1. Dress for the occasion. Base the formality of your attire on where you’ll be going. For an upscale dinner, wear a skirt, dress or nice slacks with a cute blouse. If you are going to a casual movie, wear a nice pair of jeans and a slightly dressier shirt than you usually would. Remember: you want your outfit to hit about the same level of formality as what your date will be wearing.

2. Make sure whatever you wear is freshly laundered. Covering dirty clothes with perfume or anti-odor spray might be fine in a pinch, but the purpose of a date is being near someone and getting to know them. It’s better not to risk coming off as unclean.
3. Don’t forget about shoes. If you are dressing up a bit, you might want to put on a pair of heels or cute flats. If the date is more casual, consider a pair of boots or sneakers. Fresh laces and a damp paper towel can make your everyday sneakers more date-worthy.
4. Flatter your best features. Knowing you’re dressed in a way that puts your best look forward will help you feel confident on your date.
5. Pay attention to fit. Too tight looks odd, and too baggy looks sloppy and like you don’t care about the date. Aim for a happy medium that’s just right for your body type. Make sure your pants or skirt fit well around the waist – you should be able to put three fingers comfortably in the waistband, but not much more – and that the hems for full-length jeans or slacks hit around the bottom of your ankles. Shirts should cover your waist without falling past your b*tt; the neckline should be an appropriate cut and one you’ll feel comfortable in, without constantly pulling it up. If your clothing fits poorly, consider finding a local tailor or seamstress. Most will do basic alterations for a fairly low fee.
6. Find colors that work for you. When you are picking out an outfit, choose shades that flatter your natural coloring. To highlight blue or green eyes, try cool, dark colors such as violet or deep blue. To highlight brown or hazel eyes, try warm, light colors such as coral or off-white. If you’re worried about how your skin looks, use the color of your shirt to downplay it by avoiding bright reds or whites – these colors will draw more attention to red spots.
7. Highlight your body shape. You can use colors to flatter and set off your build without compromising fit. For instance, if you are pear-shaped and have larger hips and legs but a slim waist and fit arms, wear a dark color on bottom and a light color on top. Dark colors conceal, so wear something darker on an area if you’re self-conscious about it. Light colors highlight – use them to play up your favorite part of your figure.
8. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Since most of us don’t spend hours in front of a mirror every day, it can be hard to know what looks good on yourself. Ask a friend whose taste you admire to help you select a good look – he or she might have already noticed you look better in certain articles of clothing. If you are going shopping, ask a friendly salesperson for assistance. Most of them love helping people choose flattering clothing, and they have plenty of practice doing it.
9. Clean up. Pay a little more attention to your hygiene than usual for a first date. Looking clean and appealing will help you feel confident, as well as making you more enticing to your date.
10. Shower directly before you get dressed. Moisturize with a scented lotion afterward.
11. Pluck stray facial hairs. You don’t have to go all-out on an eyebrow manicure, but do have some tweezers handy to get rid of pre-unibrow hairs over your nose. Don’t pluck any farther in than above the inner corners of your eyes. Be on alert for chin or lip hairs.
12. Brush and floss. After you havve brushed your teeth, put the toothbrush on your tongue and gently scrape it. Then floss around every tooth. This is especially important if you have braces – you don’t want your date noticing any food stuck in your mouth when you first show up. Finish with mouthwash.
13. Trim your nails. You can cut them almost down to the quick (where the white part stops) or keep them slightly longer. If you have time, give yourself a small manicure with a fresh coat of nail polish and some lotion.
14. Apply make-up. You can wear a little or a lot, depending on your personal style. A good idea for a date is to choose lips or eyes – go dramatic on one, but not both. Avoid wearing anything too heavy. You want to look like a glowing version of your usual self.
15. Style your hair. If you want to do a new hairstyle, test drive it the night before to make sure you can pull it off. Otherwise, go with one of your usual hairstyles. Amp it up a bit by adding a cute headband or clip, or by adding a little more volume than normal.
16. Put on perfume or body spray. It’s better to put on too little than too much. For perfume, 2 pumps should be sufficient; for body spray, no more than 3. You want to smell nice, but not overwhelming. Keep in mind that your nose will get used to the scent and eventually stop telling your brain about it. Just because you can’t smell anymore doesn’t mean your date can’t.
17. Finish up your outfit. After putting on any accessories, step back from the mirror and take one item away. Remember, your date wants to see you, not your thirty cocktail rings and blinding gold earrings. If you are going in the evening or during cold weather, take a jacket. Grab your wallet or purse, lip balm, mints and anything else you might need to have.
So, ladies…. Go rock that date looking beautiful, you are sure to get subsequent ones from him. And who knows? You could end up to be his “Miss Right”……
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