Dating Style 101: Men Don't Get Marni

Are you dressing for your date or for yourself? Tips and secrets to look your very best.

Amelia, Style zGoddess

It’s been a while since you have been on a date, but Friday’s the big night and you are all set with a wonderful new man you recently met. Your next dilemma – what should I wear? You want to make a lasting first impression with this potential new mate but aren’t quite sure what do to in this department.

Our own zGoddesses Susan and Jennifer once had a client who was an accomplished businesswoman. She took great pride in her appearance and always wore the latest designer fashions just off the runway. On one of her first dates, Susan and Jennifer met her beforehand, and she came down to the lobby in head to toe Marni, a coveted designer Italian line. Even though her outfit was the latest to hit the stores from Milan, and would please a true fashionista, her look was entirely wrong for the evening. “Wearing expensive designer clothes is dressing for other women. Men simply don’t care able labels. They simply want someone who looks feminine and comfortable,” says Jennifer.

What you wear depends on what you are doing on your date. Are you spending the evening at an upscale restaurant, an afternoon at the museum, Sunday brunch? Make sure your outfit is right for the setting. Also, your date has gone to the trouble to arrange the dinner reservation, tickets, day’s events. You should put in the extra effort to look your best. Get a fresh manicure, keep your makeup natural looking, and style your hair. Believe me, keep it simple and feminine and you‘ll be a winner.

I recently visited Edit, a jewel box of a boutique located on the Upper East Side in NYC. Dark ebony floors, gleaming pearl walls, and a large crystal chandelier accent this townhouse shop. At Edit, you’ll swoon like I did over their new spring wares. Edit’s co-founders Valerie Feigen and Alissa Emerson pick the best of the best. Going to Edit is like raiding the closet of a stylish friend who dresses casually elegant but mixes it up with one of a kind pieces that give her that extra edge. I got some fabulous new ideas there for dating outfits appropriate for all sorts of different occasions. Here are some great looks to inspire you. Change up your style and try something brand new!

Saturday Afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art