The Style Girlfriend Guide to: Meeting Girls at Bars

Megan says: It’s Wednesday! That means Intern Gabi is here to teach college guys – and guys in need of some continuing education – what co-ed ladies are looking for in a stylish man.

“I met this great girl at the bar last night…”

…but HOW did you get her?

I know that (when you’re not Ryan Gosling) it can be hard to meet girls. And even if you are some modern-day Adonis it can still be difficult; Maybe you’re shy, or you don’t want to be shot down for being “not their type.” But you have something to offer, and – if you can find the right angle – you can make it work.

In college, the bars are the watering hole where pretty much EVERYONE goes to have fun, relax, and live up the best years of their lives. Lots of my closest friends met their current significant others at bars, and I’m sure the same thing will happen in the future. But how do you A) find a girl that is as stylish and engaging as you are, and B) interested in you?

Follow these tips (FROM A GIRL) on how to get Miss Right at the bar:

1) Dress Appropriately

If you’re going somewhere that you’ve never been to before, don’t be afraid to ask what other people are wearing. If you and your friends are going to a cocktail bar and they are all wearing blazers, it wouldn’t hurt to follow their lead.

Dressing properly will at the very least keep you from feeling out of place and at the most get the girls to come to you! I know I’ve gone up to guys and asked where they got a piece of clothing they’re wearing, and I’m sure other girls have done the same.

2) Find Your Environment

Maybe you ARE John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, in which case you should definitely stick to the club circuit and find a girl who can keep up. If you like to follow around the local band, introduce yourself to that girl that you see at all of their shows!

Or maybe you’re more reserved but know a lot of fun facts, in which case you should try out some bar trivia games, like Quizzo. Go with a friend or two instead of a big group, and sit so you aren’t closed off to the room. I went with my boyfriend once and we thought it would be just us two until the second half . Instead, two girls asked if they could join our table, we said yes, and we spent the whole night having fun getting to know each other even though we didn’t win. Find your niche, and stick to it. A place that you like should have people that you like.

A slip from bar trivia I played when I visited Madison: We didn’t win, but we had a blast.

3) Bring a Wing-Man AND a GalPal

A girl knows what another girl wants. We have a secret language that you guys can’t speak. A guy can tell you a girl is into you, and that might make you be more inclined to make a move, but a girl can give you a more accurate perspective. She can also throw in a good word for you. If you’re interested in a girl you see but don’t want to make the first move, your GalPal can be the bait. Think about it: GalPal approaches first, engages in a familiar, non-intimidating conversation; compliments her shoes, asks where she got them, tells her a life story and then she can invite her over to take a shot with you. Now you have to make your first impression. GalPal can gauge her interest, try to increase it by building you up, but you are responsible for final verdict. Just be yourself; don’t try to be ‘cool’ or you’ll totally come off as Seth (Jonah Hill in all his smarmy glory) in Superbad. Evan (the nerdy but adorable Michael Cera) is himself and the chick he’s after is all about him, even though he threw up on her bed.

Be Evan: Be Yourself! {hotflick.net}

4) Don’t Be Creepy

You may think you have all the moves. You see this girl from across the bar, and she gives you ‘the nod.’ So what do you do? What DON’T you do? THE LAST thing you want to be called is “creepy“. So how do you avoid that? I’ll tell you, and none of you can ever say “I didn’t know that was creepy,” again. Ready? Here goes:

Guys, you cannot just start grinding up on a girl on the dance floor.

It’s so disgustingly primal to just approach from the back. Dance in front of her WHERE SHE CAN SEE YOU. You can make a fool of yourself, and if she laughs with you and doesn’t avoid making eye contact, then you can dance a little closer. Don’t try to force eye contact by staring; just accept that she isn’t interested and move onto her friend who is probably just as cute and will be more your type in the long run anyway.

Don’t be this guy. Or any of these other guys.

Tell Me:

Have you met any ‘bring home to mom’s’ at bars? If so, how did you do it?