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WHAT TO WEAR: Date Night

July 14th, 2015 at 2:10am

Whether it’s your first date or your twentieth date, a date night means that you should dress the part. Being clean, well-dressed and well-groomed will always leave a good impression on your date; it shows that you care about how she perceives you and that the occasion is important to you. A well dressed man can always earn a warm smile and make a girl melt with happiness.

Although different occasions call for different fashion parameters, here are some of my personal tips: 1.) unless the occasion is extremely formal and expensive, don’t wear a suit at the risk of looking too stuffy; 2.) not everything calls for a tie—a sleek and slim blazer does a perfect job of making you look effortlessly put together; 3.) wearing white calls for extreme caution, so think twice about wearing it for a dinner date; and lastly, 4.) girls love shoes and will always pay attention to your shoe choice, so flip flops are a never!

We can take this example of an outfit that is stylishly appropriate for a more casual date. The button-down, cardigan and bow tie trio act as the ultimate fail-proof combo. The combination plays on the old school London look, creating an aesthetic that is classy, stylish and embodies the sweet “boy-next-door.” He plays with patterns by wearing a blue polka-dot bow tie juxtaposed against a plaid button-down shirt to add some visual contrast. Although he mixes patterns, the patterns keep from clashing because he breaks it apart with a solid colored cardigan; he also uses a navy color palette with accents of gray and white for a more uniform finish.

The denim jeans are casual, but the rolled up cuffs and the dark wash of his jeans balance out the ensemble by creating a more structured and mature look. The slouchy cardigan furthermore adds some modest casualness to his date night attire. It also might be handy for later, because nothing is smoother than a guy who can offer his sweetheart an extra layer when the night turns cold! He finishes off the outfit with a silver watch, ring and beaded bracelet for personal accessories and slips into classic black shoes for the final touch. The balance between casual and classy makes his outfit perfectly appropriate for a night out and a movie. It’s far from sloppy and unkempt, and far from trying too hard to impress.

One Simple Change: Have a tight schedule from meeting your date and then going to class (or vice versa)? Just ditch the bowtie and unbutton the collar for a cool, clean outfit that’ll make you well dressed and yet casual enough for class.

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