If you are going on a first date with a man you have never really met or do not know well, dressing the part is not that easy. You want to avoid going overboard and looking like you tried too hard. You also do not want to show up underdressed because that it obviously embarassing. What I like to do is show up at the place beforehand and see what other people there are wearing. I use this to gauge what I am going to wear on the date. Sometimes people like to go to surprise places on first dates, but this is not generally a very good idea. It is more polite to let someone know where you are going so that you can plan better. One decision you have to make is whether to wear nice lingere or not. I say you always should, just in case something happens.