NOBODY wants to be perceived as “on the rebound.” So how do you move your dating style beyond the rebound phase and into the next chapter of your love life? By taking advantage of the opportunity you now have to give yourself a little extra attention and assess both your self-image and the image you’ll be projecting during dates.

1. Clean out your closet

We’re not talking about burning mementos or shredding photographs. The first step towards revamping your look is weeding out the clothes you’ve been hanging onto that don’t make you feel fabulous. Spend some time dividing the styles in your closet into two categories: those you love wearing and those you don’t. Once you’re done, it’s time to send the second group packing to your local thrift shop or charity of choice and decide whether you’re lacking any essentials, such as a little black dress, great-fitting jeans or a goes-with-everything cardigan.

You don’t need to have a walk-in bursting with clothing options to always be well dressed; you just need durable pieces that can be mixed and matched and fit your body and personal style. Once you complete a member profile at myShape.com by entering your measurements and preferences, we create a free Personal Shop for you where every article of clothing has been selected to fit, flatter and correspond to your fashion personality.

When you know which styles suit you and rely on a foundation of versatile looks that fit comfortably, feeling polished and confident naturally follows. (We even recommend complete outfits for our members, which can be a helpful time-saver when planning for a first date.)

2. Bring your fashion forward

If it’s been several years since you dated, there’s a chance your style is stalled in a rut or even another decade. The idea of taking a fashion “risk” may be intimidating, but updating your look won’t necessarily require major changes. After all, fashion elements representing every decade from the 1920s to the 1990s have been showing up on the runways and in our members’ Personal Shops—the idea is to combine a variety of pieces that flatter you rather than sporting a costumey ensemble straight out of 'Sixteen Candles'.

Need some ideas? In your Personal Shop, you’ll see an array of new fashions and outfits, which will familiarize you with what’s trendy right now and which styles remain classics. Two quick date-style solutions: pair a belt with a sheath dress or a ruched jersey top in a saturated jewel tone with your favorite broken-in jeans for instant chic.

3. Invest where it counts

In the era of the recessionista, it’s not so easy to spring for a complete makeover. Fortunately, it’s also unnecessary. You can get yourself date-ready by investing strategically in your appearance. For instance, a quality haircut immediately updates your look and stays looking good longer than a bargain trim. Plus, since you “wear” it every day, you definitely get your money’s worth.

Instead of buying a whole new line of cosmetics, try tracking down the perfect shade of lipstick or eye shadow for you—the fresh pop of flattering color will put a gorgeous spin on your makeup routine. When the weather heats up, get or give yourself a proper pedicure; while a manicure is more likely to chip (unless you’re a lady of leisure), pretty toes can stay sleek for a few weeks and will show your date that you take care of yourself.

If you’ve decided to update your wardrobe with a new blouse, skirt or dress for a date, make sure you absolutely love how it looks, how it fits and how it meshes with the clothes you already own. And not to encourage pettiness, but the confident satisfaction you’ll feel if you bump into your ex is no small joy either.

So go ahead…it’s an ideal time to cut your fashion ties to the past and start reinventing your look for the love of your future. We invite you to visit myShape.com and create a free Personal Shop so we can start matching you with flattering styles to inspire your fabulous post-rebound dating debut.

Nobody wants to be perceived as “on the rebound.” So how do you move your dating style beyond the rebound phase and into the next chapter of your love life? By taking advantage of the opportunity you now have to give yourself a little extra attention and assess both your self-image and the image you’ll be projecting during dates.