How to Look Confident and Attractive on the First Meeting

By Patrick Banks

Posted 2 years agoDATING

Look at you, congrats! You’ve finally worked up the courage to ask that special someone out for dinner, and they’ve said yes! But, unfortunately, now comes the tricky part: preparing and planning for your first date.  Wondering ‘why can’t I get a girlfriend’? Maybe you are loosing the game on the first meeting!

The thing with first meets is that regardless of if you’re an experienced dating pro or have taken a rather long break from the dating scene, first dates are often thrilling yet stressful endeavors for everyone. Starting from pre-date butterflies to avoiding bad jokes, awkward silences, and the devastating fear of rejection, there are numerous reasons to feel nervous when going out for a first date with somebody new.

In addition, you want to plan your meeting correctly to ensure that you have a great time and show how much you’re interested in what the special someone has to share with you. You don’t want to look like you’re trying too hard or investing a lot in something that may not work. Trust us.

We’ve turned to research to reveal what makes for a fantastic first meet to help ease your nerves. With a bit of preparation and proper planning, you don’t need to let your nerves get the better of you. You certainly have the power and the required confidence to handle all possible outcomes: the bad, the good, and the unexpected. 

Regardless of where you are on your dating journey, we’ve put together six great confidence tips to get you ready and excited for whatever the first meet may throw at you. Let’s take a closer look at why having dating confidence is crucial and why you should master the technique of looking and feeling confident on the first date. 

Confidence is Essential 

The first and the last thing you should take away from this article is that confidence is the single sexiest thing that any man can wear on a first meet. Yet, it’s not always easy for men to summon their confidence and show the world who they indeed are. 

Remember that even if you’re someone who struggles with social anxiety or tends to feel awkward in certain social situations, there are scientifically proven ways to project confidence even if you’re not genuinely feeling it. The first piece of advice we can provide you on this subject is that if you want to prepare to look confident for a first meeting—fake it till you make it! 

Body language is the primary way to radiate confidence in the first meeting. Have your shoulders back, chest up, and hold your head up high. Another way to radiate confidence is through your smile. 

For that reason, don’t hide your smile behind your hands or anything like that. A smile permits a man to warm the atmosphere, and it can undoubtedly help you build a meaningful connection with the fine lady across the table.

Okay, so now that you know why confidence is essential, you want to work on it so that your first date goes smoothly. On the other hand, you wouldn’t want to ruin your first meeting by being nervous and stressed, right? If you’re interested in improving your confidence game, please continue reading as below. We’ll shell out a few tips to be more confident on any first date.

6 Tips on How to Look Confident and Attractive on the First Meet

Looking Good Means Feeling Good 

What should men wear on the initial date to feel confident about themselves? Men should wear something that’s neither too casual nor too formal on their first meets. For example, it would be best if you decide to wear a polo t-shirt with jeans and a jacket, or a long-sleeved shirt with formal pants. 

Nevertheless, remember that fitting is essential because regardless of what you wear, you might look and feel bad about yourself if the fitting is not proper. It’s best not to wear something too tight that might restrict your movement or too loose that might make you look baggy. 

Wear something presentable but relaxed if you’re going out on a casual date, particularly outdoors. Avoid wearing work clothes, sweatpants, or simple blue jeans. Arriving at a simple polo t-shirt might be good. If you’re going out on a dinner date, you have to put more effort into your clothing, and you might want to go with something like a full-sleeved buttoned shirt with more formal pants. In addition, you can put on a simple semi-slim-fit blazer, suit, or jacket.

On the issue of color, consider white, black, blue, gray, or any other color that’s just not too bright. If you have a watch in your accessories drawer, now is the perfect time to dust it out and put it on your left wrist. Also, put on some upper-level perfume to smell good. 

Last but not least, please keep in mind to carefully select the shoes, boots, or sneakers that will complement your outfit perfectly. You don’t have to wear the most expensive footwear to feel confident and make a lasting first impression with your date. Instead of investing in a pair of Gucci’s, you can always make the more intelligent decision and go with a couple of budget boots. Many other brands offer high-quality, durable, and elegant footwear for less than a hundred bucks. Whatever your footwear choice is for the date, the most important thing to remember is to keep your shoes clean and neat.

