How to Prepare for a Date? A Guide for Men

Don't know how to make a good impression on a date? Or maybe you just want to make sure you're doing everything right or improve certain aspects? It doesn't matter whether you're preparing for your first date, a subsequent one, or whether you're meeting a woman or a man. Some things remain unchanged, and you only get one chance at a first impression.

A common issue among men is the lack of understanding of basic rules that significantly affect the first impression they make on the other person. This applies especially to heterosexual men, as they don't have the opportunity to learn this from the other side's perspective. This guide will take you step by step through the entire process of preparing for a date, providing specific tips on styling and personal hygiene that women pay particular attention to.

Hygiene and Grooming - The Foundation of Success

A man can make a first impression on a woman only once, and whether it will be good or bad depends solely on him. The most important role here is played by his appearance, and this does not mean at all that to make a good impression he has to be super handsome. A guy must above all be well-groomed, because even the most wonderful character and behavior will not compensate for a lack of hygiene. If the beginning is ruined, a man usually won't get a second chance. This stems directly from the way the human body works - at first it "scans" the other person visually. This mechanism was precisely presented in their research by Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov in one of Princeton University's publications. Eric Wargo in Psychological Science described it as follows:

A series of experiments by Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov reveal that all it takes is a tenth of a second (100 ms) to form an impression of a stranger from their face, and that longer exposures don't significantly alter those impressions (although they might boost your confidence in your judgments).

That's why preparation for a date for a guy should always start with thorough grooming. The order of activities can be chosen according to your own preferences, but all the listed items are mandatory. The list looks like this:

1. Manicure and pedicure, in simple terms, nail care for both hands and feet. Well-groomed hands are one of the most underrated grooming areas by men, yet they are immediately noticed by women. If it comes to an intimate situation in a hotel rented by the hour or you meet at the beach or pool - in any of these scenarios, neglected toenails can ruin your evening. It's better not to skip their care.

2. Shower or bath. Thoroughly wash your entire body using shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, and intimate hygiene gel. Consider gently shaving your armpits, chest, and intimate areas - especially if there's a possibility of getting close after the date. If you prefer a natural look, adjust the decision to your own preferences and your partner's comfort, but most women definitely prefer shaved men. Remember to thoroughly wash your penis, including under the foreskin, especially in the context of possible oral sex.

3. Shaving facial hair and face care. After shaving your face smooth, use a special aftershave balm. If you wear facial hair, make sure it's neatly trimmed to an appropriate length. For longer beards or mustaches, use dedicated products. For the face, use a cream suitable for your skin type. For example, dry skin needs moisturizing products, while combination or oily skin requires normalizing and mattifying creams.

4. Hair styling should be entrusted to a professional, i.e., your barber. What may seem counterintuitive - go to a men's barber. They usually have the perfect sense of how a man should look and what women will like. If you cut and style your hair yourself, professional guides on the topic and various hair products will be helpful. What about a shaved head? It's worth taking care of the good condition of your scalp.

5. Oral hygiene is absolutely essential, even if you don't plan to kiss yet. Brush your teeth with toothpaste, clean the spaces between them with dental floss, and finally rinse everything with mouthwash. Women have a much more sensitive sense of smell and will easily detect neglected oral hygiene.

6. Using perfume or another form of scent, for example eau de toilette, will complete the entire composition of your grooming. Remember, however, not to overdo the quantity and not to overwhelm the restaurant dinner with the scent.

What to Wear on a Date?

Having the right cosmetics and using them properly constitutes a large part of the preparations. Only when hygiene is properly taken care of does the time come to choose the right outfit for the date.

Always match the clothing to the circumstances in which the meeting will take place. Date ideas can be varied and may unfold or end in different settings. The same applies to the outfit for such an outing - it can differ completely depending on the situation. Most often, however, you can encounter standard circumstances where casual dressing is appropriate.

The basis for the perception of any styling is always how well it fits the figure, but also... the effort put into it! The fair sex, through your clothing, notices not only the brand, but also the choice of colors, the level of cleanliness, and small details of the outfit. Peter Nguyen from The Essential Man conducted a survey among 101 women on this very topic. Read a fragment of his conclusions below.

