Cream of the crop is not a treatise on dating farmers or the farmer's daughter. That can better be found in the Farmers' Almanac. Here, cream of the crop refers to the best dates in terms of the various important traits.

Most everyone would like to date the best people out there, especially with the intention of moving the dating relationship towards something more involved, like living together or getting married. So how does one find, and then attract, the cream of the crop?

There is an old saying, “You’ve got to be a friend to have a friend.” And the same holds true with most things in life. If you want to date the cream of the crop, you have to be the cream of the crop, or at least you have to have a whole lot of money to find the materialistic "cream" looking for the wealthy "crop."

When on your Internet dating sites you get to see many, many photos of tons of potential dates. If you look closely with an analytical mind, you will notice that there are many great disparities between those listing their age and the way they look in their photos. Lets, for a moment, make the assumption that all of these men and women on dating sites are being honest about their age (though they are often not). You have to realize that there may be a host of folks who look anywhere from their stated age to many years older or
younger. Why is this so?

It’s all about genes and lifestyle and plain old style. If you look at those who look many years less than their stated age, you will notice that they have great skin (few wrinkles) normal body weight (not overweight, fat obese or morbidly obese), and they have great style, the one factor that can be relatively easily controlled compared to all the others.

Let’s face it, it’s not always easy to control our weight, especially if we came from an obese family where we learned terrible eating habits and have a genetic tendency towards being heavy. Sure there are those who have fought and won the battle of the bulge, but it
is not easy and may always be a challenge. If you want to date the cream of the crop, you must get control of your weight with a combination of proper eating (most important) and
exercise (yeah, go on a treadmill for an hour and burn enough calories to eat 1.275 Oreo cookies).

With regard to your skin, if you spent your youth sunning to the point that you looked great every summer, by the time you get into your forties and above, your skin is mostly shot unless your genetics are sun-damage resistant. By now, you can consider various skin remedies to make yourself more marketable to the cream of the crop. These include skin resurfacing with various peels (medical peels are the most effective, costly and uncomfortable). Laser treatment (real laser, not the light pulsed kind that does next to nothing), or you can consider a full facelift if you really want to take your appearance to a
new level which could turn you into Michael Jackson and Joan Rivers look a-likes if you try too hard to look young.

The most universal and easiest way to make your self a cream of the crop dating candidate is to engage in some style changes. Go back and look at the photos of all the frumpy, old looking folks trying to find a mate on dating sites and you will notice that they are mostly out of touch with style. They have hairdos from the fifties, clothing from the
same era, a face graced with eyeglasses that look like they were stolen from the Smithsonian.

How hard is it to get a style-makeover? It’s really not that hard. You have to find people with great style and ask for help. This can often be done by asking the salespeople in the many department stores you visit to buy clothing and makeup.

Hairdos are probably the most obvious flaw and the easiest to remedy if you are willing to make the commitment. You may have to learn and practice how to make your hair look great, but it is doable, and this is where you should begin. If your hair is falling out, you
may want to consider hormone therapy or a wig.

Hair issues are a concern for guys just as much as ladies. The men with hair half-gone might do better with a hairpiece, a weave, transplants or just going bald for that "look." You know, the macho penis-head look that seems to attract women much more than the
comb-over of years past.

Once you make yourself look nicer and younger and more like the cream you are seeking, the better your chance of attaining your goal - dating the cream of the crop. Of course, if you are lactose intolerant, cream may be a poor idea.

Remember, dating is not all about looks - far from it. The most important attribute in a loving and successful relationship is “the good heart.” However, before you will have any chance of winning over your next true-love with all of your fine qualities, the first thing we
all see is that little thumbnail photo that allows us to say "yes," "no," or "maybe." Make sure you stay in the game with a nice appearance.