So, your New York life has finally slowed down enough for you to squeeze in a date with the person that you met on some dating site (or your friend of a friend that thinks you will totally hit off with their co-worker) and you are starting to get excited because your correspondence have been witty and seemingly flirtatious. Then it hits like an MTA bus, you have absolutely no idea what you are going to wear! You are trying not to freak out but can’t seem to find any peace about the situation. Well I’m here to save you from the four pitfalls that most of us have fallen prey to because no one thought to tell us any better.

1. Don’t Wear a Costume
Too often we let people convince us to not show too much of who we are in order to get a second date. This is rubbish! Although you may have learned to down play it and wear taupe slacks and cardigans to work, this is a potential mate we are going to dinner with and they deserve to meet you, not your representative. If you are the princess of darkness, wear your all black everything and show your tattoos! If your date can’t dig who you really are, be grateful for the meal and keep it pushing!

2. Don’t Go Out and Buy Something New
It would be a horrible waste to go out and spend money that you could use on something else for someone that might plain and simply SUCK! Wear something that you already own that you know always looks good on you. This leads me to 3 and 4.

3. Don’t Try a New Hairdo/Haircut
Now is not the time to go on YouTube to find a tutorial for a new up do. These are things that you should be doing on your down time to make sure they work. Suppose this hairdo that looks so great on your favorite youtuber looks a mess on you. You will then find yourself frustrated and have to go on your date looking like Marge Simpson when you were going for Billie Holiday. Please, take my advice and go for your classic style. It never does you wrong.

4. Don’t Wear Anything Ill Fitting
Just because it buttons, doesn’t mean it fits sugar. It only means it buttons. I completely respect that these are your favorite jeans and that a month ago when you wore them last they fit amazingly but that was several bagels and mocha frappes ago! Today they are not a good look. Politely place them back in your closet and promise yourself that you’ll start going back to the gym on Monday. Also avoid anything that is too short. You’ll tug on it all night and appear to be uncomfortable. You want your date to think that you are confident in yourself.

Now that you have a guide to choose your look for the evening, you can relax. You’ll be fine. If the date goes south, you can confidently tell yourself that it’s them, not you and go back your life as it were before. You can put all of your dating energy into getting back into your favorite jeans.

Enjoy your night out! I’m sure you’ll look fabulous!