“A single man’s clothes, dating clothes, are not just for dressing; they are carefully executed gift wrapping, a visual CV that trumps up sartorial proficiency and alludes to bank balance, taste, a wider aesthetic, career choice, worldliness and confidence. Make no mistake, every detail will be noticed, dissected and forensically appraised by your date just moments after your entrance. This is dating CSI, baby - and you, my single friend, are the “vic”. So, during that first encounter you want her to see your best bits and disregard your imperfections. You want clothing that slims, enhances, elongates and sexifies, not just insulates.
Make tailoring your friend. Ditch anything loose, oversized, baggy, sloppy, avuncular and/or daddish. Wear items that encourage confident, upright deportment. Keep tones dark and sober. Maintain a palette of muted, classy colours: navy, petrol blue, black, white, grey, and so on. If you go for jeans, opt for indigo blue, with a selvedge, and fitted as if for an urban rodeo. Footwear? Proper bench-made shoes, please. Never opt for sneakers on a date. She’ll think you are one of those unemployed sorts with a PlayStation problem.
Best to lie up when asked your age but to dress seven to 10 years younger. If you are, say, 45, think 37 with your cut of trouser. If you are wearing a suit, lay off the pinstripes. This is a date, remember, not a sales pitch. (And, while we’re at it, your mobile phone number handwritten on a napkin - replete with playful message - is much sexier than proffering a business card detailing your direct line at the office.)”
The Rules of Modern Dating
