Ladies, when it comes to dressing for a date, men want to see you look your best, but we also want you to be dressed appropriately for whatever activity we’ve got planned for you. Case in point, wearing heels to a park isn’t going to make for a great walk. You get the point.

Many women ask me what types of outfits men find appropriate but sexy, and where the line is drawn between sexy and “easy.” Here are some tips to help you get dressed for your big night out (or in).

1. The Coffee Date
Most coffee dates are going to take place in the daytime, so leave the cocktail dresses at home and go light on the makeup. If it’s during the day (and in the warmer months), showing a little leg won’t hurt. Also, hats could be a bonus if you have something that suits you well, i.e. fedora, beanie, etc. Cute summer dresses, or even your hottest work outfit, will do.

2. The Dinner Date
If we’re taking you out to dinner, we’re serious about wanting to get to know you. Wear something that shows off your best features, but nothing that makes it hard for us to hold eye contact. Dinner dates (or night dates) are the perfect time to dress up and bust out those sexy stilettos. Most guys won’t even know what stilettos are, but we do know that you will be looking elegant.

3. The Activity Date
Depending on the activity, there will be a good chance things could get active. This doesn’t mean you need to break out the workout clothes or Lululemon pants. Instead, throw on some leggings in case you need to be limber, and some flats so your footwear doesn’t limit you. In this case, comfort should be accounted for so your attention will be spent on us, and not a wardrobe malfunction.

4. The Surprise Date
These are hardest dates to dress for, because chances are you have no idea what the guy has planned for you. He’s trying to be romantic and mysterious, so he tells you to be ready for anything. By anything, assume it’s going to require you looking your best. A dress, leggings, or skinny jeans will all do as long you’re dressing to impress. This is a good time to go with something sexy over comfortable.

If you haven’t gotten the hint yet, then I’ll just tell you plain and simple: men are visual creatures. We get excited when we see a hint of skin or the silhouette of your body. But, we also want to be able to bring you home to Mom and/or Bubby — so always keep it tasteful.

Read more from Tripp here.

They say that the clothes make the man. I don’t know if this relates to that adage, but I love almost nothing more than wearing ties, aside from eating, sleeping, and wearing more than one tie at once.

I can’t remember if I’ve talked about this before, nor do I care, because you are not reading this, and I am not currently wearing a tie. If your workplace environment has a casual attire, try dressing up in a tie at least once. If you are female, try dressing up nice as well. It really makes the whole day so much better. Whenever I’m feeling down during the day, I look down and see that I’m in a tie and then I cannot be stopped. Try to wear a tie and not feel important and destined for greatness. Peeing in a urinal will never be so noble.

The first, and last, time I wore a tie on a first date, I managed to meet and hang on to the greatest woman of all time. I’m not necessarily saying that the clothes you wear will change the person you’re sitting across from. However, it may change the way that you present yourself to her, and thus change her perception of you and the trajectory of a relationship that may have been dead, had you worn your Polo shirt. I’ve worn a Polo shirt on several first dates, and never lived to see a second. Again, I was still in the process of losing weight and completely changing my lifestyle and the way that I presented myself.

A tie can be an impetus for a lifestyle change for yourself. If you want to lose some weight, wear a tie. You will still be fat, but you’ll feel better about yourself, and that may motivate you to do something. I actually have no idea what I’m talking about, and am really hungry right now. Wear a tie at the gym. Don’t even work out. Just stand there. You’ll burn some calories. Or you won’t. I’m no scientist.

I recently initiated Tie Tuesday at work. It’s pretty self-explanatory. If you don’t get it, I want people to wear a tie…on Tuesdays. Usually it’s just me that participates. It has also caused me to start going to the dry cleaners. I never went before on a regular basis. No story there. It’s just something I do now.

The world should all dress nice.

How important is it to look nice on a date? Obviously, you don’t want to wear a tuxedo when going out for drinks, or really ever. Of course, you also don’t want to wear a white T-shirt and running shorts, either. If you combine the two, it’s even worse, and doesn’t make for a funny scenario in blog-form. You want to look nice without looking too nice, because extremes are not good. Girls aren’t looking for extremes. They’re looking for somebody who can straddle the two without actually committing to anything. If you look too nice, you’re a douchebag. If you look too sloppy, you’re a loser.

This is why I have exactly one set of clothes that I wear out to every social situation. It is perfectly conceived, and there is no reason to change it. Starting at the bottom of my attire, my shoes are basically Asics® knockoffs. While topsiders are too nice and stupid looking, and Chuck Taylors® are too cheap-looking, this is a nice balance between the two. Under my shoes are long gray socks. White socks stand out too much and no socks look stupid and are uncomfortable and unhygienic. Further up my beautiful body lie khaki pants. They’re slim-cut to show that I care about my body, yet not too skinny to show that that’s not all I care about. Above the pants is my shirt, over a plain white undershirt. It is a Medium-sized yellow and brown striped Polo®. It’s a Polo, so it’s nice, yet it’s yellow and brown, so it’s not really that pleasant looking. I got this down. Above my shirt is my face. It’s shaved, but shaved yesterday. There’s a little shadow on it because, hey, I’m not some douche that shaves before important events.

So far, the odds have not yet been in my favor. However, the clothes are currently in the washing machine, so there’s no going back.