Handpicked relationship writers give their advice on what you should wear, where you should go and which first-date faux pas you really should avoid. No need to thank us when you score that second date.
DO be open to unexpected date ideas.
A homemade meal, PBR and Guitar Hero might be a better way to get to know each other than the standard restaurant and a movie. Plus, are you really going to ask someone to take you out for filets, cocktails and the theater in this economy?
DON’T go somewhere overflowing with eye candy.
A while ago I took a girl out to brunch at a restaurant that is always brimming with beautiful hipsters. Naturally, there was a Kate Hudson look-alike sitting behind my date, right in my line of vision. Even worse, she was wearing this crazy low-cut dress, and when she leaned forward I could see her entire breast—maintaining eye contact has never been more of a struggle.
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DO wear sexy underwear.
Even if you don’t shed your clothes, your non-Hanes undies will give you confidence. Plus, if you do end up stripping down to your skivvies, you DON’T want to end up wearing granny panties a la Bridget Jones.
DON’T drink and date.
One glass of wine is fine. Two or more could lead to sudden, instant and otherwise immediate death of a potential relationship. My friend Katherine is a smart and beautiful girl, but whenever she has a few drinks, she starts swearing like a sailor. If she were not a little tipsy, she would never talk so trashy. Guys are instantly turned off by her behavior, and she often wonders why first dates never turn into seconds.
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DO call a friend for a pep talk.
If you’re suffering from first-date jitters, ring a friend for a few words of encouragement before you meet the guy. Before my first dates, you’d always find me in a cab on the phone with my mom, with her telling me the guy would be crazy not to adore me. Even though she had to say that (she is my mom), a few positive words made me walk into my date with confidence.
DON’T talk about sex.
Unless you’re planning on having sex on the first date, in which case you should definitely talk about your sexual history. But if not, it’s nice to leave a little something to the imagination—and to save something for the second date.
