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Welcome to my blog, an honest account of dating and love in these modern times. A self proclaimed lover of love, I hope you like my stories and the people in them as much as I enjoy writing about them.  

What am I Gonna Wear?! Date Dressing and Impressing

What am I Gonna Wear?! Date Dressing and Impressing

Wardrobe dilemmas are one of life's most annoying first world problems. I have become better over the years in planning outfits and knowing what might work and not work, but when that moment arrives where nothing you try on or try to piece together works, far out, it is PANIC STATIONS.

And it's not just the clothes vibe that's ruined, it is everything – your hair, your make-up and your general disposition becomes blotchy, fuzzy and generally unpleasant, like you stood in front of a heater for days and are now a literal hot mess. All things you don't want to be on a first date.

The other trap I would fall into when it came to first date outfit choices was that absolutely everything in my wardrobe was unacceptable and I must hit the shops to buy brand new everything, not just maybe spruce up an outfit or accessorise differently, let's just bust the savings wide open and go to town.

Then there's the image you want to portray and the bits you want to accentuate or definitely not accentuate, you get where I am going with this. It's a freaking nightmare.

So I thought I would chat to a stylist on behalf of all ladies out there, as it's not just first dates we agonise over looking good for, it's all dates be it male or lady dates, we could all use a pointer here or there. And because I know there are many a male fashionista out there agonising over this too, this some tips for you lot too.  

I had a chat with Sarah from Willo Smith Styling to get a few handy hints on dressing for impressing.

Sarah, first date dressing can be such a nightmare, so much pressure to look your absolute best! What sure fire looks do you suggest that suit most people?

When it comes to dressing for a first time meeting and especially a first date you want to keep true to yourself and your style don't go making yourself up to be something you're not.

When it comes to guys, women are always impressed when you make an effort. So for guys, going out and buying something new and making the effort will be noticed. A pair of jeans that fit well and if a dinner a nice shirt is always a winner.

Girls a trusty well fitted pair of jeans and nice top for a night time occasion always looks nice and is something that most can pull off. 

How can people jazz up an outfit that they already have without breaking the budget on a new outfit?

With the previous suggestion of jeans and a nice top this can be jazzed up by adding a gorgeous necklace or pair of earrings now we don't have to break the bank on these items with most fashion retailers stocking accessories at a great price point. If we want to go that little bit further then we can't go wrong with a statement pair of gorgeous shoes. 

Guys you can go and buy a nice shirt that won't break the bank but will make an old pair of jeans look new again. Getting a haircut or shave before a date never hurts either and goes a long way to making you look like you've made an effort.

What are some absolute no nos for a first date dressing?

Ladies, on a first date we want to have a sense of classiness about ourselves, if your style is way out there, then by all means don't lose that expression of who you are, but as a general rule short skirts, plunging neck lines, six inch stilettos can be kept for further down the track on dates when you have got to know each other and want to spice things up.

Guys, no thongs on a first date dinner or old shorts and t-shirt you want to look like you care and have made some effort!

People often struggle with casual dressing when the date is a brekkie or coffee on a weekend, what tips would you give for casual dressing?

It's funny how we all struggle to just keep it real, don't over think it when it comes to a casual date. 

Keeping it simple and true to who you are often takes that pressure away and in your mind think of what you would wear if you were heading out with your girlfriends for a Sunday brekkie. Make sure your hair is done and keep the make-up natural nothing worse than going over the top with the make up for a casual occasion.

Lastly, what is your favourite trend at the moment?

Today's street style is awesome! At the moment I'm loving the vast array of different coloured kicks, if you can't find yourself an amazing pair for a casual date then you're not looking hard enough!

I'm also a lover of expressing your style and the trends coming through for spring / summer really are crisp fresh and an extension of your style. Prints are coming through and floral accents in our summer dresses, I'm excited about that!

For guys there is just as much cool stuff for you as there is for girls. For the guys, the in trend things for  at the moment are cool anorak jackets, chinos and cool sneakers with casual street wear being taken to new heights. 

If you want to touch base with Sarah or organise a style consultation, you can catch her on hello@willosmith.com.

Love at First Sight

Love at First Sight

Date Spot Volume 3 - Bistro Rex

Date Spot Volume 3 - Bistro Rex