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// The prep question everyone asks

What to Wear for a Student Headshot

Dress for the job.

Business professional, in solid colors, in clothes that actually fit — that's 90% of the answer. The last 10% depends on where the photo is going: ERAS, a law firm directory, MBA recruiting, or an internship application. Here's the whole picture, audience by audience.

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$249 · Prep guide included · Delivered in 48 hours
01 / By audience

Same foundation. Small, deliberate differences.

Every audience below expects business professional. What shifts is how conservative to lean and what the photo sits next to once it's published.

01
ERAS / medical residency
Blazer or suit over a solid mid-tone. No white coat in the primary photo — most program directors expect the business-pro look. Full spec detail on the ERAS headshot page and in the requirements guide.
02
Law students
The most conservative end of the range: dark suit, light shirt. Your photo lands in firm directories next to partners who dress exactly that way — match the room. More on the law student headshot page.
03
MBA recruiting
One business-professional photo covers consulting, banking, PE, and tech recruiting alike — tech is just less strict, not differently dressed. Details on the MBA headshot page.
04
Undergrad internships
Business pro even if the internship's office is casual. The photo follows you across applications for two or three recruiting cycles — dress for the most formal one on your list. See the internship headshot page.
02 / The universal rules What holds for everyone

Six rules that survive every audience.

These apply whether you're submitting to MyERAS or a firm directory — and whether the photo is taken in a studio or on a borrowed tripod.

// Color
Solid mid-tones
Navy, charcoal, burgundy, forest. Solids read clean at directory size; busy patterns and pinstripes can shimmer on screens.
// Fit
Fit beats price
A jacket that fits in the shoulders photographs better than an expensive one that doesn't. Borrowed and fitted beats owned and loose.
// Neckline
Structured
Collars and lapels give the frame clean lines. Wide or loose necklines lose definition in the tight crop portals use.
// Jewelry
Small, matte
Minimal and non-reflective. The viewer's eye should land on your face, not a highlight bouncing off metal.
// Glasses
If you wear them
Wear what interview-day you wears. Glare is handled with lighting angles in studio — it's not your problem to solve.
// Grooming
Interview-day standard
Hair the way you'd wear it to the interview. If you're getting a haircut, take it a few days before the session, not the morning of.
// The principle

Look like you, on your best professional day.

The goal isn't costume. A reviewer who meets you at an interview should recognize the person from the photo — same glasses, same hair, same level of formality you'll actually show up in. The outfit's job is to be unremarkable so your face does the work.

Every session includes a prep guide sent before your appointment that covers all of this against your specific application — part of professional headshots for students across the DC Metro area.

03 / Book

Bring two outfits. We'll pick on the monitor.

If you're torn between options, bring both — the 20-minute session has room to test each against the backdrop and choose what photographs best.

// The First Headshot
$249
20 min session · 2 retouched images · 48-hour delivery
  • Studio session in South Riding, VA
  • Full coaching: every angle, expression, and adjustment
  • Pre-session prep guide, including attire, sent before your appointment
  • Every format your application needs (including ERAS spec)
  • Web and print resolution versions included
  • Free reschedule up to 48 hours before
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Attire questions.

What should I wear for a professional headshot as a student?
Business professional: a blazer or suit jacket over a clean blouse, button-down, or shell, in solid colors that contrast gently with a light neutral background. Clothes that fit well matter more than clothes that cost more. That covers ERAS, law, MBA, and internship applications alike — the differences between audiences are small.
What colors photograph best for a headshot?
Solid mid-tones: navy, charcoal, burgundy, forest, slate blue. They read clean at small sizes and flatter every skin tone against a neutral backdrop. Avoid neon brights, busy patterns, and pinstripes (which can shimmer on screens), and be careful with pure white or pure black as the only garment — both can swallow detail.
Do I need to wear a suit jacket or blazer?
For application photos, yes — a structured shoulder is most of what makes a headshot read as business professional. It also gives the frame clean lines at the tight crop most directories and portals use. The jacket should fit in the shoulders; a borrowed one that fits beats an owned one that doesn't.
Can I wear glasses in my headshot?
If you wear them daily, wear them in the photo — you should look like the person who shows up to the interview. Glare is the photographer's problem, not yours; it's handled with lighting angles in the studio. If you're between pairs, shoot with the pair you'll be wearing during interview season.
Does the same outfit work for ERAS, law, MBA, and internship photos?
Almost always yes. Business professional is the expectation across all four. Law is the most conservative end (dark suit, light shirt reads best next to firm-directory partner photos); tech-leaning internships are the most relaxed — but the same put-together photo works everywhere, and nobody is penalized for it.
What should I avoid wearing in a headshot?
Busy patterns and logos, very wide or loose necklines (they lose structure in a tight crop), large reflective jewelry, brand-new haircuts from the morning of, and anything you'd fidget with. Skip the white coat for ERAS primary photos, and skip casual layers — the photo usually outlives the office dress code it was matched to.