You will sit across from about ten people in a couple of hours, five minutes each. What you wear matters less than you think and more than you would like — it is the one thing every person at the table notices before you say a word. Here is the advice we give first-timers, adjusted for a city where it is eighty degrees in November.
Dress for the room, one notch up
Our nights run in lounges, bars and restaurant rooms. Think “nice dinner in Hyde Park,” then add one deliberate thing: a jacket you take off, a good watch, shoes you actually like. Nobody has ever regretted being slightly overdressed at a speed dating night. Plenty of people have regretted the fishing shirt.
The heat is outside, the cold is inside
Tampa’s trick is that you arrive sweating and sit down freezing. Wear something breathable for the walk from the garage — linen, light cotton, nothing that shows the humidity — and carry a layer for the air conditioning. A summer afternoon storm can hit right at check-in, so leave the suede at home from June to September.
Shoes you can rotate in
Some of our nights are on brick streets in Ybor and some are in rooms where you will stand at the bar during the break. Anything you keep adjusting — a strap, heels that were fine for ten minutes, a collar that is too tight — will show on your face by date six. Comfort wins.
One detail people can ask about
A conversation starter you wear is worth more than a perfect outfit: a team, a pin from somewhere you love, a piece with a story. Five minutes goes fast; give people an easy way in.
Ready to test it out? Browse our upcoming speed dating events in Tampa or read the Speed Date Tampa FAQ first.