How to dress for a hot date

Never has strategic dressing been so crucial as preparing for a hot date, especially on Valentine’s Day. Yes, it strikes fear in women’s hearts even more than suiting up for a job interview. To some women, the experience may be akin to the anxiety of preparing for prom (but then again that would be dressing up for a hot date all over again, wouldn’t it?).

Uptown/Downtown gives you some time-honored tips on making sure you choose just the right look to get the second date in the bag!

Dress appropriately

Will the date be in a fancy restaurant, bowling in a nearby club or a picnic in Tagaytay? You do not want to come off “out-of-sync” on your first date. Part of dressing appropriately is making sure you do not over or under dress. If it is a dinner in a five-star restaurant, then a sleek dress with a few well-chosen accessories will do. If the date is about bowling or a picnic, blue jeans and a well-fitted white or black shirt would do (you may wish to add one discreet accessory to brighten up the look).

Be yourself

Yes, you wish to dress to impress but a date is an opportunity for two people to know each other better and this certainly will not happen if you are dressing to be someone you are not. So if you are artistic, intellectual, conservative or sophisticated, channel your personality into your look.

Be wary of trashy

You are on a date. You are not trolling the street. Keep this in mind when picking out your outfit. You do not have to dress up like a supernumerary but do try to moderate the lowness, the tightness or the shortness of your clothes. Fashion designer OJ Hofer advises, “I would not wear too low a neckline or too short a skirt. I want my date to look at my eyes and not my décolletage or my derriere.” You want to leave enough mystery for your date to be intrigued enough to ask you out again.

Hair and makeup matter

Applying proper makeup and having the right hairstyle is every bit as important as choosing the right outfit. Your date will be spending most of his time looking at your face. Japanese-American model Julia Sniegowski shares, “What is most important for me is to have flawless hair and make up. I do not want to look too ‘made-up.’ I opt for soft and pretty.”

Hair and make up expert Raz Rimor’s advise? “Give yourself ample time to prepare your face and hair. Women usually panic because they find themselves running out of time. They end up doing a poor job of fixing up because they are in a rush. Whatever allotted time you give yourself, add 30 minutes to your budgeted time.”

Rimor adds, “Also, keep your makeup and hair simple. You want to look pretty. Not pretty desperate.”

Nothing beats a tried and true

Unless you have absolutely nothing of value in your closet, now is not the right time to put on something you have never worn before. Best to opt for a road-tested tried and true. Choose an outfit that you have previously used and received compliments for. Former Look of the Year model Anne Torres-Bichelmeir says, “If the date were semi-formal, I would just wear my ever-reliable little black dress. It might be boring but I think a girl can’t go wrong with an LBD.” Make sure that your dress is comfortable. Wearing something that tugs and itches will make you feel uneasy the entire time and will probably make your date feel the same.

Scent it!

Never underestimate the power of fragrance. A scent can trigger memories and if all goes well on your date, your guy will remember you every time he gets a whiff of your signature scent. There are three ways of applying scent. One is to apply it on your pulse points or the areas in your body that produce the most heat: the wrist, neck, cleavage, crook of the elbow, back of the knees etc. The second way is to spray some perfume in the air and walk into the scented cloud. The third system of application is called the layering method which requires you to use soap, shower gel and moisturizer/body lotion of the same fragrance. This approach ensures that the scent lasts longest.

A big no-no, however, is to overpower your body with perfume. Many instances have been recorded of men having asthma attacks, sneezing fits and nausea because of a woman’s deadly dose of fragrance.

The sense of confidence

At the end of the day, the greatest “thing” a woman can ever wear to a hot date, whether it’s Valentine’s or not, is confidence enveloped with a smile. Bichelmeir concludes, “Being physically ideal is only part of the battle won. Will outward beauty lead to another date? I have no doubt it will help sweeten the deal but the questions you should ask yourself post-date are: Was the conversation interesting? Did you have any shared interests? Was there a connection? In a land full of bimbettes, an elegant woman with varied interests, who is well-versed on current events and can comfortably discuss her opinions without being abrasive will leave any man hankering for another date. It is after all a fairly recognized fact that, for discriminating men, the sexiest part of a woman, is her brain.”