What to wear for an outdoor date

How to dress for hiking dates, picnic dates and everything in between

An outdoor date is unique and memorable and can make for a great bonding experience. You will need to put some practical thought into what you wear, so it is more difficult than getting dressed for a dinner date. You want to be both stylish and prepared for whatever activities you have planned. This guide takes you through choosing the perfect outfit for your outdoor date.

Hot or cold?

You are out in the elements, away from the climate controlled bliss of a restaurant or movie theatre. Step one to picking your outfit is finding something that will be weather appropriate. If your date is taking place on the beach, you will want swimming attire; if it is romantic night walk through the park in the dead of winter, you will need to rug up. Regardless of temperature, you will want to bring an extra jacket or sweater that you can lend to her if she gets cold.

Passive or active?

How you dress will depend on the activity you are doing. For a sporty date, you want to wear a nice combination of gym clothes. Wearing gym clothes is usually a faux pas on a date, but this rule changes completely when you are doing something active. A walking date can be incredibly demanding or result in no exertion at all, depending on where you are planning to walk and your level of fitness. For a challenging walk, gym clothes are your best option, but you will need to dress more stylishly for a light stroll. There are also outdoor dates which are not active at all, such as watching a sporting event or seeing a play under the stars. For these passive activities, use layering to craft a fashionable outfit. As you do not need your full range of motion, it is appropriate to dress in a smart casual manner, such as a shirt with fitted jeans. If you?re going to be sitting on the ground, such as for a picnic, make sure your pants allow you to do this without too much difficulty.

Comfortable shoes

You will be walking around on your date. Dress shoes may look snappy, but they will make you miserable if they are uncomfortable. A pair of stylish sneakers is usually your best option for an outdoor date. As your date is more casual than a night at a fancy restaurant, you have much more flexibility in your choice of shoes. Sandals or flip flops, as always, are completely unacceptable unless you are at the beach.

Bright colors

A daytime outdoorsy date is the perfect time to bring out brightly colored clothing. White is never a good idea as any spill will devastate your outfit, and black will have you boiling under the sun. A colored or even patterned shirt looks striking when you are outside during the day. Blues and greens are ideal, as you will be matching the sky or the grass.