In fact, of the 101 women surveyed, not one mentioned designer clothes. However, the most common theme in the written portion of the survey? Above all else, effort (e.g. trying to look nice) was the most important quality of a man's style on a first date.

Depending on the circumstances and the woman we plan to meet, a neat T-shirt can also be a good option. The most important aspect remains unchanged - it should be clean and ironed. Using an iron or steamer immediately raises your rating in women's eyes. If you don't have access to any of these tools, you can stretch damp clothes right after washing and dry them straightened, though this is only a makeshift solution.

Polish women, fantasizing about a man, often start with how his hands and facial hair look. They then move on to details of his clothing. An important step, therefore, will be combining individual wardrobe elements so that they create a coherent whole.

Well-fitting clothes in size should harmonize with each other in cut and color, and also be chosen appropriately for the season and weather. For example, a summer outfit can consist of light chinos or jeans, a polo shirt or a shirt in a lighter color than the pants, and slightly darker suede loafers or elegant sneakers. A watch and a leather belt will complete this styling. Sunglasses can also be a fashionable addition.

What if you don't know anything about fashion and have no idea how to combine patterns, colors, and clothes? In today's era of fast internet and ubiquitous AI bots, this is not a problem. Just type into Google.com what you need. These can be simple phrases like "summer date outfit for men". If you already have a chosen wardrobe item, such as your favorite pants, you can use AI to select the rest of the outfit, preferably by providing a photo of those pants directly to the chat. If you have absolutely no idea what to wear, longer descriptions like "tonight I'm going on a date at a bar by the beach and I need advice on what to wear, I already have dark jeans, temperature around 20 degrees Celsius" will also work well.

Mental Preparation

The right mental attitude is an equally important element of good date preparation. Ultimately, it is what can lead you to success or ruin all efforts, regardless of whether you're meeting a woman, a man, or a transgender person. If you're going on a "group date", i.e., a swingers party - the rules of mental and emotional preparation remain the same.

To take care of good mental form, you should first take care of your physicality. It's best to bring your figure to a sporty level, though it's not about everyone looking like a professional athlete. To start, even something as prosaic as a good night's sleep is enough. A day or two before the planned meeting, try to get a good sleep. This means sleeping between 7 and 9 hours, preferably between 10:00 PM and 8:00 AM. The most important thing is to actually feel rested. Fatigue unfortunately shows on the face and in behavior, which lowers everyone's attractiveness.

On the day of the meeting, avoid negative stimuli and situations; do something that gives you pleasure. Avoid exposure to stress or try to reduce it. Focus on self-confidence and self-acceptance - this will make you more natural, which is especially important on a first date. On psychologist Dr. Emily Reeves' blog you can find many articles that will help you work on your mindset. The fragment provided below fits very well here:

Visualize success and use positive self-talk. This increases self-confidence and makes you enter the date relaxed instead of with fear of being judged.

It's worth mentally going through various positive scenarios for our meeting, but it's recommended to have more realistic expectations. This way, you can avoid disappointment if something turns out differently than in the original imaginings. However, if the date turns out more positive than initially assumed, even more positive feelings and a desire for further meetings will appear.

What to Take with You and What to Remember

Even before you leave your home, you must remember to prepare in advance and take a few useful things with you. Even if you're hosting the person or several at your home, prepare some of these things so they are within reach.

• wallet and money - even if you have documents and financial means in electronic form, it's worth taking some cash in banknotes and coins
• phone fully charged
• small gift in the form of flowers or if it's a so-called ONS, i.e., one-night stand - appropriate gadgets, such as an elegantly finished anal plug with an imitation diamond in the color of your chosen one's eyes.
• condoms are items worth having, regardless of the circumstances. Even if we don't expect the date to end in bed, their absence can ruin such a surprise.

Try Your Date Outfit with Someone You Met on Wink3r

To sum up the above guide, personal hygiene and the cleanliness level of your clothes are the most important, and only secondly - though also very important - is your styling. By proceeding this way, you will avoid many misunderstandings and possibly bring the date to the desired finale in the form of winning great love or no less satisfaction from an erotic ending to the meeting.

Don't wait for well-dressed candidates to be the first to catch women's attention in the area. Register for free on Wink3r and find someone today for whom it will be worth making an effort!