A product photo shot from directly above, with items arranged on a flat surface.
A flat lay is a photograph taken from directly overhead, with products and props arranged neatly on a flat surface. It is popular for apparel, accessories, cosmetics, and styled collections.
Flat lays are clean and easy to standardize, which makes them great for catalogs and social grids. They pair well with on-model shots: the flat lay shows detail, the on-model shot shows context.
For showing product detail, sets, and collections cleanly, especially apparel, accessories, and cosmetics.
Use both. Flat lays show detail and styling, while on-model shots show fit and context.