Going on a first date is nerve-wracking enough, but figuring out what to wear is a whole other thing. What is your go-to date first date outfit?
Guys, I think I am finally almost kinda/sorta getting a hold of this whole “dating” thing. As somebody who’s always been really down with either serious, long-term relationships with emotionally unavailable stoners or ultra-casual encounters with emotionally unavailable stoners, I think I am finally growing accustomed to the low-key style of dating that New York City facilitates (and indeed encourages) more than anywhere I’ve ever been. However, I am still really bad at one thing people in their twenties are expected to excel at: dressing up for dates.
If you lovely folks could see what I look like on a daily basis, you would likely say, “Oh! It is…interesting you work at a fashion site.” I’ve always been the type to put a ton of effort into my makeup and occasionally my hair, but my style is still in a bit of a rut. And for first dates or dates in general with a relatively new person, I tend to wear some combination of these things:
- High-waisted pants or shorts
- Short-sleeved blouse
- Chunky heeled boots
- Like six pairs of socks because I can’t walk in heels
I usually run a curling iron through my hair, then draw on the same boring ol’ cat-eye liquid liner, smooth on some Make Up For Ever HD Cream Blush, and apply a bit of Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment on my lips. Voila! Date night. Also, boring.
What To Wear On A First Date, According To Our Readers
What is the best outfit for a first date? Here are 11 tips that will help you figure it out.
Last week, I asked about your best tips for what to wear on a first date. As always, you guys came through with tons of information on what styles to wear, how to do your makeup, and how to enter the room (ahem, more on that at the bottom of this post). Thanks so much for all your help! Here are your super awesome answers.
1. Alexandra Mitchell: “I wear nice fitting jeans, white V neck, cardi, and my black converse. Hair down and straightened, with minimal neutral-toned makeup.”
2. MCR: “The last – in fact, the only – first date I went on, I wore a high school uniform. Plaid pleated skirt, white cotton blouse, knee socks. I’ve now been married thirty-plus years, so I’d have to say the ensemble was a success.”
3. Mouche Bonneau: “I have no idea about the clothes. Just be you. But when it comes to makeup… if you want to kiss at some point, forget any lip stuff and go light on blush. Or wear lipstick and make a joke about being “kiss-proofed.” If you have a quirky personality, it works. So long as your date appreciates cute awkwardness (if they don’t, what the heck are you doing with them?!? Runaway).”
4. Kaybug13: “Natural makeup 1 I am lousy at it, and 2 it’s a nice fresh look. A nice pair of ballet flats that way you don’t fall, and you can look cute where ever the night may go. Pair of cute jeans and a really cute top hair done with some moose and diffuser. That’s bout it and always a cute purse. That’s my date now, but I did it on my first date with my boyfriend 2 1/2 years ago, and it still works for us. Sometimes a maxi skirt and tank top.”
5. Alexis: “Converse, jeans, a t-shirt, and a hoodie are sexy, no?”
6. LittleBird: “I second (or third??) the idea of wearing the best-fitting jeans you own and a clean and simple v-neck tee! The less fussy I feel, the better I must look because my husband falls all over himself. We’ve been together for 8 years of my young life, married for 2, and it still works, haha. Depending on where you’re going, of course, ankle booties or bright-colored shoes are fun. He does always comment on my shoes. And add a leather jacket if it’s cold. (Do people still wear fitted blazers or boyfriend blazers? I love that look but don’t own one!!).”
7. Natalie: “I always, always, always wear something I’ve wore before that I feel really good in. It can’t be anything that I fidget in, adjust or feel uncomfortable in. Right now, it’s this really pretty pink dress that is short enough to be sexy but not too tight or anything that if I ran into my dad, I would be embarrassed to be out in it. It also works for no matter where we go! I like to do shimmery eye makeup because it makes me look awake and alive, even if I am not. I also always wear flats because… I never wear things with heels.
So, in summary: Something you’ve wore before that is pretty/flirty without being embarrassing if your parents saw you in it, something that can work in a small café, trendy bar, or park, and make-up that makes you look alive and not dead.”
8. Heather: “Shoes that you will not trip and fall in unless your idea of a good time is going to the hospital.”
9. SDC: “Always leather. I don’t mean shoes, but always wear something else made of leather.”
10. LittleBird: “Since the outfit is so simple, you can use your jewelry to change it up, also. Tough, eclectic, girly? As far as makeup/hair: I like to focus on making my skin look as soft and touchable as possible and enhancing my eyes and eyelashes. Same for hair. I leave it down and don’t really mess with texture or products at all (not that I know how or could be bothered), so it’s literally no-fuss.”
11. Jenni: “Yeah, I cut my hair, get contacts, tweeze my eyebrows, find where my cleavage’s been hiding, buy a dress that fits me and practice walking in slow motion down the stairs. IT GETS HIM EVERY TIME.”
This is all you need to do in order to snag the heart of anybody you’re remotely interested in, even if he is a total douchebag who’s only dating you to fulfill a bet with a 26-year-old high schooler named Paul Walker.
So, dear Blufashion readers, I ask you for your help as I have done so many times in the past. What is your favorite go-to outfit for dates? First dates, last dates, we’ve-been-married-for-16-years-dates. Whatever. Just share your tricks and tips!
Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at BlueFashion. She has been steering the website’s content and editorial direction since 2013. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra’s expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
