This happens the most at parties. The girls talk to my friends who are equally inexperienced with girls. They talk to all my friends, but leave me singled out. If I ask a question, they give a very simple cold reply. If my friends ask it, then the girls extend the conversation. The girls purposely face away from me the whole time, and avoid any eye contact. Then they walk away and keep glancing at me from where they are seated. If,for an example, I walk to the bathroom, then the whole group of girls will readjust their body position simultaneously. I'll make eye contact with all of them as I step out of the bathroom. Wtf. It happens so much that I don't know what to do, at least at parties. In dance clubs, there is a MUCH greater variety of responses.

Stop focusing so much on the preening, use it as a good indicator to approach if a girl is checking you out, but understand women are likely going to be just as shy/uncomfortable/anxious about talking to a stranger as you are about breaking the ice with one. So work on getting smoother, take pressure off them initially so it isn't so weird, let them know why you are talking to them and that you won't be taking too much of their time and give a smile to try to make them feel good. Help them relax and start getting to the point.