The best date night outfits are pretty simple: they should be flattering but not flagrant, stylish but not try-hard, comfortable but not lazy, and ultimately encapsulate your honest self while also signaling that you put in some extra thought for the occasion. The blesséd among us can assemble a no-notes first date fit easily and intuitively. Others, though, are reading this article, eager for some advice. We see you, we've been there, and together we’re going to get you through this without the doubt spiral and mirror paralysis that’s left you broken amongst a pile of rejected pants-and-shirt combos, 17 minutes before a hard-won 8pm reservation.
Before we get there, though, we need to start from the basics—namely, what exactly will you be doing on this date? The starting line for a first-date outfit is (duh) different if you’re doing Sunday afternoon coffee or Friday night dinner, with the potential for late night drinks. To get you properly inspired, we’ve put together four complete fits—from shoes to shades, and every article of clothing in between—that cover almost any first date itinerary short of a black tie gala to support the endangered red wolf. (Please donate.)
Sure, you could hit add-to-cart on any of the complete looks below and show up with a first date outfit so good your date will delete Hinge on the spot. But we’re here to teach a fella to fish, and that’s where our telltale hack comes in. Once you scope out the date night outfits below, you’ll notice that they probably look like something you’d wear on any day that isn’t freighted with the pressure of meeting your soulmate. Part one of the hack is to start with exactly that—dress in whatever you’d normally wear for, say, a chill stroll through an art museum. The outfit you’d toss on without thinking too hard, while knowing you’ll be seen in public. Part two: swap in one notably leveled-up piece. Maybe you trade jeans for crisply creased trousers (or just fancier jeans), or your Adidas for a pair of chunky-soled derbies, a sweatshirt for a cardigan, a gleaming dress watch instead of your steel beater. Call it the spotlight rule of date-night dressing: One thing to blind them, in a good way.
Then get out there and share your family’s deepest dysfunctions with a stranger, confident that you nailed the first date fit.
The Low-Stakes Coffee Link-UpThe coffee date is the most casual of first dates, but not casual enough for the sweats you've been wearing to binge Suits on Netflix. Start with a version of your weekend fit: solid-colored, graphic-free crewneck sweatshirt and classic sneakers (non-toasted). Enter two potential spotlight moments: a low-key dress watch, and a pair of pants that look like tailored trousers but have a sneaky elastic waist. Every first date involves keeping a few secrets to yourself.
Drake's
Wool boucle fleece jacket$530Drake's
Persol
PO2747 sunglasses$310Amazon
Lady White Co.
Relaxed sweatshirt$165End. Clothing
Sunspel
Drawstring pants$249End. Clothing
Hamilton
"Boulton" classic mechanical watch$895Amazon
Adidas
Handball Spezial sneakers$110Adidas
The Leisurely Weekend HangWhen an activity is on the schedule—a museum visit, a concert in the park, a leaf-peeping stroll—then the best first date outfit is the one that feels comfortable but can handle the possibility of mutually enthusiastic overtime, whether that’s ducking into a pasta joint or an impromptu afternoon cocktail. Uniqlo's Barbour-adjacent blouson lifts the entire fit while you’re on the go (and can handle an unexpected drizzle, too). And while a pair of clean sneaks wouldn’t blow up the fit, gum-soled Wallabees look smoother and will still keep your dogs from barking.
Uniqlo
Utility short blouson jacket$80Uniqlo
Bode
Zoo flocked cotton-jersey T-shirt$250SSENSE
Corridor
Merino cardigan$225Corridor
Orslow
Standard denim 2 year wash jeans$335Canoe Club
Clarks
Wallabee boots$155SSENSE
Akila
"Logos" sunglasses$150SSENSE
The Post-Work DrinksGoing from work to meet-up can be a problem if your office dress code is aggressively Severance, but otherwise, this is where the spotlight hack really, um, shines. Top-notch leather goods are an easy place to flex some personal style—these made-in-France moc-toe derbies from Paraboot look luxe enough to avoid any CEO side-eye, while a western belt can help you stand out in both the cubicles and the bar…while potentially giving you something to talk about. (Namely, that you've never been to a ranch and couldn't ride a horse if you were glued to it.)
J. Crew
"Ludlow" trench coat$498J.Crew
Alex Mill
"Mill" shirt$115Alex Mill
Lemaire
Minimal Western belt$295SSENSE
Mfpen
Formal trousers$270SSENSE
Paraboot
"Chambord" shoes$465End. Clothing
Seiko
Seiko 5 GMT SSK001 sports watch$475Huckberry
The Dinner-to-Dancing Night OutYou've got the hard-to-come-by dinner reservation and the potential for a big night out afterwards, so cook up a first date outfit that brings the same energy. That leather jacket you've had on ice, waiting for the perfect opportunity? The moment is now. Put on your stomping boots. The real upgrade here might be the sweater vest-and-necklace move, taking a crisp white tee from fine to fine.
COS
Leather blouson jacket$490COS
Uniqlo U
Crewneck short sleeve T-shirt$15Uniqlo
MHL
Margaret Howell sports slipover knit$175End. Clothing
Levi's
501 '93 jeans$90SSENSE
Our Legacy
"Camion" boots$440Matches
Alighieri
Snow Lion sterling-silver necklace$270Matches
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Jake Woolf is a writer who has covered men’s style for over ten years and has contributed to GQ since 2014. A graduate of Parsons The New School for Design (good school, long name), he also has bylines at Robb Report, HighSnobiety, Pitchfork, and the defunct #menswear website Four Pins... Read moreWriterXRelated Stories for GQGQ RecommendsShirtsShoesCoats and Jackets