According to American realist and No. 1 New York Times best-selling author Robert Greene, appearance bias is a big part of human nature. Basically, appearance bias means we see other people not as they are, but as they appear to us. That confirms the importance of the first date: The first impression is absolutely paramount!

  • International dating requires a phenomenal first impression on the very first date. 

I used to be a fashion stylist at the menswear department of an upmarket department store where a lot of men asked me for fashion advice. I realized that most men actually have no idea in terms of fashion. Therefore, if you work on your fashion and grooming, you are increasing your chance of success in international dating.

When I was young, I didn’t have nice clothes to wear. Consequently, after graduation from university, I bought lots of good clothes. But when I turned 26 years old, I stopped buying expensive clothes due to the changing circumstances at that time – every item must be under $100 for at least one decade. Then after turning 37 years of age, I entered the fashion industry and was surrounded by high-end clothes. As a result, I can’t go back anymore – since I started to wear amazing clothes made of natural fabrics such as silk, linen, cotton and leather for work, I can’t stand synthetic/man-made fabrics like polyester and nylon these days. I think life has various stages and it’s normal to upgrade my fashion… again. The main difference is when I was in my early 20s, I bought clothes based on the look. In contrast, nowadays whenever I buy clothes, I focus on quality and comfort.

If you are considering investing in a high-quality wardrobe and you need to think about your budget, please remember these principles:

  1. Only buy things that you would actually wear.For example, you change your clothes every day and you do your laundry on the weekend, so you only need 7 outfits in total. Some people wear the same clothes on Saturday and Sunday; thus, they only need 6 outfits in total. If you only plan to have 6 or 7 outfits in the wardrobe, you can afford to buy better clothes. Instead of buying a large number of cheap and nasty items that no one really likes, you would be well-advised to buy nice clothes that will last significantly longer and make you look/feel much better!
  2. Don’t ignore your shoes and accessories. If you wear very casual clothes but your shoes are dressy, the vibe still looks marvelous because the dressy shoes elevate the entire look. Please note that when you wear very dressy clothes, your shoes can’t be too casual! That means your shoes are literally more important than your clothes. Also, you don’t need too many accessories; you just need a few amazing accessories, e.g., a good watch and a cozy scarf.

international dating

  • The halo effect:

When you see certain positive qualities in a woman, other positive qualities are implied in this process. This is the halo effect in psychology. As a matter of fact, the halo effect is a type of appearance bias. Hence, on the first date with a woman, you might think highly of her based on her looks, even though she hasn’t proven herself yet. As a result, I highly encourage you to think for yourself: Can she meet your standards? Why does she choose you? When you explore the answers to these questions, you will surely have a much safer international dating life.

“When you understand the power of the first impression, you will be able to manage your international dating life more effectively.”