What To Wear On A Casual Dinner Date (For Men And Women)
Scored a date but you have no idea what to wear? We put together a style guide on what to wear to a casual dinner date for both men and women!
First impressions matter, especially on something as important as a first date. And because one of the goals is to impress (and ~hopefully ~score the love of your life), it’s important to choose the best date night outfit so you can feel comfortable and confident as you grab dinner with your date. So, call your best friend and read through this article – you need all hands on deck to ensure you’ll have the best date night outfit!
There are various types of dinner dates depending on formality: will you be grabbing a nice dinner at a casual restaurant, or will you be having a cozy dinner at a boujee high-rise bar? If it’s the latter, the dress code is most definitely formal and sexy – so you might want to check out this list of the spiciest red dresses for date nights that are perfect for a steamy, romantic time. If it’s the former, then buckle up because that’s what we will be talking about today!
It’s hard to know what to wear on a casual dinner date – especially if you’re not sure what the other person will be wearing. What should I wear? What does it mean for something to be “casual”? We’ll answer all these questions and more in this article so that you can feel confident when going out with someone without worrying too much about what to wear!
What Is Casual Clothing?
Casual clothing refers to anything that isn’t formal attire. A casual look usually includes t-shirts, jeans, sweaters, etc. The important thing is that it doesn’t look like you are trying too hard or dressing up for the occasion. It usually means staying away from suits and long gowns and stepping into more everyday dresses or outfits that you’d normally wear seeing your friends.
A casual outfit is supposed to give off an easygoing, laid-back vibe that won’t set too many expectations. Think of what you’d wear to a coffee shop and that’s basically it. If you’ve been to a number of outdoor dates, then you’d know that something as simple as a smart casual outfit or a minimalistic yet cute dress will work like a charm.
Examples Of What To Wear On A Casual Dinner Date (For Women)
1. Day Dresses
Get this dress on Lulus
The easiest and the most simple option for a casual dinner outfit is, of course, a casual day dress. This means no long gowns and no flashy dresses with loud prints. Choose a simple dress that’s not too over-the-top!
A short day dress is a great choice because you’ll get to show off your figure and legs in a sophisticated way, without appearing too forward. If it gets chilly, you can always throw in a denim jacket or a trench coat in a neutral color.
To elevate your look, you can also wear simple accessories like a dainty necklace or a small pair of hoop earrings.
2. Jumpsuits
Get this jumpsuit on Lulus
If you want to switch it up, you can also go for a cute pair of jumpsuits! It’s the right balance between dressy and casual, and it’s a good choice for a casual first date. Plus, jumpsuits make up for such a dainty and chic look that you can wear them for either a daytime date or a dinner date. What a win!
3. Graphic Tee & Skirt
Get this skirt on Lulus
There are many ways to pair a top with a skirt for a date night look, but for a casual date, we recommend you pair a nice graphic tee with a leather skirt or a denim skirt! It shows just the right amount of skin, and the graphic tee gives off an edgy vibe.
It’s also an icebreaker – if you wear a band’s graphic tee, you can definitely talk about it with your date. And who knows, the both of you might have the same music taste. A fool-proof formula, some may say!
With this kind of outfit, you can be a little more adventurous. For example. you can pair this look like some animal-print ankle boots.
4. Jeans & A Nice Top
Get these jeans on Princess Polly
For the ultimate casual look, a good idea would be to pair a cute crop top with your favorite pair of jeans. This can either be skinny jeans, mom jeans, a-line jeans… you get it. Any type of jeans can definitely be worn on a casual date! Wear this outfit with a small shoulder bag to hold all of your essentials.
If you don’t want to go for the usual jeans, you can also go for other types of pants like culottes.
4. Footwear Considerations
Get these mules on Lulus
A simple pair of strappy sandals or smart sneakers will do the job just fine. It’s best to steer clear away from high heels as they are too dressy. Boots are an exception, but it’s important to note that not all boots are good for casual wear. If you’ve made up your mind about going with boots, choose a simple pair with a neutral color. Croc prints and snake prints are fine!
For more casual date outfit ideas, browse our selections below!
15 More Casual Date Outfits For Women
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Get this skirt on Lulus
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Get this dress on Lulus
3.
Get these jeans on Princess Polly
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Get this skirt on Lulus
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Get this tee on Nasty Gal
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Via Princess Polly
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Get this jumpsuit on Lulus
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Get this skirt on Hello Molly
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Get this tee on Hello Molly
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Get this dress on Lulus
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Get this skirt on Lulus
12.
Get this jumpsuit on Lulus
13.
Get this dress on Lulus
14.
Get this jumpsuit on Lulus
15.
Get this skirt on Hello Molly
What To Wear On A Casual Dinner Date (For Men)
1. Button-Down Shirt
Get this shirt on ASOS
Is there anything more attractive than a man on a casual button-down shirt? Seriously, this type of shirt works anywhere – you can wear this on a casual dinner, at a yacht party, at a formal dinner, on a beach party… so when you want to look clean and well put-together, make a good first impression by wearing a button-down shirt.
You can either wear this with a pair of nice inseam shorts or a pair of dark jeans.
2. Polo
Get this polo on ASOS
Polos rank second on our list of casual date night outfits for men. Nothing else screams “good boy” other than a collared shirt! Polo shirts are clean, classy, and casual. It will make you look formal yet laid-back at the same time, which is just the right balance.
It’s a great way to let your date know that you’re the type of dude to take home to mom in the near future, so take advantage of that “good boy” look with a polo shirt… and who knows, you might just score a second date.
3. Tee
Get this tee on ASOS
Okay, this one could be a bit too casual at times, so make sure to show up in a good-quality tee with a structured silhouette! We don’t want you to show up in a tee with very thin material.
You may be going on a casual dinner date but it pays to put in a little bit more effort on your outfit – so to elevate your look, wear your tee with either a bomber jacket or a leather jacket… it automatically adds +100 swoon points to your look.
4. Smart Sneakers
Get these sneakers on J.Crew
To complete your outfit, a clean pair of smart sneakers would do just the trick! Emphasis on the clean, please.
If you don’t like sneakers, then boat shoes or mules would do just fine.
4 More Outfit Ideas For Men
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Get this shirt on ASOS
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Get this shirt at J.Crew
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Get this overshirt on ASOS
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Get this shirt at J.Crew
We hope you found this post useful for your next casual date! Now that you have your outfit sorted, good luck with all the rest! Remember, the outfits only make up a small percentage of how successful your casual date ends up being. Personality, good conversation, etiquette, and mutual interest are what matters the most! Have fun!
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