How to Impress an Older Guy

Impressing Him with Your Appearance

Practice good hygiene. Show him you are well-groomed and put together by ensuring you maintain good hygiene. Shower every day, make sure you brush and floss at least twice a day, and present a clean appearance.

Choose outfits that are mature and put together. You can let an older guy know that you can be mature and put together by choosing outfits and clothing that appear more adult. Go for outfits that project maturity rather than a childish or teenager look.

Develop a personal sense of style. A big part of acting mature is being able to own your own sense of style, based on your tastes and preferences. Don’t expect to wake up one day and have personal sense of style. Instead, let your sense of style evolve as you evolve. As you grow older, your taste in clothing will change over time. It may help to focus on a certain style of dressing, like surfer girl style or ladylike style, and then tailor it to fit your personality and your tastes. One way you can develop your own sense of style is to find an older style icon and emulate their style. This could be a classic film star like Carey Grant or Grace Kelly, or it could be your mother or father’s style in the 70s or 80s. Look at how your style icon dresses and carries themselves. Try to find clothing that has a similar cut or look and style yourself after an older style icon. If you’re trying to create an outfit for a night out, you should think about dressing mature and still true to yourself. This could mean higher necklines and lower hemlines, but also an element that is true to your personality or sense of style, like a cool necklace or a vintage coat. The idea is to project confidence and maturity with how you wear your clothing, rather than what you are wearing.

Impressing Him with Your Intellect

Develop a knowledge of current events and pop culture. Show the older guy that you have a strong intellect by reading up on current events and pop culture. You can then bring up current events in conversation when you are around the older guy or on a date with him. You should try to have a well-informed opinion about local and global issues and be willing to engage in conversation that is interesting and engaging. You can become well-versed in current events and pop culture by reading articles online and in print in magazines, newspapers, and journals. You can also watch videos online about pop culture and world issues so you are armed with lots of intelligent information you can discuss with the older guy.

Discuss your skills and abilities in school or your career. Take pride in your skills and abilities at school or at work and don’t be afraid to discuss them with the older guy. If you are a star student in a particular subject or an ace employee at the office, brag and let the older guy know that you are in control and in charge in a certain area of your life. This will show him you have skills and abilities that you excel in. Your confidence and skills will surely impress him and make him more interested in you as a person. One way you can show off your skills or abilities is to invite him to an event or setting that will allow you to demonstrate them. This could be an art show displaying your artwork, a sporting event where he can watch you play, or an office event where you can show off how well-regarded you are among your co-workers. You can also share this information in conversation by asking the older guy what he is most proud of or asking him about his skills and abilities. He may then reciprocate by asking you about your skills and abilities, thereby allowing you to share them without appearing cocky or egotistical. For example, you could suggest: "Let's talk about things we are proud of" or ask him, "What do you feel you are good at?"

Focus on topics or interests you have in common. If you know you and the older guy share certain topics or interests in common, you should focus your conversation around these interests. This could be a shared interest in science fiction novels or a sports team, or perhaps a shared experience of backpacking through Asia alone. Think about topics that you can bring up that will encourage interesting conversation and a feeling of connection between you and the older guy. You can also plan dates or get togethers that focus on a topic or activity of interest, like going to see a favorite author read at a bookstore or going to watch a hockey game of a team you both love. This will show the older guy that you are trying to create experiences that you will both enjoy and that you are mature enough to consider his needs as well as yours.

Impressing Him with Your Attitude

Focus on being yourself around the older guy. Try not to put on an act or pretend to be someone you are not around the older guy. Though you may try to impress the older guy by being someone you are not, it can be difficult to maintain the act and over time, you may slip up or not be able to keep pretending. Avoid giving the guy a false sense of yourself and start the relationship on an honest, straightforward note. Be forthcoming and yourself around the guy so you appear confident and self-aware to him. This will likely impress him more than a false representation of yourself.

Practice active listening. Impress the older guy with your ability to be a good listener and practice active listening. Active listening is the process of viewing every conversation as a learning opportunity, where you can get to know someone better or learn something new from someone else. When you actively listen to someone speak, they can tell you are interested in what they are saying and are skilled at sincere and engaging conversation. Do active listening with the older guy by asking him about his day and then listening to him fully as he speaks. Listen without interrupting but show you are engaged by nodding and maintaining eye contact with him. Once he is finished speaking, repeat back what he said in your own words, such as, “I think you mean…” or “What I hear you saying is…” You can also offer advice or comment on what he tells you. Be thoughtful and take your time when you respond to him, as this will show him you take his words seriously and can be a good active listener.

Share your feelings and emotions. Avoid bottling up your feelings and emotions or being passive aggressive about your emotions. These are both signs of immaturity and an inability to be emotionally open. Older guys can have more developed emotional maturity due to their age and experience, so meet him halfway by being willing to share your feelings if you are upset or bothered by something or someone. This means also being honest with him if he does something that annoys you or makes you uncomfortable, as this will show him you can be confident and straightforward. Keeping your feelings and emotions to yourself may seem like an easy to avoid conflict and appear relaxed and easygoing, especially if you are trying to appear cool and collected to an older guy. But being dishonest about your feelings will only lead to conflict later on and less trust between you and the older guy. If the older guy is as mature as he seems, he will react to your honesty with compassion and gratitude. For example, if the older guy does something that upsets you, rather than get upset and start a screaming match or give him the silent treatment, you can respond by suggesting that you both discuss the issue and try to resolve it together. If he forgets your birthday, for example, you may tell him: "I'm sure you didn't mean to be hurtful, but when you forgot my birthday I felt really hurt. It felt like you didn't value a day that's important to me. Can we talk about it?"

Demonstrate independence and self sufficiency. Another big turn on for older guys is a partner who is not overly needy or insecure. Show him that you can be independent and self sufficient so that he comes to see you as his equal, rather than a younger, inexperienced partner. This means not calling or texting him all day, every day, or insisting that you spend every minute together. You should cultivate your own friend group and stay connected to your family and friends, even if you become involved with the older guy. This will illustrate your independence and likely lead to a healthier relationship. Do things on your own occasionally, like going to a concert or seeing a movie. Knowing that you can have fun by yourself will make you more confident, which is impressive to older guys.