First impressions count. What you wear on a first date is important, yet so many women (and men) are clueless about the art of dressing to impress. Here is a quick guide to choosing an appropriate outfit and selecting the right accessories for an extra ‘wow’ factor. Hopefully, if you make the right impression, you can look forward to date two. Assuming you want to see the person again of course!
Subtle Yet Stylish
A first date is not the time to wear your most outrageous outfit – unless you are dating someone of a very similar persuasion. Standing out is good, especially if you are meeting a date in a busy public area, but standing out for all the wrong reasons is not good.
Think sexy, but stylish and understated. Very short skirts and low cut tops are best avoided, as these tend to create the wrong impression on a date. It is also inadvisable to wear an outfit you might choose for a job interview, as again, it creates the wrong impression.
Dressing for the Event
Hopefully you have planned the date in advance and you know exactly where you are going. Most first dates take place in a coffee shop, café, bar or restaurant. You can therefore get away with wearing something fairly casual. However, if your date is whisking you off to the opera for the evening, clearly a pair of jeans is going to be a bad look, so be sure to check and dress appropriately.
Low Key Date Outfits
Low-key outfits include jeans and a shirt, a pretty summer dress or a casual skirt and long-sleeve sweater. This type of outfit is perfect for a first date in a casual venue. You will feel comfortable and it won’t offend anyone if you decide to head to a restaurant for food.
Accessorizing an Outfit
Accessorizing an outfit is a great way to add interest to an ordinarily bland set of separates. You can use accessories to give a date insight into your personality, so be experimental and don’t be afraid of trying something different.
- Jewelry is an easy way to accessories a casual outfit. For example, pick up some cute gold brooches from an antique market and pin one to your jacket. Statement necklaces and earrings are ideal for dates. Use a statement necklace to bring a little black dress to life or throw on some bangles to draw attention to a shapely wrist. Ankle bracelets work well in the summer – clasp a thin gold chain around your ankle and show off your shapely legs.
- Shoes can make or break an outfit, so choose your shoes carefully. Heels are always a good choice for a date. High heels are sexy and enhance your best features, but you have to be comfortable wearing heels. Teetering around on a pair of heels, looking as if you have one too many glasses of wine, is not a good look. If this sounds like you, stick to kitten heels or wear a pair of flats.
Boots are another good choice. Sexy boots look great with a fitted dress or skinny jeans. Just be sure to stay away from Ugg boots, as most men think they are a huge turn-off and your sex appeal will be instantly diminished if you show up wearing Uggs.
- Scarves are a fun way to dress up an outfit. Decorative scarves come in all shapes and sizes, from neck scarves to shawls, so pick a scarf that best fits your personality. You can wear a scarf any way you like: around your neck, as a belt, or even on your head.
- Sunglasses are essential for a summer date. Picture yourself sitting outside a trendy coffee shop, sipping a tasty cappuccino and squinting in the sun as your date tries to make conversation. It’s not a good look, is it? Instead, picture yourself wearing some sexy designer shades. You will appear enigmatic and cool as a cucumber. It is also a good way of hiding your boredom if the date is like watching paint dry.
- Hats are hard to pull off, but if worn well, a funky hat works well with a bohemian outfit. A wide brimmed hat with a scarf will dress up a long maxi dress perfectly, but it is probably best to skip the baseball hat unless you want to appear super casual.
First dates are an opportunity to make a connection and decide whether (or not) there is any chemistry with your date. If there isn’t any chemistry, say goodbye and head off into the sunset, but if the sparks are flying, start planning your outfit for date two.
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