Whether you’re newly single, or just interested in fresh tips, you’re probably interested to hear some advice about how to flirt in your 50s. It’s not the same as when you were in your youth. Back then, silly lines and suggestive clothing were a way to get an interest to go out with you.
Instead, now you must be a little more inventive with how you woo a man or woman. The rules are different, as well as the times. These flirting tips will help fill up that date book.
Flirt, But Not Too Much
Yes, you like that person sitting on the other side of the room. You want to make a move. What’s the move, though? There are many options, but all of them are subtle. For instance, that tried and true line you used to lay on thick isn’t going to cut it, and now you’ll look ridiculous if you show a little cleavage, so you need to do things a little more creatively. For instance, tuck in your shirt to show off your figure, or, now here’s a crazy one, simply approach the person and say that you noticed them and you wanted to say hello. Direct, yes, but it’s not corny or sleazy, and it’s age appropriate. So leave the cheap tricks at home and just be real.
Be Polite
This should go for everyday life, of course, but making a point to be polite is a wonderful flirting mechanism. When you give direct care for another person, it’s a sure way to let them know you’re interested. Their acceptance of your manners, or their own returned polite gestures reciprocate the interest. At a party, fill your companion’s water glass before your own, open the door for them, touch an elbow and genuinely thank a person. These little gestures are not only flirtatious, they can be more titillating than overt, crass endeavors.
Use What’s Available
Observe the person’s surroundings. If a person is sitting at a table next to you reading a book, ask about their book, or if they drop something, pick it up for them and say hello. You can even use the environment – a sports game on television, or a long line that doesn’t move at the bank, are good examples. The idea is to find a natural way to open up conversation. That means you need to be willing to talk to people everywhere you go, so tuck away that shyness and get chatty.
Get Physical
Not that physical (yet, anyway) – but use your body and theirs to entice flirtation. There are a number of ways to do this. First, a good way to invite conversation is to catch a person’s eye, then break the glance, return the gaze again, only this time with a smile. This is a subtle but known move, and usually the person will get a little closer. Also, mimicry has its place in the dating arena. Displaying the same body language as your love interest denotes a feeling of being in sync. The same goes for the words your interest chooses. People tend to communicate with one predominant sensory method – visual, auditory, or kinesthetic, called VAT. So, once you get to talking, note which sense that person favors. Sentences that begin with “I feel,” or “I see,” for example, prompt a polite, subtle touch on the hand, or a locking of the eyes.
Don’t Get Physical
Sometimes what we don’t get can be more alluring that what we do receive. In the game of love, this is certainly the case. Think hard to get. In flirting, little things that are almost physical tend to be more enticing than actual touching. This is great for a date. Touching your date’s hair for a moment, or hanging her purse are good examples. If you’re a fan of the television show The Crown, or if you know your royal history, the big uproar about Princess Margaret’s affair all came from her simply picking a piece of lint off her secret lover’s coat. Acts of intimacy are often not sexual at all.
Have Fun
The beauty of flirting in your 50s is that the pressures are gone. There’s no goal except to have a good time, maybe settle down, if you’d like, but the biological clock has completed its course, freeing daters from the pressures of getting married and having children. So have fun with it, more than likely you’ll enjoy the endeavor more now than you did in your youth.
