Many of us have been lost to the spiral of wanting to impress a guy so bad that we sabotage everything. Such a train wreck usually starts before the date does, often when you’re standing in your bedroom trying to figure out what to wear. Suddenly, all of your confidence has gone so kaput that you wonder if you ever had it to begin with. No worries. Hardline is here to tell you what (not) to do. Here are our first date style don’t s.
Don’t arrive right from work
I know this one can be hard given the timing of evening dates, especially when some of us work more than one job, but try to avoid it if you can. You don’t want to show up in a McDonald’s uniform just as much as you don’t want to show up in a business suit. Both are inappropriate attire for the usual first date venues: a coffee shop or a casual restaurant. It also gives the appearance as if you don’t really care. It’s less “I just couldn’t wait for our first date, so I rushed right over from work,” and more “I didn’t bother to freshen up for you after a long day.” Think about the environment you’ll be in, try to imagine the range of what your date may be wearing, and then try to fall within that range. Not too fancy, not too sloppy.
Don’t agonize
When it comes to your clothing, it’s possible to be a little too invested. Don’t destroy yourself over hours of deliberation for “just the right outfit.” If you fall into this spiral, you won’t be coming back out. You’ll wind up wearing something you’re convinced doesn’t look great on you…and you’ll likely be late for your date on top of it. That’s no good for either of you. Calm it down, focus on the attire spectrum your new guy will likely fall into, and then pick out your favourite things within that spectrum. They’re your favourites for a reason, right? They either make you look good or make you feel good, and either is exactly the boost you need right now.
Don’t slack off
Just like you don’t want to get too invested in your style for the first date, you also don’t want to become too lax. It all comes back to the spectrum (we’re all LGBTQ here people). Make sure to do the usual hygienic routine: brush your teeth, put on deodorant, make sure you’ve showered that day, ensure your clothes don’t look like they’ve been stuffed under your bed for a month. Aside from showing your date that you give a damn, it also shows him that you have a healthy sense of pride in yourself and your body.
Don’t alter your appearance to please him
It’s great to want to help someone see how awesome you are, but don’t do it at the expense of who you are. If you make significant alterations to your style or otherwise do things you normally wouldn’t do, we’ve got ourselves a problem. Regardless of your reasons, you’ll immediately come off as co-dependent and a fake if you suddenly show up with a new nose ring or an oh-so-modern Abercrombie polo. Don’t be a Daniel Desario. The reason your dude wants to have this first date with you at all is because he likes you as you. Don’t change that.
