The theme of profile photos has been beaten to death on this site and dating blogs, but I would like to write a short note about it once again.
If every guy had a nice photo in his profile, the job of matchmaking would have been 90% solved. However, it appears that men don’t seek easy paths, so they use anything but.
A proverbial Slavic woman cares more about the man’s heart than his looks, which is true to some extent, if by looks you consider genetically determined features.
However, Russian and Ukrainian women still care about the way you look, if not your physical appearance to such a degree.
I am talking about dressing nice for your photos.
Guys, look at the pictures in your Gallery.
Is there one where you are smiling and have a light-colored collared shirt on?
- If yes, feature it as your primary photo.
- If not, find a shirt in your closet (iron it), and ask a friend to take 10-15 shots, and upload the best picture to the site, make it your main.
The way you dress for your profile photo tells women about your attitude to the process and your future relationship.
How hard is that?
- Smile
- Light-colored (preferably white) wrinkle-free collared shirt
- Clean background (or a nice natural scenery)
This would make for the best photo for your profile on a dating site, period.
If you really would like to meet someone nice, get this photo.
It will save you countless rejections and will attract cute, lovely women to your online listing. There is no need for a tie. Just a shirt and the best version of a cleanly-looking, happy you.
Video: How The Way You Are Dressed Changes People’s Opinion of You (And Your Life, Too)
Which look would make for a better profile photo? (It’s the same guy just hours later.)
Are you one of these guys who refuse to get a nice picture for your profile (and insist they will not dress up for a real-life visit to a woman)?
This is something that might change your mind.
If you still believe “the way I look should not matter”, this is a must see.
(Especially for single guys, who want a relationship.)
A homeless man is turning from a slob into a hot shot in front of your eyes — see what happens at the end!
- No woman would answer the first guy (except for scammers)
- Every woman would be happy to respond to the second guy (assuming he met her other requirements)
Don’t undermine your own success. If you decided to look in another country for your potential match, don’t ruin your chances with an arrogant attitude “she should accept me as I am every day”.
I am pretty sure you dress up for job interviews, weddings, and funerals. Be respectful.
Read also:
- Old photos in profiles on dating sites — Is it OK?
- Photos in bathroom mirrors are ugly — Period
- How Slavic women view men’s profiles on dating sites — Research
- How to skyrocket your popularity with women
As a member of this site, I try to have good pictures, but not too good. Too many people – both men and women – have unrealistic photos, with the brightness saturating the picture or at weird angles or somehow a misrepresentation. I messaged one woman (not on this site) who looked gorgeous. Then, I spoke with her via webcam, and she looked like a completely different person. It was still the same woman, but without makeup. She was much less attractive without her staged photos. I felt irritated and lied to. I have noticed some women post photos of… Read more »
Skip, Maybe, it’s time to update your dating logic? How has it been working for you so far? 😉 Are you going to wear an unironed T-shirt and shorts for your wedding – and be grumpy on the day? If not, get a nice pic for your profile, or you won’t have the need to even worry about a potential ceremony of saying “I do”. We do dress up for some events: Weddings, funerals, job interviews. It’s not being dishonest, it’s being respectful. And we all don’t look like guys from GQ and girls from Cosmopolitan at home. If you… Read more »
Hi Elena, I think there has been a misunderstanding. I was not trying to make excuses for myself to not look good. Personally, I am smiling in my pictures, and I am wearing a dress shirt and a tie. I am flying to Ukraine in five days and plan on dressing well – business casual. Rather, I was worried about women getting a man who isn’t what he appears to be, just like I have spoken with women who aren’t what they appear to be. But you’re right that men don’t wear a suit and tie while at home –… Read more »
Skip,
You are right, casual pictures in profiles are important, no doubt.
but so are some “nice” ones.
Skip
“She was much less attractive without her staged photos. I felt irritated and lied to.”
Do you like women who look like a picture from a magazine? But you do not want to look like a picture from a magazine. You will have a lot of lies and irritation.
