What to Wear on a First Date: Ultimate Guide for Men

What to Wear on a First Date: Ultimate Guide for Men : Dating can be nerve-wracking. You’re meeting a person for the 1^st time on a blind date. Or maybe you’ve known them for a while and finally dared to ask them out. The date could have come about as a friendly question of if the other party wanted to hang out.

Whatever the case, you need to know what to wear. Read on to find out in this ultimate guide for men!

Ultimate Guide to Date Wear Item #1: Jewelry

The first step to looking good is to choose the right jewelry. The right jewelry can be as simple as wearing a Cuban link chain, a nice watch, a stud, or even a pair of cufflinks if you’re really dressing up for the occasion. Whatever you choose to go with, make sure it’s tasteful, makes a statement, but isn’t gaudy.

Ultimate Guide to Date Wear Item #2: Cologne & Deodorant

No matter how nice you think your own “natural” smells are, do your date a favor and shower before the date. Afterward, apply deodorant and cologne. You can always tone it down for subsequent dates if they say they prefer you to use less or none.

If you don’t like the typical deodorant sticks and sprays, you can always opt for something less artificial or processed, like deodorant salts. Don’t pick the first thing that hits your hand when choosing a cologne. Try several out to see if it helps set the mood for which you’re going. A “quick and dirty” guide to fragrances might be seen as follows:

Fresh scents include citrus, water, and “green” smells.‘Fresh’ colognes have zesty, pleasant fragrances, aquatic notes, herbaceous and crisp, leafy, refreshing scents. Such scents include lavender, rosemary, and basil.
Floral smells are prevalent and diverse. Notes like roses, jasmine, lilies, and peonies belong in this fragrance family. Floral scents may vary from light and delicate to more complex and powerful.
Oriental scents are warm, sweet, and spicy and include flowery, gentle, and woodsy odors. These scents are rich and seductive, such as cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, jasmine, orchid, and orange flowers. Woody scents include leather, smoke, cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver, dry leaves, and amber.

Ultimate Guide to Date Wear Item #3

Neat Facial Hair & Hairstyles

On a first date, unless you’re trying to rock the “scruffy” look, it’s best to be freshly shaven or have a neatly trimmed full beard and / or mustache. Similar to neatness in facial hair, the hair on your head should also be neatly combed and styled. If you have both the time and funds, it might be a good idea to splurge on a haircut. But before a first date isn’t the time to experiment with a new haircut. Stick with what worked in the past.

Ultimate Guide to Date Wear Item #4: A Stylin’ Outfit

To keep the content in this article “evergreen,” it’s best not to spell out what current styles are. What’s hip today may end up being seen as passe tomorrow. But a few types of outfits that will most likely be acceptable for a first date for a long time to come are:

The classic “suit and tie” combo. When choosing a suit, make sure it fits you correctly. If the jacket doesn’t close, skip it or wear it unbuttoned.
T-shirt and jeans or shorts. When choosing a t-shirt, opt for one with minimal patterns or designs and one that’s inoffensive. If you wouldn’t wear it to see your parents, you shouldn’t wear it on your first date.
A polo shirt or button-down shirt and slacks. This classic combo can’t be beaten because it’s conservative, has a million variations, is comfortable, and is acceptable most everywhere.

Having said that, there are a few things to avoid for the first date. Think of dating as a type of interview. Will this person be someone you want to spend more time with? If you show up to the date with the first thing that hits your hand, you may look “thrown together.” Look carefully at the clothing you will put on for paint, oil stains, rips, holes, or tears. An exception to this rule is cutoff or stone-washed jeans. Just as you will be showered and wearing deodorant, so should your clothes be clean.

Ultimate Guide to Date Wear Item #5: Positivity

When going on a first date, the last thing you want to do is scare away your potential love interest by bringing negativity to the table. Keep things light and fun – and most of all, positive. Remember, part of positivity is to smile, laugh, and compliment your date. For the first date, the point is to get to know each other superficially – unless you already knew the person from before. Choose a location of common interest: the park, a restaurant, a museum, or a theater. If you’ve been there before, maybe you can point out something that you’ve noticed that others may not.