The Perfect Tie for a First Date
Most men and women prefer a slightly more casual and relaxed first date atmosphere. A casual meeting for coffee, a short walk in the park, or a mid day lunch are classic examples for such a first get-to-know-each-other meetings. If you have a tight schedule and work is taking up most of your Mondays through Fridays then a mid day lunch, or after work happy hour drink might be a perfect option for a first date. If you have a day like this on your calendar in the next few weeks, then keep in mind that you are dressing for two different types of situations: Work as well as your date!
Impressions are formed within the first few seconds of meeting someone and you want to use this to your benefit for most circumstances – your first date included. Therefore, dress up a bit more, and pay more attention to your ensemble than you usually would. If suit and tie is part of your daily work attire then perfect. If not, then you still may want to consider dressing up this way as long as it is acceptable in your office. If everyone is dressed in jeans and polo shirt then a suit and tie may be a little out of place. Below are we give you some inside on the perfect outfit that suits both work as well as your first date.
The Professional Look
By “professional” we mean the classic look of suit and tie. Choose an outfit that not only matches your color profile, but is also well suited for the season. In the spring and summer lighter colors and fabrics are more typical. Excellent suit choices are navy, light grays, tan, and beige. For the winter and fall slightly darker suits are popular, such as navy, charcoal, and olive.
When choosing a dress shirt you want to use a light and friendly color that portrays a more “approachable” look. Perfect are dress shirts in light blue. White dress shirts are too formal, too rigid, and too authoritative – and would set an unfavorable tone fore a first date. Even though dress shirts in light rose and pink are popular in the spring and summer, they could be perceived as too feminine. Thus, stick to the light blue dress shirt. We also suggest a shirt that has some type of pattern such as checks, stripes, herringbone, and so on. The benefit of patterns: First, they have a less formal appearance and second, they even look great when worn without tie and jacket – something you may want to consider if you feel the atmosphere is too intense and too “interview like”.
The Necktie
The necktie not only has to match the outfit, but also the occasion. Excellent tie colors for the light blue dress shirt are orange, cherry-red, copper, and amber. Even though the navy-blue tie looks nice on a light blue background it would be a too conservative and too boring look for a first date. Wearing a burned orange tie on the other hand sets a nice contrast, brings more color, more energy, and more excitement into your outfit – perfect for a first date. A perfect choice would be this Orange & Light Blue Necktie
Other Accessories:
Besides the necktie, there are other great clothing pieces that make the perfect accessories for your “first date” look. Thinks you want to consider are cufflinks, a wrist watch, a nice pair of dress shoes, a pen, and even pocket squares. Cufflinks are elegant and classy. They imply that you take pride in how you dress – things any women will appreciate. Dress shoes are a must. Black dress shoes are classy but may be too formal for a first date making the brown dress shoes the preferred choice (as long as they match the rest of our outfit). A nice pen, such as one my Mont Blanc, is another excellent accessory. If you do not own a pen similar to it then do not have a pen on you at all. Another great accessory is a wrist watch. Keep in mind that the watch color should match other pieces of hardware on your ensemble such as the belt buckle and your cufflinks. If you prefer to wear a watch with a leather band then make sure it matches the color on belt and dress shoes.
A Note on Personal Hygiene,
Even more important than your outfit is your personal hygiene. Make sure that your hands are well manicured, your breath doesn’t kill a fly, you are well groomed, and that your clothes are wrinkle and odor free. Nothing will turn off a women more than poor personal hygiene. If you follow the tips above then you will be off to a good start on your next first date.
Other Readings you May Like:
Gift Ideas for Businessmen
Accesssorizing with Mens Jewelry
How to Match Shirt and Ties
Your Cheap-Neckties.com Team