The Sweet Scent Of Style Success

Tired of stressing out about what to wear on dates?

Match.com has a solution for the pre-date fashion freakout, and it's so big that all it needs are initials: DVF.

That's right - just last month Match.com teamed up with top designer Diane Von Furstenberg to help women hone their first-date style. The team hosted three styling events over the course of the month, offering Match members the unique opportunity to receive expert advice on dressing for dating success. The events were held at DVF retail stores in New York City, Dallas, and Miami, and focused on style suggestions for three common first-date scenarios: cappuccinos, cocktails and dinner.

"Dating is really all about confidence," Diane von Furstenberg told Match. "It is about dressing in a way that makes you feel comfortable and beautiful." Although the results of her teamwork with Match are not yet released, the dating site did offer this helpful tidbit: the tie between dating and scent is a strong one, so make sure that whatever you personal style is, it includes a pleasing and memorable fragrance.

In a survey of 10,000 Match.com members, more than 76% of respondents reported that they had been attracted to someone because of their scent. On top of that, over 56% of participants said that they can still identify a flame's fragrance. Scent is one of the most powerful first impressions that a person makes. It's also the sense that is mostly strongly tied to memory, which means that it's the most powerful lasting impression you'll leave, as well.

Have you ever had a moment in which the smell of something instantly recalls an event or a person? Maybe the smell of the ocean reminds you of going to the beach with your family as a child, or the smell of Old Spice reminds you of your first boyfriend. A smell has the power to bring on a flood of memories, influence your moods, and affect your performance at tasks. The olfactory bulb, the area of the brain that controls the sense of smell, is part of the limbic system, which is also closely associated with memory. It's also known as the "emotional brain" because of its strong ties to your feelings. These associations are the reason that scent can generate memories and powerful responses almost instantly.

70% of Match users understand exactly how important finding a signature scent is - they say they make it a point to wear a certain fragrance when they prepare to meet a date. Just make sure it's the right scent - Jersey Shore star Snooki tested out a fragrance based on pickles, but had to scrap it after th extremely stinky results!

For more information on this dating service, please read our Match.com review.