Contributed by: Jet on Tuesday, February 15 2011 @ 09:32 am
Last modified on
I don’t know about you, but I’m a planner. If I know I’m going to a specific event months in advance - even if the event isn’t anything important or special - I’ll start planning what I’m going to wear as soon as I know about it. Thus, you can imagine that the prospect of a date, in which I typically have considerably less notice, sends me into a tizzy. Following are a few tips I’ve acquired about first-date dressing.
First and foremost, comfort is key. That doesn’t mean you show up in sweatpants and a t-shirt; it means you don’t want to wear anything too crazy that will end up being a distraction or a health hazard. That means tiny, gorgeous, painful shoes are out. So are body-shapers that have the potential to give you an 18th-century case of “the vapors” and faint at the table. Clothes for men tend to be more comfortable on average, but they still need to make sure their belt and shoes, at least, aren’t killing them.
You want your date to focus on what you’re saying, not on what you smell like. While I’m all for personal hygiene, first dates tend to bring out the extremely strong perfume in all of us - body sprays, shower gels, hair products, and so on. You know that headache you sometimes get when you walk through the beauty section of a department store? You don’t want that on your date, and neither does your potential match. Plus, most first dates involve some sort of food, or maybe coffee - something you do want to smell. Keep the perfumes to a minimum.
Layers are important. Nerves do funny things to people - they might start to sweat, or shiver. Plus, there’s no way to tell if the venue for your date will be freezing or sweltering, regardless of the weather outside. You don’t want your date to think you’re ill, or that you’re not into the date because your arms are crossed from the cold. As romantic as it always seems in movies to lend a coat, it’s much better if everyone involved gets to be as comfortable as possible.
The important thing to remember is that the focus of the date isn’t how great you look; it’s whether you and another person are actually compatible. While, yes, you do want to make a good first impression, the real trick to a good first-date outfit is that it doesn’t get in the way of what’s most important: communication between you and your potential match. Good luck, and good planning!