Most of the outfit will not be noticed. That is what research into first impressions suggests, and it contradicts the entire premise of the 2 hours spent assembling it. Men do not necessarily catalogue hemlines, they may not identify fabrics, and they probably will not recall the earrings by Tuesday. What does get taken in is a much shorter list, and almost none of it is the part women spend the most time on. Fit, grooming, scent and the way clothing is worn can all contribute to that first impression, although individual preferences vary.
Planning Time Against Viewing Time
The asymmetry starts with the clock. An hour of assembly is presented to somebody who may spend only a few seconds looking at the result before the conversation takes over, and little of the remaining evening returns to the question.
That has a practical consequence. Anything requiring a second look to work may never receive the second look. A subtle print or a clever detail at the cuff can both go unnoticed on a first meeting, because the initial viewing window has closed before the detail could be processed at all.
One large decision can outperform 6 small ones, since a large decision survives a glance and a small one often does not. Women tend to build outfits out of small decisions, because small decisions are what a long look rewards, and a first date is not necessarily a long look. The accumulated care goes into a layer of the outfit that may never get opened.
Silhouette Before Detail
Shape arrives first because shape is visible at distance. A man watching somebody cross a restaurant can register the outline long before he identifies the finer details of the clothing, and fabric texture may not register at all. Outline here means proportion and the line running from shoulder to hem.
This is why fit can outperform price on a first meeting, and sometimes by a wide margin. A well-cut inexpensive dress and a badly cut expensive one arrive at the eye as two completely different garments, and only one of them looks deliberate. Alteration is one of the cheapest upgrades available in this respect, since taking in a seam can cost a fraction of what the dress cost.
Colour also contributes to the first impression, although it may do less work than most people assume. It helps set an initial mood, and then the face and the voice take over much of the attention for the rest of the evening.
The Grooming Signal
Grooming can be taken in as quickly as clothing, which surprises people who have spent the afternoon on a dress. Hair, skin and hands can contribute to an immediate impression, although the importance attached to each varies between individuals and cultures.
The psychology of attraction helps explain why grooming can influence first impressions. Grooming may be interpreted as a signal of personal care and presentation, which is why a fresh haircut can sometimes move a judgement further than an expensive jacket does. Clothing communicates taste, and taste is a preference somebody can disagree with. Grooming can communicate care and attention, and those qualities may be taken as information about the person rather than simply an opinion about their style.
The consequence is not flattering to the fashion industry. An ordinary outfit with well-maintained hair can make a stronger impression than an excellent outfit paired with a less considered appearance, and expensive styling does not automatically reverse that difference.
The Scent Variable
Scent can influence attraction without becoming the focus of conscious assessment, which is exactly what makes it interesting. Research discussed in TIME on Smelling good and attractiveness suggests that pleasant scents can affect perceptions of facial appearance, although the study involved a small group of participants and does not establish how fragrance influences attraction during an actual date.
TIME
The relationship between fragrance and attraction is more individual than fashion trends suggest. Fragrance interacts with a person’s natural body odour rather than simply masking it, and personal scent preferences can influence how pleasant a combination seems. That argues against wearing whatever is currently fashionable and in favour of whatever has worked before.
Quantity is where the damage can happen. A scent noticeable from across a table cannot be repaired by a higher bottle price, and the better amount is often the amount somebody discovers at close range and nowhere else.
Posture and the Way Clothes Are Worn
Clothing is assessed on a moving body, which is the point most preparation in front of the mirror misses entirely. A dress that photographs beautifully and restricts the shoulders produces a woman who sits carefully and gestures less, and her date sees the carefulness without ever identifying the dress as its cause.
Open body language sends its own signal, and it operates alongside the clothing. Uncrossed arms, an upright seated position and comfortable eye contact can all communicate engagement, although their meaning depends on the person and the situation. All of them can become harder in a garment that pinches. The garment therefore costs twice, once in comfort and once in everything the comfort was supposed to make possible.
Anyone testing a first-date outfit should walk the length of a room in it and then raise both arms above the head. A reflection shows a still image, and nobody is still on a first date.
The Path of a First Glance
Research using eye-tracking technology has explored where attention goes when people look at others. One study found that participants looking at photographs of women paid greater attention to certain body areas when asked to evaluate physical appearance rather than personality. The findings suggest that visual attention depends partly on what an observer is looking for, rather than following a fixed sequence.
EurekAlert!
That matters for anyone deciding where to spend effort. The face remains an important part of recognising and interacting with another person, which is an argument for earrings and for a haircut that opens the face up. Clothing, proportions and movement can also attract attention, particularly when somebody is forming an initial impression of appearance.
The research also helps explain why outfits that work in photographs sometimes feel different in person. A photograph is composed as a single rectangle and looked at as a whole. A person is seen moving, speaking and responding, with attention shifting between the face, clothing and gestures throughout the interaction.
3 Hours in the Same Clothes
Any outfit that clears the basic tests leaves one question open. What does this let me do for the next 3 hours? Sitting comfortably, moving without thinking about it and producing the kind of unguarded smiles that separate a genuine expression from a polite one all become easier when the clothing cooperates. Men may notice a relaxed face long before they notice the dress that made the relaxation possible. That is a peculiar thing to build a wardrobe around, and it is still the right place to start.