So I asked a girl out for this weekend to a restaurant and art museum in downtown Boise. I made reservations for lunch and after I made the reservation it had some info and said "Dress code: Smart casual". Wikipedia tells me this is a collared shirt and 'trousers'. I don't have any attire like that here with me yet, most of my wardrobe is back home. I could buy some khakis or something but don't necessarily want to considering I have a ton at home just waiting to be shipped out. Think I could wear a button down shirt and dark jeans? I can't imagine they would deny my reservation if I wore jeans... However I'm a golfer and I took a non-golfer friend out golfing with me once and he wore jeans and a guy stopped us and said he couldn't go on the course like that, and I was like 'we already paid, we drove an hour here, and that's all he had to wear' and the guy was like 'Okay, I'll pretend I didn't see anything just get out there before someone sees you guys...LOL


Also, this girl seems like she dresses in either a 'punk' fashion, or t-shirt and jeans. For a first date I don't wan to be like 'make sure you wear this'. How would you go about the situation? Just casually mention that the place has a dress code listed on the website?

My first date since my ex of 4 years left me for some dbag back home, so I'm hoping it goes well.

Shirt, suit jacket and jeans.

:-/ Haha. Dude if I guy buy that stuff and my date shows up in a t-shirt, then what? We'd look even more weird than if we were both just underdress a bit..

Hmm in this picture on their website people are wearing jeans

[img]http://www.cottonwoodgrille.com/images/photos/gallery_17.jpg[/img]

Go to a goodwill and ask for hipster clothes.

Wifebeater (lightly stained), jean shorts, toe sandals with socks, and some of those temporary tattoos.

I would think, clean jeans and a polo

As long as the jeans are dark and you're wearing a shirt and shoes (no sneakers/boots) you'll be fine.

Try dressing like http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/54/Freddie.gif

Just don't dress like you're going to case the joint. Black jeans and a shirt will likely do you just fine.


I'd take her to a bar, chill out in a corner and drink beer and tequilla. Or just tell her it's smart casual.

Jeans and a Polo are all you will need to look Smart yet Casual.

Not a fan of the bar date. Meeting at a bar always feels like you're just trying to pick someone up. Lunch at a nice restaurant and then walking around the art museum talking sounds like a nicer way to get to know someone and have some fun.

Not to a punk

Well she's like an artist. I just say punk because there's a picture of her with a lip and nose piercing wearing mirrored sunglasses...lol.

Well that's hardly convincing If she's into art, then the gallery sounds like a logical place.

I still think there's nothing better than chilling out in a bar on reggae night though

I suggest you cancel the lunch reservations and find another location that suits your currently-available wardrobe.

Seriously.

You'll impose enough stress on yourself by jumping back in the dating pool. No need to chill the waters with a dress code worry.
And you should avoid suggesting how your date dresses for the day. Perhaps, if she's a local, you could mention your reservations about the...erm... reservations.
She may prefer other spots you've yet to discover. The two of you may find comfort in both being averse to such an arbitrary stipulation.

Instant thing-in-common and pre date brownie points.
Best of luck and I hope that helps.

Smart Casual to me suggests suit trousers, a shirt (nice, proper, collared buttoned shirt) and a tie. A suit jacket would be optional.

You'd think so, though I'm reminded of the time a coworker and myself were staying in a hotel on a business course. We were wearing jeans but reasonably smart nonetheless, which was okay as far as the business side of things was concerned, but the hotel refused to let us use the restaurant because of its "no jeans" clause. It wouldn't have been so bad if the hotel wasn't exactly one of the better ones I'd stayed in. Sigh.