going to work but appearances on camera may require extra consideration.
Your personal brand is always on display and with the longevity of social media photographs, online videos and perhaps your photo on business cards and brochures, it makes sense to look as good as you can. Particularly your profile photograph for LinkedIn or other business images needs to be professional and impressive. To help you portray the right look for your personal brand photo shoot, let’s review your clothing choices.
The first thing you need to consider is the overall look you want to portray and how your target audience may respond to that.
As a rule, if you work in a creative industry – look creative and if your industry is more conservative – portray that. As I work with a lot of senior executives mainly in a corporate environment, I do wear a slightly more classic look but I like to add a creative and modern edge to that. A classic conservative look doesn’t mean old fashioned – keep current and up to date.
Determine your personal brand style and perhaps a signature look or accessory. One speaker I know always wears a large flower on her jacket lapel or may wear a floral dress or shirt. It is a reflection of her brand name and “gardening” philosophy. Others choose always to wear a particular colour such as orange or red. The Master Chef judge, Matt Preston is known for his numerous cravats of many colours.
High contrasting clothing colours such as a white shirt with a dark suit jacket work well in photos. They tend to give a stronger, more defined look. For business, greys and blues are more traditional colour choices but can be complemented by accessorising with a different colour.
For example, grey can look great with orange or green and dark blue – try teaming it with aqua or purple. Monochromatic colours – all one shade, portray a more personable image but can look boring unless there is a contrasting element such as a statement necklace or interesting neckline. Experiment and try a variety of choices to see what suits you and works well together.
Prints and patterns can work and add a bit of interest to a headshot photo. Avoid the fad or outlandish prints and veer toward the more classic prints and patterns such as stripes, checks, spots or perhaps a floral or animal print paired with a jacket. Again it depends on your style and the overall look you want to present.
For men ensure your shirt collar is sharp and sits well – with or without a tie. I mention shirt because a round necked t-shirt or even a polo shirt doesn’t generally sit as well and look sharp.
For men and women ensure your jacket doesn’t have “puffy” shoulders which sometimes happens if your jacket is a bit too big, hasn’t been pressed well or is a cheap make. If you are going for a full-length shot make sure your trousers are the right length – shoes are polished and look good and for men wear dark socks and dark shoes.
We work with a range of professional photographers when styling your personal brand photo shoot. Need further information? Contact us.
Your style and how you present yourself is part of your personal brand look. Find out more in my free video series, NOOK, LOOK, HOOK 3 Steps to Build a Stand Out Personal Brand.
Sue Currie is a speaker and the author of IMPRESSario, Present and Promote the Star Within You. She is recognised as a leading authority on personal branding to boost image, profile, brand and business. Through her image management programs, workshops, consulting and keynote presentations, Sue helps businesses and entrepreneurs present an influential brand image.