Hi Elena,
It’s true that one needs to look their best with decent clothes with good taste. As like attracts like. : )
Just a quick question? On this video transformation, the man’s hair was dyed to his natural color. Should men dye their hair? Even if they may have short cropped hair or maybe they are bald on top and only have hair around the sides and back.
Jim,
It depends.
Maybe ask your hair stylist when getting a hair cut?
If a man wants to be absolutely honest when dating with a woman he shouldn’t exaggerate. We women will try to access you, men, as you are in real life. But please show us with the help of your good-looking photos that you can be better. But don’t lie.
It’s really important to like yourself just the way you are. But when it comes to profile photos it’s quite understandable that women want to look their best. Cause let’s be honest we all judge by appearance and we all can immediately tell whether we find a person in front of us attractive and sexy or not. With the help of make up and pretty clothes women fight for a chance to catch someone’s eye. Don’t be hard on them for that. And if you’re interested you have all time in the world to engage in conversation and find out… Read more »
Even with no picture I have had a few messages. I just have not decided if this is the route I want to go yet, but I think with the great responses from beautiful, educated and pleasant women I would be a fool not to!
Great article Elena! But i would love to know more about what type of photos to use on EM. What about color vs black and white pics? Smiling with teeth vs just with your lips? (Especially when your teeth aren’t perfect) Also for secondary pictures is a pic at the beach OK? I think it would be cool for the girl to know in advance whether the guy has abs or love handles, or do you think it’s sleazy?
Anton, It depends on the girl. Older women will see an abs pic as sleazy, younger girls will think it’s cool. Also on the upbringing: if she is tight, then she may see it as too much. If she loves her body, works out, and maybe has tattoos, she would love to see her match, wouldn’t she? A beach is a great environment to make an abs pic, especially taken by someone else – vice versa, your bathroom is a horrible place to take a semi-nude picture in a mirror. A selfie on top of the mountain is cool, and… Read more »
Thanks for such quick reply Elena! It’s always nice to see the site owner taking the time to respond herself. Well i don’t have any tattoos myself and while i work out I don’t have very visible abs and I consider myself a “classy” kind of guy. I am also only in my late twenties. My best friend thinks I should use the picture but she is italian so… If I am targetting the 18-26 age range, no tattoos, classic girls (if that makes sense?) should i use it? I thought maybe as one of the last pictures, maybe together… Read more »
How tall you are is written in your profile 🙂
If in doubt, dress in a singlet and shorts (your workout gear) and take a pic doing weights in a gym. Never hurts to err on the conservative side.
Oh right, of course it is! I must have left my brain at the library! 🙂
Thanks Elena!
Yeah, the video and the picture made me laugh, because this is so true! We all say that appearance does’t really matter, but unconsciously somehow we still pay attention to the person’s look. This is kind of sad, because we sometimes have to spend our energy and time for making us looking and being not that individual, who we are in real life. I mean, all these pictures they are about just making an image, making an impression. But if the guy really wants to find a girl for relationship he will take the advice and it will be wise,… Read more »
I’ve met my second half on the dating site and I can surely say that profile photo is really very important. It’s the first thing people pay attention to. Will be nice to have more than one photo in your profile. It can be casual or professional photos but no photos with friends or your ex, please. As for the first case, people are a bit lazy by nature to search you on the photo around other unknown people and they faster go to another profile. The second case just kill the desire to write you even if you cut… Read more »
I consider that the photo in profile has to be realistic. It’s not nesessary to edit photo too much! But it must be the best photo, of cause. Another thing is that the man has to try to look in real life so that not to cause disgust in girls. It isn’ t obligatory to be handsome, but it’s obligatory not to be a monster:)
I guess it’s always bad to glamorise your profile picture. Almost everytime I meet someone for the first time after seeing his profile in social networks it’s hard to recognize the person from the crowd. I mean why would you make your photos look so beautiful in the internet without trying to become this good in real life? No doubt that the first impression is based on the pictures you have but it’s always good to remember that disappointment after meeting in real life is not a key to success.