Russian Culture: What (Not) to Wear on a Date with a Russian Woman

If you haven’t yet noticed, Russian women like to dress up and to look good. You will rarely, if ever, see a Russian woman in sneakers and an oversized sweatshirt on the street. Unless she is working out, but even then she would like to be stylish and pretty. So if you want to make a good impression, don’t wear jeans with holes or a stained sweatshirt. Especially if you are on a date with a Russian woman.

A friend of ours (Russian girl who lives here in the U.S.) actually dumped a guy, because he showed up for a date wearing a hooded sweatshirt and jeans. “Can you believe this? A hoodie! No respect at all!” I personally don’t think it was a good enough reason to let the guy go, but I see her point. It was their first official date; she went to a beauty salon prior to that, did her hair and nails; put on a stunning green dress and 3 inch stiletto heels and he showed up in a hoodie. Imagine how stupid she might have felt.

So please, watch what you wear. There is no need to wear a tie and a business suit for every date (although it wouldn’t hurt). Wear a nice button-down shirt (stainless and not oversized) and pants. Jeans are somewhat OK, as far as they are the right size (not too long, short or too baggy), clean and have no holes. Don’t wear sneakers. Black or brown leather shoes would be the best.

Unless you wear a beard, make sure you are shaved. You may wear cologne, because many women like that.

Most importantly, when you are on a date  with a Russian woman, don’t forget to act like a gentleman. Always open the door for her and help her put on her coat. If you fail to do these things, she may think you are uncultured, or you don’t care about her and your relationship.