Reading your date's body language

Being able to successfully judge whether or not your date is attracted to you and enjoying your company can be tricky. However, there are bodily clues which you can use to find out whether your date will be hoping for a goodnight kiss at the end of the night.

If your date displays a cluster of the signs below, it is likely that they're more than just a little bit interested in you...

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Positive positioning

As strange as it may sound, your date's feet will give a lot away, more specifically, the direction in which they're pointing. So if they are aimed towards you, as opposed to the exit, you can safely assume that his/her attention is focused on you.

'Open' gestures

Unfolded arms will typically indicate that your date is comfortable in your company and willing to open up to you. Similarly, upturned palms during conversation will show that your date is genuine and not closed off. However, bear in mind that your date may cross their arms, or clench their fists if they're feeling cold!

Leaning

If your date leans in towards you it's a positive sign. You shouldn't be afraid to 'mirror' this action by leaning towards them to meet them halfway. You can also subtly mirror other positive bodily cues, such as smiling and head tilting.

Smiling and laughing

This body language is pretty obvious, and provides a clear indication that your date is enjoying your company, particularly if he/she is in stitches at your repertoire of naff jokes! Smiling can be very powerful because a smile is never straightforward. If your date is attracted to you, their smiling is likely to become coy and playful rather than merely friendly and welcoming.

Raised shoulders

Raised shoulders typically accompany the leaning posture, and exhibit interest and attraction. In everyday interactions, women commonly raise their shoulders as a reaction to something which is cute or charming. So guys, if she does it when you're around, it can only be a good thing.

Head tilting

Head tilting is a great way of telling whether or not you're captured your date's interest. If your date tilts their head to the side this will be a positive indicator of attentiveness. However, if your date's head is pointing downwards or turning to allow them to look around the room, it's likely that your conversation is boring!

Posture

When flirting, men and women will naturally adopt a posture which accentuates their masculinity/femininity. Men tend to stand tall with their chest forward, while women subconsciously adopt a pose which shows off their feminine features such as their hips or chest.

Playing

Women will often play with something, such as their jewellery, their hair or their wine glass when they're attracted to a man. However, guys, be careful not to confuse this with fidgeting which is a sign of boredom! Positive playing will be slow and hypnotic, whereas fidgeting will be fretful and annoying.

Excuse touching

During your date, if the person you are with is enjoying your company, he/she will casually touch you to test the water. For example, he/she may touch your wrist during conversation, or touch your hand 'accidentally' when you both reach for the menu, and so on. You might like to try this 'excuse' touching yourself if you're attracted to someone but feel unsure of how they feel about you. If they don't pull away from your touch, and initiate similar 'excuse' touching, it's looking good!

The gaze

When we see a possible dating opportunity, we tend to 'eye-up' the person concerned. This involves casting our eyes over the other person's eyes, then looking at their lips, then down towards their body, and back up to meet their gaze. This is likely to be a rapid process, but if you catch your date checking you out on more than one occasion, it's more than likely they're enjoying the view!

Prolonged eye contact

If your date is making frequent and prolonged eye contact, it is a positive sign of their attraction to you. Your date's pupils are also likely to dilate if they're feeling the love. Watch out for whether your date uses the flirtatious 'come to bed look' where the head is tilted downwards and the eyes are looking up towards you, as another positive indication of attraction.

Lip gazing/biting

You may notice your date looking at your lips on several occasions, particularly if they're hoping for a kiss! Women will sometimes subconsciously bite their lip while flirting with a man as a sign of attraction.

Breathing patterns

When your date is really feeling the sparks fly as the attraction intensifies, their breathing will become slower and heavier. This happens during the lust phase, and is more likely to occur further into the relationship as opposed to on the first date, unless the initial sexual chemistry is explosive!

Ready to kiss?

Knowing whether or not someone would like to be kissed is often tricky. If you've noticed your date displaying a fair amount of the bodily cues above, particularly the excuse touching behaviour, they could well be hoping for a kiss. So, if your date is standing close to you (closer than a friend/family member would usually stand), gazing into your eyes and looking at your lips a lot, has their lips are parted, and seems to be lingering a while, it's likely that they're after your killer kiss.