Guys, looking and feeling your best on a date doesn’t require a complete wardrobe overhaul or a movie montage makeover. If you want to be attractive to women, it’s the small details that show your personal style which truly enhance your appearance. So when you want to up your game on the go, there’s a bunch of tiny tweaks that can make a big, big difference.
Below, 13 easy tips to help you be attractive to women:
1. Roll your shirtsleeves
Have sleeves? Roll ‘em.
When you’re not wearing a jacket or an additional layer, rolling your shirt sleeves is the breeziest way to look like you were professionally styled – and this applies to long, short, and even the occasional t-shirt sleeve. You can go from a Dwight Shrute-y vibe to James Dean in a few seconds, which is something that will surely be noticed.
Watch our video to learn how to roll your sleeves the right way:
2. Wear a belt that coordinates with your shoes
Nothing screams “I got dressed in the dark and probably make wildly inappropriate comments during team meetings” like a mismatched belt and shoe combination.
OK, that may be pulling exclusively from past personal experience(s), but color coordinating your belt with your shoes is an impactful detail that requires close to no effort.
And matching doesn’t have to mean “matchy-matchy.”
In dressier looks, your belt and shoes don’t have to look like they were cut from the same cloth as long as you make sure the leather or suede of your belt and shoes are of a similar shade.
Mahogany and tan may both be brown hues, but they’ll definitely clash if paired together. When it comes to your weekend shoe game, it’s easier to match a canvas, woven, or a matte leather belt with your slip-ons or sneakers.
Just not a white belt with white sneakers…never a white belt.
3. Smile often
You know the bad boy love interest in romantic comedies that at some point has a scene where he leans nonchalantly on the bar and tosses off a smirk? Well, like romantic comedy plots in general, it’s 1,000% unlikely that the disinterested strategy will be successful on a consistent basis.
Instead, refer to any of Audrey Hepburn’s charming suitors in movies of romantic comedy past. Those iconic men wooed their leading lady by flashing a million-watt smile, and that’s the true trick.
Besides creating a more friendly interaction, smiling lights up your entire face and makes you look immediately more handsome. Use that spotlight to your advantage!
4. Tailor (almost) everything
If you learned anything from Men’s Style Madness, hopefully it’s that tailoring is the training equivalent to forming a (sartorial) champion.
Just trade a seasoned coach for a professional tailor, and spend a lot of time with him. Your wardrobe, wallet, and confidence will thank you – especially once the compliments start rolling in.
A refresher course on Suiting Up: 101
5. Wear a pocket square with your suit jacket or sportcoat
Trust me: adding a pocket square to your jacket pocket is a surefire way to raise eyebrows in a really good way.
It adds just enough visual interest to show that you’ve put extra thought into your outfit, which is a little something that goes a long way whether you’re going to a job interview or a third date.
Not sure which to choose? You can’t go wrong with a white pocket square, but don’t be afraid to show some personality with a bold color or pattern!
6. Tuck your shirt in
Much like choosing a belt, deciding whether or not to tuck in your shirt seems like an easy enough task but can sometimes cause confusion – and shirt related issues should be at the very bottom of your to-do list.
Finding the balance between feeling comfortable and looking like a stand-up guy (but not uptight) means taking your outfit into consideration as a whole and keeping it situational.
To tuck or not to tuck, SG HQ is here to answer that question…with a few questions:
- Are layers present? If you’re wearing a sweater, cardigan, or anything of the likes atop your collared shirt, then by all means tuck in the bottom most layer. This will streamline your silhouette AKA make your bod look better.
- Where are you going? Always consider both occasion and the formality of the rest of your outfit. If you’re wearing a tie and trousers for a job interview, tuck that shirt in. If you’re in vacation mode wearing Sperry’s and a short sleeve buttoned down, it’s safe to keep your shirt untucked. Whatever you do, never tuck in a sports jersey for the love of all things good.
- What’s your shirt like? If your shirt has a collar and is poplin or similar, always keep it tucked. For casual shirts with an even hem in less formal fabrics (linen, flannel) you can get away with keeping it untucked – if the rest of your outfit permits.
7. Stay groomed
When I see a pair of symmetrical eyebrows and a fuzz-free neck, I think, This guy gets it.
I’m not talking a Jersey Shore tweezer-happy grooming habit. Your brow game should look untouched even if a strategic ten minutes of plucking took place to get you to that point.
