Guys show us their best poses for Tinder profile photos
LONDON -- Online dating is a dog-eat-dog world. And, when the competition is this tough, the strength of your profile photo is more important than ever before.
Your mirror selfies and those shots of you and your mates on holiday aren't gonna do you any favours in finding a match. That said, it's not all that easy selecting an alluring photo that shows off your personality and good looks.
Do you show off your fun side, or should you try to be enigmatic? Should you show off your chiseled features or simply smile for the camera?
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We took to the streets of London during men's fashion week to find out how guys like to pose in their online dating profile photos.
Have a mix of selfies and group shots
"I always have two selfies and two group shots with friends. It's not as vain as having all selfies. You have to prove that you have friends." -- Jahale Jureidini, model scout.
Shoot from the waist up
"I always take photos from the waist upwards." -- Matthew Regan, writer.
Get the jawline out
"Just get that jawline out." -- Dan Watts, model.
Avoid vulgar photos
"A strong and not too vulgar photo is best." -- Léo Ramin, model.
When in doubt, don't pose
"I dunno how to pose. Not a clue." -- Tom Betts, art director.
Keep it simple
"Just keep it simple." -- Ruki, photographer.
'You gotta have the sauce'
"You gotta look to impress ladies with the moves. You gotta have the flavour. You can't just stand there and smile. People will be like 'this guy looks like a robot, fuck that guy.' As Gucci Mane says, "Sauce. You gotta have sauce." You can have too much sauce though, you can get lost in the sauce." -- James Gunner-Beattie, model.
Be relaxed
"I felt like it's best to portray yourself in the best way possible. Just kind of relaxed." -- Fortune Lago.
Keep it casual
"I'd go for a casual pose. I wouldn't wanna do anything too poncey. I just try and look relaxed and myself." -- Bradley Snowdon, menswear designer at ASOS.
Try to look cool
"Try to look casual. We just want to look cool." -- Will Samways, Lannan Gallagher, Jacob Maccalindon, models.
Show the real you
"Cause people should see me just as I am." -- Hamet, student
Don't try too hard
"I just want to look natural. Like I'm not trying too hard." -- Simon Leslie, photographer.
Give yourself an air of mystery
"Show disinterest. Give yourself a vague air of mystery. You want to leave a cliffhanger. When you're not too obvious, there's something left for the imagination." -- Robert John Railton, artist.
Do your 'daily pose'
"It's just my daily pose." -- Sean Aziz, fashion stylist.
Don't smile
"Oh Christ. That's just my normal face. I smile internally not externally." -- Harry J. Bartlett, blogger.
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Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.
A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.
Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
