How to dress for a first online-to-offline date

Want to score a second date with Mr. Right? Check out these first date style tips!

You’re spontaneous, 5’4″, grew up in Boston, love to travel and prefer gatherings with friends as opposed to large parties…

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Or maybe not.

Actually, you love having a plan, measure 5’3-1/4″ , grew up all over the Northeast, only like to travel to very specific places and secretly love being the center of attention at a large party.

Perhaps you think that listing certain things in your online dating profile makes you sound like you could land your perfect type. That is all fine while you stay online, but the idea is to eventually move the conversation offline and meet a seemingly compatible someone in person. When you do, the tiny half-truths concerning spontaneity, travel, parties, etc. are easily avoided on the first date. What isn’t and is standing front and center is the physical version of you.

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So when you do finally emerge from behind your computer, how do you show up?

Authentically.

What do you wear on a first date?

Simple. You show up as the best version of yourself — the authentic you. As you are apt to be nervous revealing yourself on the first date, you can use your wardrobe to flatter, enhance and boost your confidence level. Arriving for a first date in your most flattering color, neckline and silhouette not only empowers you, but it gives the impression that you want to be there and are serious about meeting someone special. You also come off as sexy, confident and full of positive self-esteem.

There is no universal first online-to-offline date uniform, but there is a color that will always show you off as the sexiest and most romantic version of yourself. Your Romantic Color. It’s the personal version of red and is your “sexy” color. The warm passionate glow from this hue gives the perfect welcoming impression on the first date with the person whom you might spend the rest of your life with.

Just as you might turn heads in purple and charcoal while your sister is radiant in mint green and slate, each person has his or her own individual Romantic Color.

Here is how to discover yours:

1. In natural light, hold your hand over a white piece of paper with your palm facing you. Curl your fingers so that your palm is “cupped.”
2. Look carefully at the most flushed areas of your palm and notice the shade.
3. Now, place a finger on each side of the fingerprint of your index finger and pinch your finger. What is the color of your flushed skin? Possible candidates include raspberry, tangerine, cherry, burgundy, crimson, shell pink, fuchsia, etc.

Once you have discovered your Romantic Color, it is time to use it in your first online-to-offline date outfit. Think about the neckline, fabric and shape of the dress or top that you receive the most compliments on and employ this color in a version of it. It can also be used to sensualize a more neutral-colored outfit with accessories, such as a purse or jewelry.

There are no guarantees that your first date is going to meet the online expectations when you meet in person. However, if your date does, you are going to confidently arrive for the first date in your Romantic Color, radiantly ready for the possibility of migrating an online flirtation into a real life romance.

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