Flirting at Prom

Prom is a great place to flirt, whether you go with a date, or go stag (or doe!)  Everyone is excited and looking their best and will likely be more receptive to flirtation.  Prom is supposed to be one of the most fun nights of your life thus far, and what is more fun than flirting?

Whether you are going alone or with a date, make sure you look your best.  Shower, brush your teeth, and wash your face.  Make sure your hair is done.  Even ladies who don’t usually wear makeup might want to try some mascara to draw attention to their eyes and a dab of lip gloss.  Pick a dress that makes you feel gorgeous and suits your build.  Gentlemen should wear a tuxedo or suit (if it’s less formal).  Be sure to find out what people usually wear if you’re worried about over- or under-dressing.  Wear deodorant!  When you feel good about yourself it shows and other people will find you more attractive. 

If you bring a date, they should be the focus of your flirtation.  Make them glad that they went with you.  Do not flirt with other peoples’ dates.  Your flirting should actually start before the prom.  Involve them in your dress/tux selection if they show any interest.  You want an outfit that will keep their eyes on you all night long.  Text them beforehand to say that you’re excited for prom and that you’re glad they’re your date.  Girls, when he is around, pretend not to notice and tell your friends that you’re looking forward to going with him.

Once you meet up, make sure to make lots of eye contact and smile.  This will show that you’re interested in them.  Make sure to compliment their outfit and appearance at least once to show you appreciate their efforts, but don’t overdo it.  You might come across as fawning and make your date feel overwhelmed.  Tease, laugh with, and laugh at your date (good-naturedly, of course!).  If you think they’re funny or have a great sense of humour, tell them so!  People like to know that others think they’re funny.  Be attentive to them, especially when they’re talking. 

What you do with your body is just as important as what you say.  When they’re speaking to you, lean in close to them.  Ladies, play with your hair once in a while.  If you’re sitting down, cross your legs and twirl your top foot in lazy circles at the ankle.  Let your shoe dangle from your foot, if possible.  Touch your lips occasionally, or apply lip gloss.  These things all draw his attention to these parts of your body and might make him think about how attractive they are and what it might be like to touch them.  If you are comfortable with it, try engaging in some public displays of affection. Hold hands.  Gentlemen, put your arm around her.  Ladies, if you wish he’d make a move, try looking at his lips, his neck, and then his eyes again.  This should give him the hint that you’d like him to kiss you.

If you don’t have a date, don’t feel bad.  You can have lots of fun flirting and dancing with whoever you like, as long as it’s not someone else’s date.  If someone catches your eye, how you approach them depends on how well you know them.  If it’s appropriate, go hug them hello.  If you don’t really know them, try making eye contact, smiling, looking away, and then repeating.  If they smile back, say hello.  Ask them a question about the dinner or their outfit to see if they wants to talk to you.  Asking a few questions about their interests sets you apart as someone who is actually interested in getting to know them. 

Whether you are good friends or if you’ve just met, here are some ideas to try.  Be attentive to the person you’re speaking to.  Show you’re interested in them and in what they have to say.  Compliment them at least once on their appearance, but don’t dwell on it or you may make them feel uncomfortable.  Laugh at their jokes.  If you see something funny, make a joke about it and tell it to them in a low voice.  This will make them feel like you are “partners in crime”, and, if you don’t know each other very well, it can make them feel closer to you.  If you think they have a good sense of humour, say so.  Balance out the compliments with a bit of good-natured teasing.  Don’t tease them about anything that might make them uncomfortable or make you seem mean-spirited.

On a physical note, lean closer when they’re talking to you. Try lightly touching their hand or arm while you’re talking and see if they move closer to you or further away.  When people are attracted to one another, they sometimes unintentionally mirror one another’s movements.  You can replicate this, but make sure it’s subtle or else it can look like you’re playing some sort of childish “copy cat” game.  Play with your hair a bit and you may get the other person wondering what it would feel like to touch your hair as well.  Ladies, if you’re looking to seal the deal, try looking at his lips, his neck, and then his face again and he should get the idea that you’d like to be kissed.

In the end, prom is about celebrating your high school achievements and your movement forward into your adult life.  It’s meant to be fun, so you should do whatever you think will make it fun, whether or not that involves, dates, dressing up, flirting, or going to after parties.  As long as you had a good time at prom, it was a success.