Two ways to boost first date impression while still being yourself
...and reap the benefits for what these do for you as well
Being back in the dating scene has definitely brought up noticeable changes to how people show up for dates. Not sure if it’s post-covid or the continual influence of the tech world, I’ve noticed that men don’t take the time to dress up for dates.
I mean… c’mon, some kind of noticeable effort would be appreciated.
Because no matter where you are in the world, who you are, and how you identify yourself, the first impression you make on others is through the way you adorn yourself. Why? Because the first sense everyone uses is visual.
Before you even say a word to your date, you’re already making an impression by the way you dress. Then it’s how you carry yourself through your posture, the way you walk, how you move your body, and your facial expressions. All those little things are saying something about who you are, your confidence level, and your overall vibes. Your date has already determined within those first 90 seconds of meeting you, whether they’re attracted to you or not by taking in all those little data points to create an overall impression of you.
ALL THAT is happening BEFORE you even said a word.
You might think that the words on your dating profile might help you out a little, but they’re all still judging you based on your photos first. Both men AND women are visual beings.
I totally understand the importance of being completely yourself and that you would like your partner to like you for who you are.
However, you still can do that and earn yourself some extra brownie points by making a good first visual impression.
1 - Tailor your first impression
What you wear also provides your date the following information, consciously or unconsciously, whether or not you…
Have a good level of self confidence
Take good care of yourself
Respect your date or care enough to make an effort
Have a style that could increase their attraction to you
In addition to making a good impression on a potential future partner, what you wear can also influence your own confidence level. And in turn, your confidence level also influences what you choose to wear, too. Think of that feedback loop as a continual cycle that can boost your confidence significantly.
When you wear something that makes you feel good, doesn’t that give you that extra bounce in your step or get you to check yourself out in the mirror? Your date can sense that confident energy, like a pheromone.
Think of your clothing as an extension of who you are.
So avoid going for “comfortable” or “good enough”. That mediocre or just ok energy will translate into how you carry yourself, too.
2 - Lead with your personal energy
Beyond the first impression, it’s the personal energy you bring to the date that increases your chance of making a good impression while still being yourself in the process.
Even if they made a snap judgment of you in the first 90 seconds, your personal energy could favorably change or improve upon that initial impression. Think of those people you’ve met who were surprisingly charismatic and have this alluring and captivating effect on others. What you’ve experienced is being enveloped by their personal energy, which is cultivated from knowing who they are, believing in their worth, and congruently showing up as themselves.
When you wear something that represents who you are and makes you feel good, you elevate your energy, your confidence, and your charisma. That’s why confident and charismatic people find their favorite or signature way to adorn themselves through their clothes, shoes, accessories, hairstyle, makeup, and even using scents, too. They’ll appreciate the compliments, but it’s mostly how it makes THEM feel inside. That energy enhances their confidence, attraction, and magnetism.
So the next time you need a quick and easy way to give yourself a confidence boost and feel good about yourself, put on something that makes you feel like your best self and watch how your energy shifts immediately.
If you’d like some tips on how to boost your dating confidence with your wardrobe from an expert certified stylist, check out my special guest post from Abby Young from Abby Young Styling, where she talks about this fascinating concept of “enclothed cognition” in which the “clothing we wear has an impact on our psychology due to the symbolic meaning people ascribe to clothing.”
I loved how she even breaks it down to how colors convey specific messages to your date unconsciously, too. Read all about it by clicking here.
Intentionally considering how you show up makes a difference to others and yourself, too.
⬇️ COMMENT BELOW - What are your thoughts on dressing up for a date? Does it matter to you? And what do you expect from your date?
