Whether you haven’t had one in a while or you’re just finding your recent ones unlucky, your look is vital to your date. A lot of guys simply get it wrong when the fact is that it’s rather simple to get it right. In this guide, we’re going to look at the four fundamentals of the first date look.

Get rid of that mess on your face

No need to fear, we’re not telling you to go clean shaven. From a scruff to a full cover, facial hair still has an on-going appeal. But if you haven’t taken care of it lately, now is the time. Unkempt facial hair looks nothing but lazy. Even if you don’t want to lose length, just give it a trim to tidy it up and make it even. More importantly, oil it. Oiling your beard makes it smell and feel better. It also lessens the awful risk of catching crumbs or beard dandruff visibly. Just make sure you choose your oils well. You want oils that don’t give it too greasy a feel.

Keeping the hair healthy

No man should go out to a date without some sort of product keeping their hair in check. Hair can be fickle. In the course of a night, it can lose the shape you’ve decided on. Whether you’re styling some curls or you have a short crop you want to keep in line, hair gel is the key. You want it to style your hair, not to make it look ‘gelled’.

Remember accessories?

We ask if you remember because it seems like most men have forgotten the whole point of accessories. They’re signifiers. Not just of wealth and status, but of a certain self-respect and a care for the details. A good watch or even the right choice of wallet shows that you have pride in yourself, without the self-obsessed look of overly plucked eyebrows or tanning products.

Dress the part

Looking good is, in large part, down to the outfit you wear. We’re not going to tell you what exactly to wear. Instead, we’re going to tell you to look at guides like www.mensfitness.com/styleandgrooming/grooming/first-date-clothes-dummies that can help you answer that question based on the specifics of where the date’s being held. You don’t want to wear a dinner jacket to a casual venue just as you don’t want to wear a pair of jeans to a dinner date in the city. Know the context and look sharp for where you are, as formal as the location demands. No more, no less. One rule that never changes is the need for a good pair of shoes. If you’re wearing any kind of dress shoes, ensure they’re polished and cared for. If it’s a casual date, don’t make the mistake of not having new sneakers prepared.

These tips are important, but remember that the look is secondary to the confidence and the good humor. But while secondary, it’s also a contributor. If you feel out-of-sorts with any of the tips, try wearing them in more casual settings. Get more comfortable with them so you’re not feeling too conscious of them when the big night arrives.