What to Wear for Headshots, Keynotes and Video Calls

Every time you step on a stage, sit for a headshot or open a video call, you’re making a first impression that will be replayed, shared and remembered. Your headshot will sit on your website for years. A keynote may be recorded and watched by thousands. That’s a lot of weight to put on an outfit chosen in a hurry.

One of my longtime clients ran conferences at a university. She wore pastel suits for years, lavender and pink, and couldn’t understand why people didn’t listen when she stood up to lead. In those colors, she disappeared. When we dressed her in her own level of contrast, olive and terracotta with texture and jewelry, she became the authority in every room.

In this post I’ll show you how to choose what to wear for headshots, keynotes and video calls using the principles of color analysis for clothes from my book, Dress Your Essence: color, contrast, scale and print, and the three questions I ask every client before an important appearance.

The One Test That Matters: You or the Clothes?

Before any photo shoot or stage appearance, do this test from my book. Take a full-length photo of yourself in the outfit. Then ask: what do you see first, you or the clothing?

• If you only see the clothes, the colors or contrast are overpowering you.
• If you see your face but your body seems to disappear, leaving your head “floating,” the colors are too dull or drab for your essence.
• If your skin looks overly pink or sallow, the color is wrong for your skin tone.

If an outfit fails this test in your hallway, don’t count on it working in your headshot.

Choose Your Color by the Moment

Every color in your personal palette carries a message. Choose the one that matches what you want the audience to feel.

If a full outfit in your Power Color feels like too much, start with a scarf or jewelry. A true Power Color will never overpower you.

Get Your Contrast Right

Contrast is the difference in value between your hair, skin and eyes, and it matters more on camera than almost anywhere else.

• High-contrast people (all Winters, and anyone with dark hair and light skin, for example) can wear black and white, black and silver or black and gold.
• Medium-contrast people (most Springs and Autumns) should mirror the difference between their hair, skin and eyes: navy with sky blue, chocolate with taupe, black with saddle brown.
• Low-contrast people (many Summers) do best with blended shades of similar value.

Wear too much contrast and the audience sees your outfit first. Wear too little and your body seems to disappear beneath your face. For darker-skinned people with dark hair and eyes, the whites of your eyes and the color of your teeth are a guide: bright white suggests high contrast, bone white medium, soft gray or beige low.

Mind the Scale of Prints and Accessories

On stage and on camera, scale is easy to get wrong.

If you have a small face and compact features, large prints and oversized accessories will take over the frame. If you have a larger face and features, tiny prints will look busy and indistinct. Match the size of your prints, necklaces and earrings to the size of your features. Measure from the center of your eyebrow to the corner of your mouth: closer to three inches calls for smaller prints and accessories; closer to five or more for larger ones.

Repeat the shapes in your face, too. Round eyes and a fuller mouth suit circular shapes, like hoop earrings or polka dots. Almond eyes suit longer, tapered beads and almond-like shapes in prints. Your necklines should follow your jawline: scooped for round and oval faces, square or crew for square faces, V-necks for heart-shaped and diamond faces.

Don’t Forget What’s Behind You

On video, your background is part of your outfit.

A lighter value of your Power Color makes a beautiful background for your video calls. It frames you in your own colors, and it supports the energy you want to bring to the conversation.

The Three Questions Before Any Appearance

Before any headshot, keynote or important call, I ask clients three questions:

1. What is the opportunity?
2. How do I want to feel?
3. What specific result do I want?

Be specific. “I want to feel confident and connected, and I want twenty people to sign up for my program after this talk” points to a very different outfit than “I want to feel relaxed and approachable.” The more specific you are, the clearer it becomes which colors belong in your outfit.

What to Do Next

• Do the full-length photo test in your planned outfit, in natural light.
• Check your contrast level by rating your hair, skin and eyes as light, medium or dark.
• Measure from eyebrow to mouth corner and check your earrings, necklace and prints against it.
• Repaint or reset your video background in a lighter value of your Power Color.

Your first step today: look at your current headshot and ask what you see first, you or the clothes.

Let Them See You First

Headshots, keynotes and video calls all ask the same thing of your wardrobe: get out of the way and let people see you. When you wear your own colors, at your own level of contrast and scale, the camera stops capturing an outfit and starts capturing you.

If you have a big appearance coming up and want to know your exact Power Color, contrast and scale, my team can help.

Book a Call with Jennifer’s Team

Frequently Asked Questions

What colors should I wear for a headshot? Your Power Color if you want to convey authority, or your eye color if you want warmth and trust. Whatever the color, it should match your natural level of contrast so people see your face first.

Should I wear black for photos? Only if you’re a high-contrast person, like a Winter. On lower-contrast coloring, black can overpower your face. Your formal neutral, the darkest value your coloring can support, is a safer choice.

What should I wear to give a keynote? Your Power Color, at your natural level of contrast, with accessories scaled to your features. Test the outfit with a full-length photo first: if you see the clothes before you, change it.

What’s the best background color for video calls? A lighter value of your Power Color frames you in your own palette and supports your presence on screen.