1. Too casual. If you look like you just rolled out of bed and threw on yesterday’s clothes, you may be treating your date a bit too casually. Avoid sweatpants, basketball shorts, grungy tee shirts, and basically anything you might wear to the gym or on laundry day (when there’s nothing else). Opt for something casual dressy (jeans are a win with a polo or button-down shirt).
2. Too dressy. A tie is okay, but an ascot or cravat may be a bit much. And a three-piece suit makes you look stuffy or like you just came from the office, while a tuxedo is absolutely out of the questions (unless you’re attending a charity ball or a movie premiere).
3. Ill-fitting clothes. You’re not a basketball player, so forget the shirt that looks like it just came off Yao Ming (unless, of course, you are Yao Ming). But don’t go overboard. While fitted clothes are always preferable to super loose, you also don’t want to look like you raided your niece’s closet for a shirt.
4. Wrong shoes. Do I even need to bring up socks and sandals?! Avoid this look at all costs!!! Tennis shoes aren’t great either. If you’re dressing to impress, complete your look with a boot, dress shoe, or otherwise appropriate footwear.
5. Bad hair. Whether you want it to or not, your hair says a lot about your style (or lack thereof). Keep it clean, cut, and combed if you want to woo a lady. Hair that is greasy, unkempt, or combed over is a major turnoff to members of the opposite sex.
6. Facial hair. Less is more in this arena, so shave your beard and mustache, trim the eyebrows, and pluck any stragglers sticking out of your nose or ears. Most women are willing to put up with some nicely styled facial hair as long as it’s neat and under control. Full beards belong in a mining camp, not a four-star restaurant.
7. Fingernails. Unless you work at Studio 54, you can pretty much be assured that coke nails are no longer in fashion. Neither are crypt-keeper claws or troll-like toenails. If you have a hard time tending to these troubling hygiene issues, you may have to bite the bullet and get a mani-pedi (sans polish). You might feel a bit less timid if you go to a high-end barber (P.S. they can give you a shave and a haircut as well).
8. Strong scent. Whether you came straight from the gym or you loaded on cologne, a strong odor of any type is undesirable. You want her to swoon with longing, not drop dead. Ask at the perfume counter for a scent that is masculine, but still pretty light if you want to turn a lady’s head instead of her stomach.
9. Electronic devices. These are not an accessory and should be kept out of sight. If your belt is laden with gadgets galore that you can’t stop yourself from checking every time they buzz or bleat, then you may as well proclaim yourself unavailable and save your date a miserable night.
10. No wallet. Changing into your nice pants is no excuse for leaving your wallet in the other pair. Do not forget this important item when you dress for your date or you may find yourself washing dishes at the end of the night while your date pays her own bill and leaves with the waiter.
Contributing Writer
Leon Harris
Seduction
Pinstripe Magazine Staff
Online Men’s Lifestyle Magazine on Gear, Grooming, Girls, Gadgets
