The Right Way to Dress for Any Date Night

Dressing for a date says a lot about what you think about yourself and about your guy. It’s not that you have to be phony or dress differently, but you do have to dress appropriately for the plans he’s made for the date.

It’s a smart idea to ask the guy what kind of evening he has planned. If he wants to keep it a surprise, then ask whether you need to dress as you would for the office, for a sports event or for an elegant party. Most guys wouldn’t know if you asked them about specific outfits (cocktail dress versus pants, for instance) so giving them a range of situations helps them clarify what type of date you’ll be on. And then that gives you a range in which to choose your outfit.

How you dress says so much about who you are. If you go out in a halter with cleavage barely contained and a mini-skirt that’s only slightly larger than his handkerchief, then you’re sending a message that he reads as YES and other women quickly label slut. You’ll get plenty of attention, but the wrong kind of attention.

Dressing for a date when you aren’t sure about the plans is like going to a job interview. You’ve certainly heard the advice to dress for the job you want, rather than the job you have.

That means you dress up just a bit more. It’s always better to be slightly overdressed than underdressed. For a date, apply that advice. If you aren’t sure what to wear, go with business casual and sensible shoes. If you wear a sleeveless top, bring along a hoodie or light sweater, since you don’t know whether you’ll be inside a chilly movie theater or sitting outside at a patio restaurant after the evening temperatures drop.

If you’re getting back into the dating scene after a few years, take time to look over the current magazines and online fashion sites for casual style ideas. Then ask friends who have similar tastes as yours what they would wear for a date.

Basic rule of thumb: if you haven’t dated for five years or more, don’t wear what you used to wear on dates. Chances are you will telegraph your dating scene absence with a wardrobe that needs to freshen up.

You don’t have to buy all new clothes – just edit your outfits and add a bold item that’s current. Even if you’ve lost lots of weight and just got a facelift, don’t go shopping in the junior department after age 25.

You’ll add to your age by trying to look too young. So if your preteen daughter loves the T-shirt dress, buy it for her and not for yourself. Even if your wardrobe basics do double duty for work and social wear, keep a few items that are only for dates.

That doesn’t mean something sleazy or provocative. Instead, find a color-saturated sweater in a shade that makes your eyes sparkle and draws attention to your face or a wrap dress that shows your figure in tastefully sexy ways and wear those items for date night. Then you’ll start the evening feeling good in an outfit that makes you feel special even before he walks through the door!