Meeting The Parents This Holiday Season? Be Sure To Dress To Impress

There are few things more paralyzing than when a girl you really care about asks you to meet her parents. Any confidence you had immediately drains out of you, making you feel like a nervous middle school kid again. But never fear. We’ve been through this a few times and have a few tips for what to do and, more importantly, how to dress to impress.

Before we get into what to wear, here are a few quick tips:

1. Bring a gift: Flowers for Mom or a bottle of wine will do the trick. You don’t need to get too fancy, but bringing a nice gift will show you are thoughtful and trying your best to make a good first impression.
2. Engage the parents: It can be easy to only talk to your partner when you’re meeting her parents for the first time, but if all goes well, these people could be in your lift for some time. The sooner you get comfortable with them, the better. Ask questions about their careers, about what they like to do for fun, and other engaging topics.
3. Offer to help: If you’re at a restaurant, pull out chairs and stack empty plates to keep the table neat. If you are at their house for dinner, offer to set the table or see if there is anything you can do to help. Most likely they will decline your offer, anyways, so it never hurts to ask.
4. Be yourself: This is the oldest advice in the book, and for good reason. Your girlfriend clearly likes you if she’s having you meet her parents, so take advantage of that. Be yourself, but be confident. Know that you are there for a reason, and that reason is because everyone there cares about each other. Just be yourself.

Dress To Impress

You have three routes to choose. The first is a classy button down dress shirt. Your second option is a nice sweater. Lastly, do both and layer appropriately if the weather calls for it. What ultimately matters is that you don’t look sloppy. If her parents think you can’t take care of yourself, they’ll never believe you can take care of her. Putting in the extra effort to make a good first impression goes a long way.

Dress Up With A Button Down

Button downs are the classic choice for a meeting with the parents, and for good reason. They work for all seasons, are designated as “business casual,” and look classy. It makes the first meeting feel more like an interview - which might be a good thing for you. Your girlfriend is hoping her parents will approve of you, so when you show up looking interview-ready, it shows that you are taking this meeting seriously and are ready to impress. Choose a plaid dress shirt for men - but stay away from flannel as this can look a little casual. Make sure your dress shirt is ironed and clean.

Be A Go-Getter In A Nice-Guy Sweater

We’re sorry for the rhyme, but, it was pretty good right? No? Okay - let’s talk sweaters. There are good sweaters and bad sweaters. A Carlton-esque argyle sweater vest might be a little outdated and good to steer clear of. A modern sweater that is fitted and unique without being too bold is the angle you will probably want to take. For a Christmas dinner, you can’t go wrong with this shawl collar jacquard striped sweater that almost looks like a Christmas sweater without being covered in reindeer and pine trees.

Look Twice As Classy In Layers

If you want to really impress and send ultimate nice-guy vibes, layer a sweater over a cool dress shirt. If you are wearing a patterned dress shirt, choose a plain urban sweater like this one that won’t clash. If you’re opting for a plain button up, choose a sweater with a little more flair, like our Terrence crew neck sweater. Make sure your collar is outside of the sweater, and tuck in your dress shirt if it hangs more than an inch or two below the sweater. The general rule of thumb is you shouldn’t be able to see any of the bottom buttons of the button down.

Meeting The Parents? Let A. Tiziano Help.

At A. Tiziano, we make the best quality clothes for men in the urban streetwear fashion style. Our luxury streetwear is designed for men of superior taste and fashion. When you rep our rabbit logo, you can rest easy knowing that whatever you’re wearing, it will impress even the stiffest parents. Shop our entire collection today.