So you finally made it. You got a date with a woman who doesn’t spend her spare time in the bottom of a Wine bottle or shout “Wooooooo!!” when one of her friends arrives.  You’re on your way to being a big boy now.

However now is the time to take  hard look at your wardrobe. While most guys have a go-to date outfit, she’s not the type who’ll stick around a guy who always dresses like the homeless. And I’m not even mentioning backwards baseball caps and cargo shorts at dinner. Plus you can add pleated khaki pants and anything by Ed Hardy to the list.

Problem is, we don’t usually have a fashion role model to follow.  So we tend to dress like our friends. This can be unwise.

The issue with this lack of direction we get when it comes to clothes is: Dressing well is almost as important to impressing a woman as being well educated and knowing what to order while dining.

Good and Bad Fashion Role Models

Have you ever really taken a look at how they style those poor bastard male models in fashion magazines? High style suits the average guy would never wear, or can afford, and layers and layers of clothes and accessories that are out of place in most social situations. It’s a rare sight to see someone dressed in a bold plaid suit, bow tie, and a scarf at a grocery store.

The tip here is to use what you see as concepts and style them to your own personal taste. See what cut of pants are in style (hint: lose the pleats and wide bottoms), what patterns are popular on dress shirts (checks and stripes still rule, but dots and tight patterns are moving up), and adopt what works for you.

Mirror A Celebrity

Many celebrities have a far more natural style. (movie star, not rock star.)  Clooney always looks good whether he’s at a premier or just out grabbing a bite. If Goerge’s style is a little overly mature, check out Justin Timberlake. JT makes an impression even in a tshirt and jeans. You can also search Google images or visit celebrity blogs to get an idea of how top male celebrities dress.

Stick to Big Brands

There’s another solution to keeping it classy, and that’s to find an brand you like, that fits your day to day life, and stick with it. When it comes to quality apparel brands, there’s no end to the choices available: Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Hollister are all really popular, and give you choice at both ends of the price spectrum. Lately, preppy brands are back, with a “dash” of California or West Coast style (aka, West Coast Prep), that could also really help a guy who wants to dress to impress but still wants to keep a sense of kicked back, west coast lifestyle. You can impress without looking too uptight.

Putting it Together

It really isn’t that hard to dress better, with a sense of style. The trick to putting it all together is to have a look in mind, borrowed from your favorite celeb or adopted from magazines, make it feel authentic to you, and wear the hell out of it.