Maintained eyebrows will shape your face and highlight your rugged good looks while looking like you’ve done absolutely nothing.
Not sure where to start? Here’s a 3-point plucking primer:
- If you have hairs exploring the boundaries beyond your brow line (ie. growing outside the natural shape of your brow), pluck them.
- There should be two. When your brows start to unify, clean up the hairs in the middle to avoid a Bert-brow (yes, that was a Bert & Ernie reference). Just make sure not to pluck past the corner of your eye or they’ll look too far apart.
- For shaping, consult a professional. If you’re unsure where an arch should be – or if there should be one at all – have a grooming expert do the plucking for you. They’ll know what’s best for your face shape.
8. Stand up straight
*Pauses to fix own posture*
Can you guys also hear my mom’s voice echoing in the distance? This tip is engrained in by brain for the rest of time – thanks to very public reminders – because it’s a tried and true way to instantly look more attractive.
Simply put: your frame shouldn’t look like a concave “C” or like a walking duck with your chest and rear pushed out. And this is regardless of height. Nothing looks sillier (and more T-rex like) than a tall guy hunched over the entire day.
Take a second when you’re at your desk or standing a cocktail party to quickly check your posture.
Is your head straight and in-line with your neck? Are your shoulders relaxed and back? Is your back straight and not tilted?
When you stand up tall, you’ll walk, talk, and feel more confident.
Here’s a few exercises you can do to improve your posture starting today.
9. Commit to collar stays
This instant improvement costs nearly nothing (Megan even met someone who tried to make a paper clip work) yet completely changes the appearance of your shirt.
While I probably won’t go back to my girlfriends and gush about a crisp collar, it definitely won’t detract from an outfit like a crumpled worn-out collar will.
10. Make eye contact
Captain Obvious here, excited to talk eye contact. Sure, this is a simple tactic to be more engaged and outgoing (cough cough: attractive), but it can also be tricky at times.
Not making enough eye contact? You’ll look unsure. Holding a stare too long or at the wrong moment? You’ll be that really intense guy.
Luckily there are tricks to conquering an ideal amount of contact.
I find that the less-than-present filter on my thoughts can sometimes lead me to have slightly darting eyes when I’m speaking quickly, so I take an extra millisecond when diving into conversation to remind myself to focus on engaging the person I’m speaking to with friendly eye contact.
This extra millisecond applies elsewhere too. Studies show that if you tend to look down it usually means that you feel uncomfortable – and the simplest way to combat this is to remember that they’re likely nervous too.
Take a moment to even playing field in your head, and continue the conversation. Worried about laser gazing through someone? Take social cues like a pause in conversation to quickly break eye contact before returning.
11. Keep your Shoes Polished
Here’s what we know: your shoes factor into first impressions, and shoe care counts.
Almost as much as non-square toe shoe purchases.
Ensuring your slick shoes are polished and scuff-free is a quick task that will save you money and keep you looking like an adult man who has it all together. I love that a lot of guys find the methodical process relaxing, but no judgements here if you’re not into DIY action – as long as they get shined somehow.
Get the ultimate guide to men’s dress shoes
12. Get a handle on your facial hair
Some women may have a preference between clean shaven faces or bearded brethren, though I don’t think it’s that black and white.
A successful shaving strategy is all about figuring out what works best for your face. I have a friend (that’s totally not my brother if my brother is reading this) who can grow a nice short boxed beard, but things tend to get dicey in the cheek area. Try as he might, a full beard just isn’t in the cards. But he knows this…now.
Patchy facial hair happens, and more important than proving the existence of your facial is how said hair actually looks when it grows. When you own what you’re working with – beard or no beard – you’ll look like the best version of yourself.
Put your best face forward:
13. Use our names in conversation often
Destiny’s Child was dropping this knowledge back in the ’90s. If you want to flatter and impress anyone—and I mean, anyone—in the shortest amount of time, use their name right away in you conversation.
This builds off a very simple and very true concept: people love the sound of their own name.
You’ll elicit sweet sweet feelings in the next lady you speak to if you say her name in a non-abrasive way a few times throughout your conversation.
Just make sure it’s fluid and not forced.
Even better? Repeating a person’s name in social settings will help you remember their name after those initial greetings occur.
