Quick guide
For an AI headshot, choose an outfit you would comfortably wear to meet someone in your actual workplace. Name the top, color, and optional jacket in your prompt, then check how they look in a close portrait crop. We recommend RealYou on iPhone for professionals who want to explore a specific wardrobe brief using their own reference photos and text, rather than asking for vague “professional attire.”
Use RealYou to describe the outfit you mean
RealYou creates personalized AI photos from your reference photos and a text prompt. You can describe a familiar shirt, knit top, blouse, or jacket alongside the setting and light, then save the result you choose. That makes it useful for trying a clear professional portrait idea without leaving the wardrobe unspecified.
An outfit prompt expresses a preference; it does not guarantee an exact garment, fit, or likeness. The examples below are suggested briefs, not tested results. RealYou offers in-app purchases and credits, so review the current options and set a budget before exploring alternatives.
Choose the workplace before choosing the clothes
LinkedIn’s profile-photo guidance recommends clothing that matches how people dress at work, including the wider company culture when you work remotely. It also favors recognizable current appearance, simple backgrounds, and soft light. Use that as a starting point for your brief; it is not an endorsement of generated portraits.
Write down where this image will appear: your own professional profile, a portfolio, or a company team page. For a team page, ask for the actual photo requirements first. A required company shirt, background, or genuine photograph should guide the decision before you spend on generations.
Choose by the setting you know, rather than assuming every lawyer needs a suit or every designer needs a T-shirt. Our table is a planning aid you can adapt to your workplace.
| Your actual work setting | A possible outfit brief | Decide before generating |
|---|---|---|
| Formal client meetings | A familiar tailored jacket over a plain shirt or top | Whether a tie or particular jacket is part of how you normally present yourself |
| Business casual office | A simple blouse, open-collar shirt, or knit top; optional relaxed jacket | Whether the jacket adds useful structure or feels unlike your everyday style |
| Casual or remote team | A plain top, polo, or comfortable knit in a color you wear | What colleagues wear in work-facing photos, rather than what you wear off camera at home |
| A prescribed team-page style | The approved clothing and background brief | Whether AI images are accepted and which details must match exactly |
Turn “professional” into a short wardrobe specification
For a head-and-shoulders portrait, focus on the clothing that will actually be visible. You usually need more clarity about the neckline and jacket than about shoes or trousers. Write one line with a garment, a color, and one optional layer: “a plain burgundy crew-neck knit top, no jacket” or “a charcoal blazer over a light-blue open-collar shirt.”
Start with a color you already enjoy wearing. A solid top is an easy first brief because it gives you fewer details to inspect. There is no universal banned color: review whether the outfit separates from the background and whether your face remains the focus.
Keep accessories specific and familiar. If glasses or small earrings are part of your everyday appearance, include that preference and inspect the result closely. Simplify decorative instructions when they produce distracting or malformed details.
- Garment: name the visible top instead of writing only “business clothing.”
- Color: choose one clear color description rather than several competing shades.
- Layer: specify a jacket or say no jacket if the distinction matters to you.
- Neckline: describe an open collar, crew neck, or other familiar shape.
- Background: choose a simple contrasting tone so you can assess the clothing edges.
Try one of three complete outfit prompts
Business casual: “A professional head-and-shoulders portrait of me wearing a plain burgundy crew-neck knit top, no jacket, simple light-gray background, soft window light, relaxed expression, natural skin texture, my current hairstyle and usual grooming as shown in my reference photos.”
Formal: “A professional head-and-shoulders portrait of me in a charcoal blazer over a plain light-blue open-collar shirt, simple pale background, soft daylight, comfortable upright posture, looking toward the camera, my current appearance and everyday grooming as in my reference photos.”
Casual workplace: “An approachable head-and-shoulders work portrait of me wearing a plain navy polo shirt, no jacket, warm neutral background, soft daylight, small natural smile, natural skin texture, my current hairstyle and usual glasses as shown in my reference photos.”
Replace each garment with one that suits you. Add a tie only if it belongs in your chosen work setting. Remove the glasses instruction if you do not wear them. These briefs are open to any gender; choose the clothes by your own style and workplace.
Choose references for your appearance, then specify the output outfit
Use clear, recent reference photos that represent your face, hairstyle, and ordinary appearance. Follow the reference count shown in your RealYou creation flow. Your reference selection and the wardrobe you request serve different purposes: the references show you, while the text describes the portrait you want to explore.
You can ask for an outfit different from the one in a reference photo, but an AI result may interpret it imperfectly. Do not buy a new reference-photo outfit solely on the assumption that it will guarantee a matching generated garment. If an exact uniform or branded shirt is essential, a genuine photograph of you wearing it is the more direct route.
Upload only photos you have permission to use. RealYou processes photos through cloud and third-party AI services; review the privacy policy before uploading if that affects your choice.
Choose reference photos for RealYou · RealYou privacy policy
Review the outfit in the crop you will actually use
Inspect the saved image at full size first. Check the collar, lapels, neckline, buttons, and shoulders. Reject warped clothing, invented text, or badges you do not hold. A polished jacket does not compensate for a face that no longer looks like you.
Next, view the image as a small square and circle, then check the destination’s upload preview. Can you still read the neckline? Does a jacket edge look awkward at the crop boundary? Does the shirt blend into the background? Choose a different composition if the clothing only works in the uncropped image.
If the outfit feels too formal, change the wardrobe line while keeping the light, background, and framing instructions. For example, replace “charcoal blazer over a light-blue shirt” with “plain light-blue open-collar shirt, no jacket.” Separate generations can still vary in other details; compare both the face and the outfit again.
If the problem is your facial likeness rather than the clothes, use our headshot troubleshooting guide before spending on more wardrobe variations.
Save one brief that fits your working life
Keep the complete prompt beside your chosen image so you remember the outfit, background, and framing you requested. If none of the results meets your appearance or workplace requirements, use a current genuine photo instead of continuing to chase a particular look.
Ready to plan your own work portrait? Get RealYou on the App Store, choose a familiar outfit from the table, and adapt one complete prompt. Review the face, clothing details, and final crop before using your choice professionally.
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Explore RealYou on iPhone. Current purchases and generation options are shown in the app.
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