If you want to take it up a notch, you can also visit a dental expert like this professional dentist in Los Angeles for teeth cleaning and whitening. After all, a smile has a big impact on first impressions

Arrive at the Date with an Open Mind 

It’s nothing but average to have a firm idea and opinion of what your perfect girl would be like. But, be that as it may, when going on a first date, it’s best to let go of those expectations and ideals—for the night, at least.   

Frequently, our idea of perfect may not fit our lifestyle, and vice versa; the people we have chemistry with may not have any of the traits on our definitive list. Instead of going out on a date and start comparing this person against particular criteria and standards, you should learn to relax and get to know them just as they are. Because, even if you don’t immediately hit it off with this girl, the two of you may become excellent friends, and you never know where that might lead.  

By arriving on the date with an open mind and keeping your expectations simple, you’re far more likely to take a calm, laid-back approach to the date, which in turn will help you seem confident about your choices, things to run smoother, and will probably make you seem more attractive.

Prepare Some Conversation Points Beforehand 

Another thing with first dates is that you rarely know how the flirting will eventually pan out. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to prepare some simple conversation points beforehand so the chatter doesn’t dry up.

Think about the things you may have in common with the girl. For example, perhaps you both own a cat or a dog? Or maybe they’re into tennis. You’ve both gone to the same university or have a similar taste in music or movies. Whatever information you can dig out on them, use that knowledge to their advantage and try to draw on your experiences. 

You’ll be able to use their dating profile, your old chats from Tinder, or quiz the friend setting your date up to learn more about your date. Nonetheless, whatever you do, try to resist the urge to stalk their social media profiles or Google them. This can lead you down to a dark rabbit hole that’s challenging to get out of and can ruin the magic and surprise of the date itself.

Stay Kind To Yourself

Going out on a first date is a stressful endeavor. However, it would be best if you never wasted any time being antagonistic toward yourself, as it’s one of the single biggest mistakes one can make. Because if you’re getting ready and calling yourself fat or ugly or anything else silly like that, you’re only going to be hurting yourself.

Instead, try to envision how you would chatter to a friend before they go on the first meeting with a girl they possibly like. You would never call them anything negative, right? So, why would you talk to yourself like that? For that reason, always be patient with yourself and avoid falling into traps of self-depreciation. This will never be helpful, nor can it do anything good with you looking and feeling confident.

Go through Your Favorite Playlist Before the Meeting

So, when the time for the date begins to come closer, it’s the perfect time to make a playlist with all your favorite tunes and play it as loudly as possible while you get ready for the night out. After all, it’s scientifically proven that music has a colossal effect on our behavior and mood. So, in that context, if you’re listening to the songs you like, the chances are that you’re going to rock up on your date feeling confident and excited. 

With music, we recommend you stick to your favorite upbeat songs. Listening to sad love songs before going out on a first date can turn you into a downer, and you certainly don’t want that.

Work Out Before the Date 

Last but not least, according to sexology and relationship experts, people feel more confident about themselves and their bodies right after their bodies have been performed for them. Thus, a couple of hours before the meeting, if you can—get physical!

Working out is a fantastic way to improve your self-image and esteem before a first date, as it will pump you full of precious endorphins. In addition, regular workouts lead people to view their bodies through a more positive lens, even when there’s not any easily observable physical change.

Final Thoughts on How to Look Confident on the First Meet 

We all find first dates more or less awkward. The key is to go with a positive, high-spirited outlook. If a girl has agreed to go out with you, they want to date you. Don’t waste anyone’s time acting like someone you are not.    

Knowing how to prepare and be confident for a first date is essential. Follow our expert tips, belief in yourself, stay true to yourself, and believe us—nothing will go wrong for you!

About the author Patrick Banks

Patrick is a Berlin-based dating advisor, motivational speaker, a huge fitness and vegan diet enthusiast and the main editor at Wingman Magazine, specialised in men's health. His ultimate goal is to share with men around the world his passion for self-development and to help them to become the greatest version of themselves. He believes a healthy body and successful social interactions are two main keys to happiness.