I will address the HSW+ K issues and other impt matters over the week-end, for some comic relief we have this report fr. HBS’s own dating guru, Rachel Greenwald, who seems to have fallen into Sequel-itis.  Her first book, FINDING A HUSBAND AFTER 35 USING WHAT I LEARNED AT HBS WAS  niche-y and timely,  follow up, WHY HE DIDN’T CALL YOU BACK  is catch-up ( viz. He’s not into you et al) and judging fr. this interview about Meltdown Dating, blather. Her Nostrums about dating in hard times notwithstanding, to wit, good looks are out, as is glam accessories,  my guess is, not too many guys neglect to CALL BROOKE WAGNER, the aerosol bombshell TV interveiwer photo’d below,  back. Or front.  

Recession Changes The Rules Of Dating

Looks, Luxury Are Taking A Backseat To Love

Written By Brooke Wagner

Reporting
Brooke Wagner

DENVER (CBS4) ?

Click to enlarge

CBS4

Harvard Business School may not seem like an obvious training ground for matchmaking, but it worked for Denver’s Rachel Greenwald, author of Find a Husband After 35: Using What I learned at Harvard Business School and the just-released book, Why He Didn’t Call You Back.

Her business background gave her a unique perspective on how the recession impacts dating.

“I’ve been doing this research with single men for 10 years, and I can tell you that the mood of dating has really changed,” said Greenwald.

For starters, Greenwald found that the most desirable qualities in a date have changed drastically. She said looks are not as high on the list as they used to be.

“You’re going to find out if the person you may end up spending the rest of your life with is good in adversity and has humility and can rebound and have a positive attitude,” said Greenwald. “It’s nice people are really getting to know each other for who they are deep down, instead of what’s on the surface.”

That translates into “recession proofing” your online profile, too.

“Say, ‘I’m looking for a guy who has a kind heart’ instead of ‘I’m looking for a guy who’s financially stable,’” said Greenwald. “Talk about something that portrays you as a woman of substance. Tthat’s what the focus is these days — everyone wants substance instead of sizzle.”

Date-appropriate conversation also has changed with the times.

“One of the most popular questions in dating is, ‘What do you do?’ and you can’t ask that anymore because he may not do it anymore,” said Greenwald. “One out of 11 people is unemployed these days, so he’s not a loser if he doesn’t have a job anymore.”

The next time you dress for a date, Greenwald said you should consider the definition of “tasteful” has become more conservative in the recession.

“Tone down your accessories. Don’t wear those diamond stud earrings or carry bags with fancy labels like Gucci or Prada anymore – it’s just considered tacky,” said Greenwald.

When it comes to choosing a location, Greenwald said where we live makes scheduling a date easy.

“It’s very imortant to suggest low-key date ideas, if a man calls and asks you out, don’t suggest dinner, suggest a picnic or a hike. Living in Colorado, it’s a beautiful place to have an outdoor date. Even suggest renting a DVD from the library,” said Greenwald, “The girl who is just as comfortable going bowling or going on a bike ride is going to be very popular these days.”

Then, there’s the biggest recession dating question of all: Who should pay?

Greenwald says 84 percent of men want to pay for the first date.

“But they want to feel that the woman doesn’t expect it,” she says. ”He just wants to feel appreciated, so when the check comes, grab for your purse and chances are, he’s not going to let you pay.

“Maybe you can pay the valet parking or for ice cream or a drink later,” said Greenwald, “Chivalry is not dead, even in these economic times. That’s the good news.”

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

This entry was posted on Friday, April 24th, 2009 at 3:20 pm and is filed under Hall of Fame. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.