First off, we wish you all a happy New Year to all of out faithful readers (props to those of you leaving comments every week…keep them coming!) and hope you make some date-centered resolutions to find romance in beautiful New York City.

This week’s question arrived from Liz, a proud inhabitant of Chelsea. She writes, “I think I’m at the stage where I can propose a romantic getaway with a guy I’ve been dating for almost five months. Is this too soon? And where should we go?”

Here at DateSpaces, we’re looking for ways to help you daters out there get your chance for romance. So we’re starting a new feature on The Daily Dater: “First Date Fashionista.” One of our staffers will provide you, the readers, with critiques and help on what to wear (and what not to wear!) on your first dates. Here’s our request: send a picture of what you’re planning to wear on a first date (we’ll keep it anonymous - take the pic from the neck down) to: charles@datespaces.com. We’ll alternate men and women. Meanwhile, the First Date Fashionista has given her take on the question that inspired us to start up this feature. Enjoy!

When the wind chill dips below 20?F, all you can think about is where you stashed the ski mask that matches your “I-can-take-out-people-like-a-linebacker” parka. But fear not, we’ll help you channel your inner rosy-cheeked ski-bunny. Kia from Hoboken asks: “I’ve got a first date tomorrow, and nothing in my closet looks good! How can I look hot when the temperatures are anything but sizzling?”

Ok, so you’ve got the number…Now what?

Everyone has his or her own unique theory on exactly how many nanoseconds should pass between the exchange of digits and the first phone call. Some say call the next day; some say wait until the next millennium. The truth is, you shouldn’t trust anyone’s expertise in this field because each case is unique and needs to be treated differently. So, with that said, we can’t give you the magic number of days. That’s totally up to you. Just call when you personally think it’s the right time to call. Sorry, that’s probably not what you wanted to hear.

Nevertheless, we can help you through the anxiety and awkwardness of the first call.

Hope you’re staying warm, DateSpacers. This week’s question reaches us from the gentrified neighborhood known as Hell’s Kitchen. Aaron asks us, “You guys seem to know the definitive rules about dating. So what is the protocol about getting someone’s number and making the first phone call?”

Aaron, ask and ye shall receive. Your question is so important that we’re devoting two weeks’ worth of Ask Our Staff to it.

Let’s paint the picture: You’ve been talking to a great person the whole evening. The bar just announced last call, and if you have any chance of getting a date from this exchange, you’re going to have to get some contact information first.

This just in, DateSpaces faithful: we received an email three days ago, and it sounds like one of our readers had a Black Friday of her own. Allison, writing from Yonkers, says: “I’ve gone on a bunch of first and second dates lately with guys and they haven’t gone beyond that. I had a great time with all of them, but they haven’t called me back. I’ve tried calling and texting to find out what gives, but I’ve heard nothing. What am I doing wrong!?!”

Sounds like you got what we call a Jackie-O-PBO (polite brush off!). We feel your pain.

As many of us know, relationships, whether at the nascent stages or much later on, tend not to work out. Don’t despair! It’s better to find out things are incompatible earlier than later because, as you’ve probably heard ad nauseum, there are many more fish in the sea for you to date.