I have a buddy who is old money and old lineage from New England. Really nice guy and drole sense of humor. He cracks dry witted jokes about how when Princess Grace was alive and the Princess of Monaco that people were always wanting to know if the gala events (I don’t have my terms for it, please bear with me) were ones Tiara/no Tiara? And I am not talking the Rhinestone kind. I’m talking DIAMONDS ladies. You know, a girl’s best friend? Exactly. Those who had diamond tiaras wanted to know if The Princess was going to be wearing hers? Because if she was not, they could not, because, naturally, you may not upstage The Princess with you’re wearing a crown if she was not wearing one.
Well. Is that the kind of ensemble to wear on a First Date Meeting with singles you are meeting from Online Dating?
Let me be clear.
NO!
Now, with all the research I do all the time with the major online dating sites where they interview single guys who say, “I don’t care what she wears…” to write articles to tell young women just to show up in T-shirt and blue jeans. Well I never. Influence and persuasion studies demonstrate that in reality we often don’t consciously know what we think and what we are driven by. So while the sites are suggesting to single men and women to wear T-shirt and jeans, they would do better to follow the sartorial advice of The Dress for Success Man.
Ladies, wear a dress or skirt ensemble. Accentuate your feminine. Aim for a sexy classy look. A wrap dress which accentuates your feminine assets in a classy manner in silk or a similarly sensual yet not over the top fabric is marvelous. A sweetheart neckline is marvelous. Accentuates your assets without over-emphasizing them.
Guys! Blue jeans in a stylishly metro region like Manhattan, Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles works. Also in TX and areas of The South where like up in Canada a man wants to purport a manly yet humble sort of a look, really I could go dig dirt with a shovel after our date, sort of a down-to-earth feel is good. However, leave the sneakers at home. Wear cool shoes or cowboy boots. Chicks dig them. And wear SOME kind of a blazer or sport jacket. By doing so, you accentuate your masculinity in accentuating the breadth of your shoulders. Even if she doesn’t SAY it, inwardly she is thinking, “oooo, what manly broad shoulders you have!” Go ahead. Work it.
By doing so, you will also reinforce your greatest feeling of self-esteem and self-confidence. Leverage points you always want to bring to bear in moments and opportunities of personal influence and persuasion.
Happy Dating and Relationships,
April Braswell
Jim says
September 26, 2009 at 11:35 PMSince I am more the conservative, I go along, mostly, on the how to dress thing.
I don’t have an interest in the online dating, but it is good you give these tips, for those who do.
Keep it up!
Jim
BusinessAndMarketingMakeover.com/blog
Greg says
September 26, 2009 at 10:51 PMWhat about a khaki suit and flip flops? LOL.
James Mason says
September 26, 2009 at 11:31 PMI think you are right on about the lady thing… or at least the dress or skirt (I’m for a little more conservative).
BTW… did you read my comment a few posts back (I think I posted in the one about cougar dating)?
I chuckled, really chuckled, when I came across this (I had never heard of this cougar thing, until I was reading your posts)… then, while looking at different video sites, in preparation for my own videos for some marketing project I’m working on, I came across this:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/97631/cougar-town-series-premiere
You may not enjoy it, but I was just suprised to see something on the air, after just learning it existed.
James Mason
Steve Chambers says
September 27, 2009 at 12:45 AMFirst impressions count! This is the key to what to wear on a first date, or any “first” event.
Steve Chambers
Business to Business Sales Trainer
Jose Escalante says
September 27, 2009 at 1:41 AMDressing right is always important
Jose Escalante
Keri Eagan says
September 27, 2009 at 2:55 AMLove dressing up. Always have, always will. It’s the romantic inside of me…
First impression so important. Like your advice for men (the shoes! really sometimes I wonder….) and I think a skirt/dress is a must.
Keri Eagan
Rob says
September 27, 2009 at 7:58 AMI guess fatigues and a camo shirt with desert boots are totally out?
Seize the Day,
Rob
Robert Martin says
September 27, 2009 at 8:37 AMI don’t care in if my subconscious mind like it or not. I GO FOR SEXY, CLASSY LOOK! Make sure all women read this.
I suppose I can find some shoulder pads to put under that sport coat. Wait a minute I am married. Hmm. Maybe I should try it on my wife anyway.
Robert Martin
John Ho says
September 27, 2009 at 8:59 AMApril,
Your remind me the classic book “Dress For Success” only for dressing for first date success.
Your blog is of course geared specially for dating success.
It’s full of great tips to ensure not only a pleasant initial meeting up but also subsequent datings as well!
We can’t recreate the first impression!
John Ho
Katie says
September 27, 2009 at 12:10 PMTexas Tux is one of the best looks out there . . . all y’all city folk stealin’ our vibe down here.
Dark jeans, dress shirt, blazer, boots and cowboy hat if you can pull it off. 😉
purrrr
, Katie
Lynn Lane says
September 27, 2009 at 1:37 PMApril,
I think you’re right, the way we dress on the first meeting is key.
Now…..let me go measure the “breadth” of my shoulders.
Lynn Lane
Success Strategies For Life
Martin says
September 27, 2009 at 3:14 PMIt’s important to feel comfortable in whatever you choose to wear – and clearly most people will want to accentuate their assets and mask their liabilities!
Martin O'Connor says
September 27, 2009 at 5:27 PMGood advice and thanks for the tips.
Lisa McLellan says
September 27, 2009 at 7:26 PMOh how I love cowboy boots!!! But can’t I wear them too? I am so not a dress or skirt girl. Although, come to think of it, if it were summer, I have a very cool sleeveless denim fitted dress with a zipper down the front – is that too much?
But, oh, I’m still thinking about those cowboy boots…….
Lisa McLellan
Child Care Expert,
Babysitting Services, Babysitting Tips, Babysitters, Nannies
Jennifer Battaglino says
September 27, 2009 at 8:22 PMOk Ms. Braswell… I will definitely agree to put your best foot forward and present yourself well but also to stay true to yourself. As soon as you talked about the dress or skirt, I went ugh, I don’t want to wear that…but you can still look pretty, sexy, and sharp in pants. Just depends on what they look like! NO Vanilla Ice pants PLEASE!
Jennifer
The Harwood Center – Tinnitus, Chronic Illness, Fears, and Anxiety
Kate McKeon says
September 27, 2009 at 10:45 PMShoot, the ball gowns are so much fun though . . . a little overwhelming on the first date I guess. 🙁
How about second dates?
Expanding spheres of influence, Kate
Mister P says
September 28, 2009 at 2:46 AMApril,
I really can see that you’ve put your time in the subject.
Your competency comes through!
Bert (alter ego- Mister P)
Lisa says
September 30, 2009 at 3:31 PMI think these are good tips for any first date! And it really is true, sports jacket, jeans, and nice shoes on a man is a great first date out fit.
MissMentor
Anthony Lemme says
October 1, 2009 at 7:24 AMGreat advice. Fashion, whether we like it or not is an important way to accentuate our attractiveness.
Anthony
JJ Jalopy says
October 2, 2009 at 2:39 PMSuit up!