Haven't worn a dress in a while and you need one for Friday night's dinner date? Don't stress, with a little help and a plan, you can find that perfect dress for Friday night. Here's how:

Find out where you'll be going. Is it formal, semi-formal, casual, or grunge? You don't want to show up in a formal dress to find out he's taking you to the beach for a nice romantic dinner!

Now decide on the type of dress. It's important to choose a dress that flatters your figure. Not every dress works for all body types. The most flattering dresses are those with darker colors and simple cut. You want to show off best features and play them up.

Now choose a color. You could wear black, but why not explore some of the other dressy options? Bright colors and bold prints are dramatic. Pastels, mid-range brights and soft prints are great for dressy day occasions. Blues, pinks and whites look great on almost anyone.

Now it's time to coordinate the color and type with the style. There are literally thousands of different styles of dresses. Try on many, even the ones you don't like on the hangers. Some dresses look awful on the hanger but great on a body! You'll never know until you try one on.

For special evening occasions, choose a cocktail dress. This is where the classic 'little black dress' fits in.

For a picnic on the beach, try a sexy little spaghetti strap dress.

You should definitely set a budget before shopping because it's easy to fall in love with a $500 dress and then try to justify it!

Usually special occasion dresses cost more than casual dresses. If you comparison shop, you can find one that works in your price range.

Now that you have the perfect dress, you'll need to do some accessorizing. The trimmings will take their cue from the dress and the occasion. Don't add a ton of glitz, you'll overwhelm your outfit. Sparkly brooches and pins are great ways to add special pizzazz to your outfit.