As Rihanna herself once said, “easy for a good girl to go bad.” In my case I’m not gone forever, but I am enjoying this dating phase and the first date outfits I’m putting together. That’s not to say I’m bed hopping (but honestly, good for me if I was) but more leaning into my sexuality, body confidence and generally becoming riskier with my choices – be that dating, work or how I choose to dress. Sexy clothes aren’t just about sex.
For me, this phase has meant freeing myself of expectations on how I should dress as a single, size 18 woman in my early 30s. It’s meant showing lots of skin, body-con, sheer dresses, short skirts, boobs and legs out at the same time (shock horror). It’s also meant lots of dates and ignoring a plethora of red flags, but alas that’s for another time.
Dressing sexy was always wildly scary for me in my 20s – I didn’t think I had the body for it so resided myself to covering myself up and wearing loose fitting clothes, and as someone who works in the fashion industry, I think it’s also fair to say being sexy hasn’t always been cool.
Androgynous style, minimalism and oversized tailoring were all the rage (and still are, of course) and it was only post-pandemic when sexy dressing really started to return in a big way as a reaction to wearing our gym kits and pyjamas locked up in our homes – as nights out came back, so did our bodies. Luxury brands like Versace, Coperni, Nensi Dojaka, Jacquemus and Saint Laurent have embraced this and ushered in a new wave of sensual and spicy dressing to officially bring sexy back.
This phase has ultimately led me on a journey of exploration, most importantly empowering me to explore myself and my ever changing wants and needs. It’s allowed me to explore the different ways that I can, and should, ask for what I want and embrace myself through the way I dress, even as simple as wearing a tight white tee instead of a baggy one. But you’re here for the juicy stuff, not the tight white tee, so here we go – my five favourite first date outfits for the ultimate dating phase…
Outfit 1: The cut out LBD
The little, sheer, cut out, lace up black dress. How racy you want to go is really up to you here – you could do a black body underneath, some black bike shorts or big knickers, or if you’re very daring, a black thong a la Camille Charriere would be hot hot hot.
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Outfit 2: Sparkles + satin
My actual birthday outfit for my big 3-2. Sparkles + skin + slit skirt = sensational.
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Outfit 3: Leather trousers + a sheer top
Sometimes being covered up is just as much part of the dating phase. Fitted leather trousers paired with a slightly sheer top is hot stuff. I can confirm that I have worn this top on many dates with some black tailored trousers and it has a 100% success rate for a make out session. I don’t know what it is but this top has never failed me.
It’s slightly sheer and you can see your bra through it without it being super obvious and it’s a winner. That is all.
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Outfit 4: The corset
My favourite piece of this year: enter the corset. A nod to underwear, it’s a flattering top that can be worn on its own and dressed up or down with jeans or a slip skirt if you want the full boudoir experience, or worn with a blazer if you’re a little shy.
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Outfit 5: A white vest + mini skirt
A white vest is the most effortlessly cool thing you can wear. Even better if you can get away without wearing a bra. Simple, comfortable and instantly sexy for first date outfits. And a knee-high boot? Well babe – you’re THAT GIRL.
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