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How to take pictures of clothes to sell

Published October 2, 2026 5 min read

To photograph clothes to sell, steam the garment, hang structured pieces and lay soft ones flat, and shoot the front and back in soft window light, then close-ups of the brand tag, the size tag, the care label and any flaws. Add measurement photos with the tape in place, because sizes differ between brands.

A garment has no fixed shape until something gives it one. That's the whole problem, and every clothing photo method is an answer to it.

Should you use a flat lay, a hanger or a mannequin?

Use a hanger for structured garments and a flat lay for soft ones. Shirts, jackets, coats and dresses are cut to hang. Knitwear, t-shirts and folded items shape better by hand. A mannequin or a person shows fit best and takes longest. Pick one method per garment type and keep it, because a consistent set looks like a shop.

How do you make a flat lay look deliberate?

A flat lay looks deliberate when it's shot from directly above, squared to the frame, smoothed flat and framed with even margins on a background that contrasts with the garment.

• Shoot from directly above. An angled overhead shot distorts proportions and looks accidental.
• Square the garment to the frame. A crooked flat lay looks careless.
• Smooth every fold before shooting. Creases photograph as damage.
• Give the sleeves a natural position instead of splaying them straight out.
• Leave even margins around the garment. Too tight looks cramped. Too loose makes it look small.
• Use a background that contrasts with the garment. Gray works for both pale and dark items, which is why it's the default worth adopting.

How do you take clothes photos on a hanger?

Use a hanger that matches the garment's shoulder width, because a narrow hanger makes peaks and a wide one stretches the shoulders. Hang it against a plain wall with a little space behind, so the garment casts its own soft shadow instead of a hard outline. Shoot at chest height: from above the garment seems to taper, and from below it balloons.

How do you photograph clothes without a mannequin?

Without a mannequin, hang structured pieces on a plain wall or lay soft ones flat and shoot from directly above. Button and zip the garment, smooth it, and give the sleeves a natural position. If you pin the back to pull in the waist, say so in the description, because the buyer will see the real fit.

Which tag photos does a clothing listing need?

A clothing listing needs three label photos: the brand tag, the size tag and the care label with the fabric content. Together they answer what it is, what size and what it's made of. Shoot each one straight on, close enough to read every word.

Those tags are also where the item specifics come from: brand, size, material. FlowLister, the tool the team behind this site makes, writes the item specifics for an eBay listing from your photos. A tag it can't read is a field you fill in yourself. It's AI, so check what it filled.

How do you measure clothes for eBay?

Measure clothes flat and photograph the tape in place. Sizes differ between brands and eras, so the measurement is what tells a buyer whether it fits. Chest is measured armpit to armpit, which resellers call pit to pit, then length, sleeve, waist and inseam as the garment needs.

1. Lay the garment flat and smooth it first.
2. Run a tape across the chest, armpit to armpit, and photograph it in place.
3. Repeat for length, sleeve, waist and inseam as the garment requires.
4. State every measurement in the description too, with the convention you used, for example "chest measured flat, pit to pit".

The convention matters. "Chest 21 inches" means one thing measured flat and another measured around, and the difference can be a return.

How do you get the color right in clothing photos?

Shoot under one light source, not a mix of daylight and room bulbs, and don't push saturation when you edit. If a color is hard to capture, say so in the description, for example "a deep olive that photographs slightly green." Naming it answers the question before it becomes a complaint.

Where's the line between presenting a garment and misrepresenting it?

Steam it, shape it, light it properly, then photograph the flaws honestly. Good presentation of an accurately described item is the whole job. Shoes follow the same logic with their own shot list.

Keep reading

• How to take pictures of shoes to sell

  The pair, both sides, the soles, the insoles, the size tag and every flaw, in that order.

• Product photography lighting at home, without a studio

  A window, a sheer curtain and white card: soft, even light with no kit to buy.