Hi there. I’m a 27-year-old female. And, up until just recently, I was a single lady world of online dating.
They say first impressions matter, and in the world of online dating, that’s more true than ever. Inevitably, most first dates are arranged after meeting and chatting on a dating app like Tinder or Bumble.
Already, with these apps, you’ve invested quite a bit of time and energy into a person often before you meet for the first time, and so, it is really nice when you meet and the in-person version shows the same level of effort as the version behind the screen. Sometimes, sadly, this is not the case. It makes you wonder if they’ve been faking the effort, and think once they’ve secured a date then their work is done. It can be quite disappointing.
Sometimes, however, the bad first impression comes with the effort, or lack thereof, that a guy has put into himself for the date. I don’t think it’s too much to ask that a man showing up for a first date be clean, well-groomed, and not slobbish. I like it when a man takes charge and clearly cares about his appearance on our first date. Their hair looks good, their outfit looks good, and they smell good, and their skincare is good.
I remember this nightmare scenario of a first-date when I went over to a guy’s house, and it looked like we rolled out of bed just as I rang the doorbell. He was clad in a t-shirt, sweats, and a backwards baseball cap to cover his clearly uncombed hair. After how well our conversation had been going over text, it was disappointing that he couldn’t put in some effort when we actually met in person.
Contrast this with the most recent person I’ve met online (who, no coincidence, I’m still seeing). We started texting back and forth and instantly I could tell there was a great connection. I was cautiously optimistic as we headed into our first date. We met at a popular bar and as we locked eyes for the first time, I was more than impressed.
This guy was prepared. He was clean-shaven, was rocking a nice, crisp, dress shirt and dark jeans, and his hair was styled. His teeth were white and his face looked fresh. As an added bonus, he smelled great. To me, this showed that he cared. He cared about me, and he cared about making a great impression on our first date.
Guys, there’s no reason you can’t impress during your big, first-date as well. A little effort goes a long way. Avail of your mirror and hit all of the basic points before heading out. Brush those pearly whites. Throw on some nice cologne. Steam your dress shirt. Your effort won’t go unnoticed ;)