Latest update:27 December 2025, 6:00 PM IST

The woman explained that before the date, the man asked her to dress casually, and she arrived wearing sweatpants, sneakers, and no makeup.

The man had chosen one of the upscale restaurants and was wearing formal clothes. (representational image)

An Oregon woman is getting attention online after she trusted her instincts and walked away from a first date the moment she felt something off. Rachel Anderson shared her story on TikTok, where her video went viral. She explained that before the date, the man asked her to wear casual clothes, as if she were at home. Taking him at his word, she arrived wearing sweatpants, sneakers, and no makeup. What shocked her was the location.

The man had chosen an upscale restaurant and was wearing formal clothes, making her feel out of place. The moment she realized this, she turned and left without sitting down. Rachel said the situation seemed planned and made her uncomfortable, as if the goal was to make her feel small or embarrassed.

Woman walking out of first date

According to News.com.au, Rachel Anderson explained: “I just left a first date that I was really looking forward to and less than two minutes, because I was told that wearing something comfortable was a surprise. He said, ‘Act like it’s a lounge day at home.’ So I put on some sweatpants and an NBC T-shirt, some tennis shoes, my hair in a bun, no jewelry, nothing. Why is this guy leading me to a fancy restaurant? I turned around and walked out.”

“Once you meet me, you want to level the playing field by humiliating me and/or embarrassing me by bringing me somewhere where you know I’m dressed inappropriately? Absolutely not. So I went to get myself some takeaway and sat in the car. I would try to figure out why I was messaging him, I would say, ‘How can you embarrass me like that?'” Now, you’ve been blocked instantly, and you’ve shown me who you are. You don’t have to show me twice. “You’ll never get the chance to try to humiliate me again,” the woman added.

Expert explains the red flag

Psychology expert Roxy Zarabi, PhD in Psychology. A Psychology Today article explained that dating warning signs often show up in small ways at first. This can include trying to control a situation, not respecting boundaries, or making someone feel embarrassed and then calling it a joke. Such behavior is often used to find out a person’s tolerance. The expert also added that people who laugh at embarrassment or blame their exes instead of controlling their actions usually avoid taking responsibility.