What to Wear on a Date to Leave the best Impression

First dates can be rather daunting, and no amount of preparation will ever take away those nervous butterflies in your stomach. However, being able to plan what to wear on a date can prevent disastrous scenarios and ease up on the first date woes. 

Knowing what to wear on a first date will help you plan an outfit that keeps you comfortable and looking great, while opening up possibilities of further dates in the future.

• DRESSING TO IMPRESS

Without a doubt, one of your main goals on a date is to impress the person you’re with (of course, you also want to enjoy yourself and get to know the other person). However, it is important to remember that “dressing to impress” should be done with subtlety and class. Don’t go overboard with any assets you want to show off, as this could give the wrong impression. 

Focus on your best feature and play that up while keeping everything else modest. For instance, if you have attractive, shapely legs, wear an above-the-knee dress or skirt, and then balance it with a long-sleeved top. If you have nice, well-toned arms, show them off with a sleeveless top, but keep the skirt long.  As the saying goes, less is more. 

Don’t give everything away on the first date! Exuding a little bit of mystery is sure to give the best impression and will leave the other person wanting to know more about you, thus paving the way for a second date.

• COMFORT IS NUMBER ONE

The best advice for what to wear on a date is: be comfortable. This is not to say that you can wear just anything that feels comfortable to you. Rather, it means that whatever you choose to wear on the date must fit well and not cause you any discomfort. 

A common mistake some ladies make is to wear something that’s too tight, thinking that it will show off their curves or make their waist look smaller. But in truth, this just makes them uncomfortable because it restricts movement. Remember, when you feel uncomfortable, you look uncomfortable, and at some point your date will notice it. 

It can be very distracting, and worse, it can give your date the impression that they are the one making you uncomfortable, and it might turn into an awkward situation. Your outfit must allow you to breathe, eat, and move freely without worries, so that you can enjoy yourself as well as put your date at ease.

• HEELS VS. FLATS

Heels or flats? This is a common question that many women ask themselves when planning what to wear on a first date. Tall girls often resort to wearing flats on the first date, particularly if it happens to be a blind date, because they are afraid they would appear taller than their date if they wear heels. Other ladies feel that since you’re going on a date, you simply must wear heels. 

However, the actual bottom line should be: if it makes you uncomfortable, don’t wear it! Some women are so used to wearing heels that they actually don’t feel comfortable wearing flats, while others just wouldn’t be caught dead wearing heels. So you just do YOU. After all, when you know what looks good on you and what you’re comfortable in, there’ll be nothing unfashionable about you.

That said, there may be a few exceptions to this rule, depending on what sort of date you’re having. For instance, if your date involves some type of physical activity, then you probably have to set the sexy, strappy heels aside and choose something more practical. But practical doesn’t have to mean boring! You can opt for cute flats, trendy sneakers, or cool boots to wear with your outfit.

• MATCH THE SETTING

Knowing ahead of time where your date is taking you will considerably help in planning your outfit. In such cases, you should always dress to match your destination. For example, if it’s a casual daytime coffee date, you can keep things simple in a pair of skinny jeans and any of your favorite women’s tops. Add a pretty jacket or cardigan if the weather is chilly.

If you are dining at an upscale restaurant, you will need a dressier outfit. It will help to do some research if it is your first time there or if you’re not familiar with the place. It’s possible they might have a dress code, especially if it is a fine dining restaurant. If so, you’ll want to wear a dinner dress and a good pair of comfy-but-sexy heels. Bring a clutch or a small handbag for your essentials.

On the other hand, if you have no idea where you’re going because your date wants it to be a surprise, then try to dress for a “best of both worlds” situation —  not too casual, not too formal. Keeping to neutral colors like white or black would be your safest bet. 

A pair of cropped pants might be a better idea than a skirt or dress, just in case you’ll be doing something more active than just sitting down to dinner or coffee. To be on the safe side, you can wear flats, but if you can handle something with a bit of heel, that’s a good idea, too. Wear a cute, silky blouse, and layer with a chic blazer or coat to up the style factor. Finish the look with a trendy clutch.

• DRESS FOR THE WEATHER

It’s easy to conjure an outfit in spring or summer when the days are warm and you have never-ending choices of cute pieces to wear. In the colder months, choosing what to wear on a date can be a challenge because you must balance between keeping warm and looking great. 

Don’t fret, finding winter date outfit ideas doesn’t have to involve frantic flailing and desperate last-minute calls to your best friend. We have here a few basic tips to for your emergency winter date needs. 

Have one or two essential sweaters that you feel comfortable in and you know look good on you. You can wear this over your favorite dress, or layer over any top and combine with a short-skirt-and-leggings combo, a midi skirt, or a pair of skinny jeans for a cute winter look. For interesting effect, choose a sweater with a low neckline so that you can play around with your inner collar.

Invest in a pair of over-the-knee boots. This will look trendy when worn with a cute dress or skirt while keeping your legs warm. Oh, and who says you can’t wear shorts on a winter date? 

If you’re going somewhere outdoorsy or maybe meeting for coffee in an outdoor café, you can wear shorts with your over-the-knee boots and pair it with a matching sweater for a warm, casual winter look. But remember that this is a date, so leave the faded denim cutoffs or distressed shorts at home. Instead, go for an elegant pair of white shorts that’s a little bit on the dressy side to leave the best impression.

What to wear on a first date when the weather gets really chilly? A comfy, slightly oversized knit cardigan over a pretty lace dress will have you feeling warm and looking cute in the winter cold. 

For extra warmth, accessorize with a knitted scarf, and if your legs are feeling the chill, wear tights or leggings. A pair of ankle or over-the-knee boots will complete the outfit.

• BE YOURSELF

   

The most important point to remember when going on a date is to be yourself. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. This would just leave a bad impression of you and could ultimately end in disaster. This includes the way you dress — look at it as a form of personal branding. Your clothes should reflect your actual personality and preferences. 

Want to wear that leather jacket on first date? Why not?  If you like a little bit of edgy fashion, don’t hesitate to incorporate some of it into your date outfit. Is vintage feminine dressing more your style? 

Let it shine through in your outfit. What you wear will also give your date a glimpse of your personality and help them get to know you better, which is really the whole point to dating, right?

Interested in getting some summer outfit ideas? These are the summer dresses to own this season.