I'm not savvy when it comes to mixing and matching colors to brew a stellar outfit – I'm a black-and-white kind of girl. But if you're an actor, picking out the right colors, let alone, the right outfits for your photoshoot is crucial to aligning your brand with how you want your audience to ultimately perceive you. Head/bodyshots is the visual impression of your identity, besides your reel – so picking out clothing for your photoshoot that truly speaks for your brand or what you want to be perceived as is an important step in the ladder of defining who you are.

If you have trouble figuring out what to wear for your next shoot and you think your friends and family may be as indecisive as you are, you may want to try a little crowdsourcing with Fashism and Go Try It On.

What is It: Fashism and Go Try It On  are fashion sites that allow you to get instant feedback on outfits.

How It Works: For Fashism, you will need to sign up, then take a picture of yourself and upload it to their site. After the pic has been uploaded, you may ask the community for feedback and guide them by asking for specific advice (probably more specific than "is this hot or not?")

Go Try It On also requires that you register, which can be done using your Facebook identity. After you're registered, you can then take a picture of you modeling your outfit and then send it along with key background information (where you will wear it, other colors available etc.). You will need to send the picture and information to your unique email address (provided by the Go Try It On team)). The team will then share the pic with the larger community and send replies directly to you. You can give feedback to reviewers and earn badges for being a consistent model or reviewer.

THE SKINNY

1) WHY WOULD I WANT STRANGERS PICKING OUT MY CLOTHES – Because they know you the least and won't have a bias for who you are or what they feel you should look like based on your personality. When you're being considered for a role, I highly doubt the casting director is thinking…"hmm…she looks like the girl next door in this headshot, but I'm sure she could play a real bad ass." Think of your community of strangers as your casting director angels; tell them what you're going for and ask them if your outfit, makeup, haircut, etc. align with that look. You may be very surprised at the feedback. 

2) I DON'T WANT MY PICTURES BROADCAST TO A COMMUNITY OF STRANGERS - Go Try It On allows you to privatize your profile so only your Facebook friends can view the shot and make suggestions. But don't you think by doing this you're kind of circumventing the purpose of seeking advice in the first place?

3) I CAN'T GET FEEDBACK FAST ENOUGH - If your photoshoot is the next morning and you're at the clothing store the night before trying to select an outfit or two in a matter of minutes, you may find yourself in a bind. Don't wait to the last minute to begin planning for your next photoshoot. Talk with your photographer ahead of time to see if he has a preference or ideas around your style or what other actors/models have done. With a little guidance, reaching out to the larger community of strangers may not seem as big of a feat and ultimately it can save you time.

4) JUST ASK A FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER – Rather than ask a community of strangers about how you should brand yourself visually, why not ask an expert – a fashion photographer. Pro fashion photographers are experts in bringing a brand to its full potential visually, and they would probably love to give out advice on what works and what doesn't work for you. There are a few forums online that you can reach out to and seek advice on what you should wear for your next shoot. When seeking feedback, be sure to share links to pictures of you wearing the outfit in question and factor in enough time to gather feedback and make a decision.

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