What colours look best on camera?

Solid, mid-tone colours such as blue, green, teal, burgundy and soft grey work well for most people and most backgrounds.

Why should I avoid stripes on camera?

Fine stripes and small checks can cause a shimmering effect called moiré on video, which is distracting.

Should I wear white or black on camera?

They can work, but bright white can look glowing and pure black can lose detail. Mid-tones are easier for phone cameras.

What to Wear on Camera: Colours, Patterns and Fabrics That Work

What you wear affects how you look on video more than most people expect. Which colours and patterns work on camera, what to avoid, and a quick checklist before recording.

You can have a great script, good light and a clean background, and still look slightly wrong on video because of a shirt. Cameras, especially phone cameras, handle some colours and patterns badly. A few simple choices fix it.

Choose solid, mid-tone colours

The safest choices for most people are solid colours in the middle of the brightness range:

Blues, from navy to soft blue.
Greens and teals.
Burgundy, plum and warm reds.
Soft greys and earth tones.

Mid-tones are easy for phone cameras to expose correctly, and they flatter most skin tones.

Avoid fine patterns

Thin stripes, small checks and tight houndstooth can create moiré, a shimmering wavy effect on video. It is distracting and impossible to fix in editing. Large, simple patterns are usually fine; small busy ones are not.

Be careful with white and black

Bright white can glow and make the camera darken your face to compensate.
Pure black can lose all detail and look like a flat shape.

If you love either, soften them: off-white or cream instead of bright white, charcoal instead of black, or a jacket over the top.

Contrast with your background

Your clothing should stand apart from what is behind you. A grey top against a grey wall makes you fade into it. A blue top against a warm wall separates you clearly. See background for talking head videos for choosing the backdrop itself.

Watch for green screens and virtual backgrounds

If you use a green screen or a virtual background, avoid green (or whatever colour the background replaces). Fine hair and fuzzy fabrics can also confuse background effects on video calls.

Accessories and fabrics

Avoid noisy jewellery near a lapel microphone. Bracelets and long necklaces click and rustle.
Skip very shiny fabrics, which reflect light unevenly.
Check glasses for glare. Tilting them very slightly downward often removes reflections. See our guide on using a teleprompter with glasses.
Leave room for a mic clip on the collar or neckline.

Dress for the audience

Wear what your audience expects from you. A financial adviser in a hoodie and a fitness creator in a suit both look odd. When in doubt, dress one step smarter than your viewers would on an ordinary day.

Do a ten-second test

Before a recording session, film ten seconds in your chosen outfit with your normal light. Look for moiré, a washed-out face or clothes that blend into the background. Changing a top takes a minute; reshooting takes an afternoon. If you are batch recording, bring two or three tops so videos do not look identical; our batch recording guide covers that.