It’s a tricky world! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. What lands wonderfully with one person, might be a flattened balloon for another. Complimenting girls, in general, is a path full of risks. But if compliments about her outfit are sincere, timely and said to the right person in the right setting, they have the ability to make the other person feel extremely good about themselves.
You have to evaluate a few things before complimenting a girl. Is this person your girlfriend/wife, date, friend, family member, colleague or a random stranger? Does this person like to receive compliments in general? Are you sincere about your compliment or spitting out sugar-coated statements for the sake of it?
Answering these questions would make you aware of whether to proceed with your plans of complimenting the person or not. You surely wouldn’t want to come across as a creep who blurts out random comments to women on the streets. That could land you in major trouble!
Let’s break it down into categories and understand the best ways to compliment a girl about her outfit.
Complimenting your girlfriend/wife
This is the safest space for you to drop in all the compliments possible provided you don’t say anything nasty— no body-shaming or degrading comparisons with other girls allowed. If it’s a comparatively new relationship then saying things like,
“You look so fresh today.”
or
“God I don’t want to be cheesy but your style game is high up there.”
or
“I really like the way you smell. It reminds me of a particular market of flowers.”
Avoiding generic comments is your best bet in making your person feel special.
If your relationship has withstood the toughness of times and your stock of compliments runs dry then try something new and simple like searching t shirts for couple online.
When your partner looks exceptionally beautiful and seems to have taken serious efforts towards looking that way, then compliment her efforts by saying something like,
“5 years of us being together and I swear, you look finer by the day.”
or
“What is this elixir that you have secretly stored away from everyone? I would need you to gift me some.”
With your girlfriend or wife, you have the leverage of stable and/or long-term association, you know what works for them and what are their complete no-go areas. The indulgence in long sentence compliments that might backfire with other people, will work better here since your partner expects you to say meaningful things to them.
If you share humor filled relationship, then saying shayaris is also an interesting way to engage with your partner.
Complimenting your date
Resist all your urges of complimenting a girl on her body. She might be having hourglass body measurements or a body type that you have a strong preference for, but you sure wouldn’t want to be labelled a cheapskate. Always compliment a girl without letting your eyes hover anywhere below her face.
Use your words with extra care if it’s your first date and you can feel some chemistry brewing between the two of you. You don’t want to ruin the moment. Going with something simple but honest like,
“I was dying to tell you that your make-up looks killer on you.”
or
“I really like your bracelet (watch, ring, handbag etc.). It goes so well with your outfit.”
Be specific about your compliments. Girls like guys who are observant and getting into details of their looks will make them internally scream with appreciation.
Complimenting your family member
It might be your own sister who might be surprised that you even thought of complimenting her, your cousin or someone elder to you in the family whose style you genuinely admire. Be prepared because your sister would definitely get weirded out by your words. But she might come around and give you a high-five on your thoughtfulness.
“Didi, your every look is so put together. It makes me want to take grooming classes from you.”
or
“Maasi, you always manage to find brands with incredible designs and fabrics. Mind sharing some of their contacts with me?”
These compliments aren’t too loaded and since questions are embedded in them, they have the potential of turning into delightful conversations. The great thing about complimenting a family member is their heartfelt melting at hearing your compliments.
Complimenting your colleague
Now this terrain is a difficult one to traverse. Offices are spaces wherein most people arrive all dressed up, albeit in formal or casual formal clothing. There is no denying the fact that your female colleagues look stunning in some of their sleek looks.
If you share a good relationship with them beyond the office hours, then you can say nice things to them once in a while. Remember it’s a work setting and compliments should be strictly reserved for special occasions like an office celebration.
Go with something safe but not wholly generic like,
“I have never seen you in such prints. This really suits your personality.”
or
“This formal dress looks fire on you. Complete CEO feels!”
or
“I should take some fashion tips from you. You really know your style.”
At no point, you should say anything that has sexual connotations. No compliments about their bodies. Don’t even think of saying something like, “You are quite sexy.” or “Is it too hot today because of the way you look.” She might report you to the higher management or worse the grapevines would tag you as a leech.
Err on the side of caution and don’t overstep your boundaries at any point in time.
Complimenting a stranger
This has to be something like playing with fire. High possibility of you getting whacked or reported to the authorities. Don’t compliment a stranger unless that person is related to you through someone you know. Also, make sure that you two already have had an initial conversation before you go complimenting her about her outfit.
Analyse well and if things look positive then say innocent things like
“This best friend t shirt looks so quirky on you. I really like it.”
or
“This outfit looks custom-made for you. Highlighting all your features.”
If you do feel like complimenting a stranger whom you find looking sweet then the most you can do is make eye contact for a split second and look away. Don’t stare at anyone or make them uncomfortable.
The best way to compliment a girl is to mean what you say and be respectful with wording and tone. Compliments have the power of making or breaking someone’s day. All of us go through tough times and conceal it to look presentable. Be sensitive and gentle in your demeanor.
If someone compliments back,
“You look damn fine too.”
Maybe that will make your day too!
