Taking clear clothing photos with just your phone

Light: use a window, not the ceiling

• Shoot near a large window in daylight. Bright but overcast days are ideal.
• Avoid direct sunlight, which creates harsh shadows and bleaches colours.
• Turn off warm overhead bulbs — mixing them with daylight makes colours look odd.
• Don't use the flash. It flattens texture and creates glare on shiny fabrics.

Background and presentation

Pick one plain background and stick with it: a light wall, a door, a clean sheet or a large piece of grey card. Consistency makes your listings look organised and lets the item stand out.

• Steam or iron creases, and use a lint roller — especially on dark items.
• Do up buttons and zips, and smooth the item into its natural shape.
• Hangers suit shirts, dresses and coats. Flat lays suit knitwear, T-shirts and jeans.
• A basic mannequin or dress form helps show fit, if you have the space.

A shot list you can repeat every time

1. Full front, straight on, filling most of the frame
2. Full back
3. Brand label
4. Size label
5. Composition and care label — buyers often want to know the fabric
6. Close-up of the fabric or texture
7. Details: buttons, zips, pockets, prints, stitching
8. Every flaw, close up, ideally with a finger or arrow pointing to it
9. Measurements, with a tape measure laid across the item

Measurements buyers ask for

Sizes vary a lot between brands and decades, so measurements prevent returns. With the item laid flat, the common ones are:

• Tops: pit to pit (across the chest, armpit to armpit) and length (top of the shoulder to the hem)
• Trousers and jeans: waist across, inside leg, and rise
• Dresses and skirts: waist across and length

State in the description that measurements are taken flat, and give them in centimetres and inches if you can.

Get the colour right

• Wipe your phone lens first — a fingerprint makes everything hazy.
• Use the main 1× lens rather than wide-angle, which distorts the shape.
• Tap the item on screen to focus, and drag the brightness down slightly if white areas look blown out.
• Skip filters. Compare the photo with the item in your hand before uploading.
• Describe the colour in words too, such as "deep forest green" rather than just "green".

Batch it to save time

If you resell around a full-time job, photographing items one at a time eats into your limited hours. Leave your background set up, prepare a batch of items in advance, and photograph them all in one session while the light is good. Then list from the photos later in the week.