Is there anything more nerve-wracking or more exciting than a first date? Will we hit it off? What do I do if there's a lull in conversation? What should I wear?! While you can't do much to answer the first two questions, figuring out what to wear doesn't need to cause a panic, though it can be a little trickier in the summer months when scorching temperatures have you trying to keep your cool in more ways than one. (Hint: a light summer dress is your best friend on hot days. Oh, and cute, comfortable shoes—especially if you'll be walking a lot!)

To help you learn how to make the most of what's in your closet and avoid a pre-date (and also middle-of-the date) meltdown, we turned to the experts: Kelly Henderson, Nashville-based stylist and founder of the lifestyle site Velvet's Edge and Kim Seltzer, therapist, makeover expert, and dating coach at SeltzerStyle.com.

"Knowing that we're all visual beings and that it only takes 30 seconds to make a great first impression, it’s important to package yourself in a way that makes you feel great and attracts your date so they want to take that next step," says Seltzer. "It isn’t dressing like someone you are not, it’s about marketing yourself in a way that is sexy and confident."

Read on to learn how to do just that.

Stay true to you.

While you may be tempted to go out and buy a new outfit, a first date is not the time to test drive a new look. Your best bet is to stick with something you already own and feel great in.

"The best styling advice for any date is to be yourself. Style is a representation of who you are and first dates—or any dates for that matter—are about owning what makes you unique," says Henderson. "My go-to on a date would be a cool vintage tee, a great fitting pair of high-waisted jeans, and some killer boots. This look is comfy and cool and makes me feel 100% true to me."

Aerosmith Nine Lives Tee
DAY BY DAYDREAMER Aerosmith Nine Lives Tee
$39 at Nordstrom
Sailor Denim Comfort Sea
Rolla's Sailor Denim Comfort Sea

Dress for comfort.

Let the location and planned activity guide you in choosing what to wear. Going for a day date to a museum? Choose something easy, like a sundress and sneakers or jeans and a cute top. Dinner plans? This is the time to wear something on the sexier side, if you want. But whatever you choose, make sure it's comfortable. (How can you concentrate on getting to know your date if you're fidgeting with an ill-fitting skirt or too-tight jeans the whole time?)

Easy Knit Midi Dress
SOMETHING NAVY Easy Knit Midi Dress
Vintage Denim Jean Jacket
Design by Olivia Vintage Denim Jean Jacket
Delia Sneaker
MADEWELL Delia Sneaker
Now 60% Off
Matcha Maxi Dress
Cloth & Stone Anthropologie Matcha Maxi Dress

But don't wear something that doesn't fit your body...

Comfortable doesn't mean boxy, though. Clothes that are tailored to your body type tend to look best."Women who feel self-conscious or find they don’t like the way clothes “cling” against their skin often wear bigger styles in an attempt to conceal the parts they don’t like," says Seltzer. "Instead, considering wearing something that flatters your body type and accentuates the parts of your body you feel confident in." You can still go for something loose and comfortable, of course, but baggy isn't the same as shapeless.

...and do switch up your office look.

If you do go straight from work, choose an outfit that can transition from the office to happy hour with just a few tweaks, this way, even if you do talk about your jobs, you won't have work stress on the brain the whole night. A simple skirt, camisole, and blazer is a great choice—all you have to do is remove the blazer and you're ready to go!

Low Back Camisole
SOMETHING NAVY Low Back Camisole
Mix & Match Pencil Skirt
Asos DESIGN Mix & Match Pencil Skirt
Pocket Button Blazer
ACKKIA Pocket Button Blazer

Choose a color or outfit you've been complimented on before.

Is there an outfit you get praised for every time you wear it? Or a shade that makes you glow? That's what you should choose for a first date. "Dress in something you already know you feel fantastic in that's also colorful which will attract the eye," says Seltzer. And if you're wondering just how sexy to make the "lewk," that's of course entirely up to what you feel confident in, again, but Seltzer says, "It's all about balance. It’s that alluring mixture of conservativeness and sex appeal." For example, if you wear a shorter skirt, consider pairing it with a more covered top. And if you go with something low cut, try it with a maxi skirt or jeans." At the end of the day though, just feel good about yourself.


For more stories like this, sign up for our newsletter.

Headshot of Laurren Welch
Laurren Welch

Laurren Welch is a freelance editor, writer, and creative who covers lifestyle, interiors, entertaining, fashion, and more. When she’s not under deadline, you can find her styling blooms over at Garden Party L.A., scouring thrift and antique stores for hidden gems, and reminding her boxer pup, Monster, that he’s a very good boy.