A theoretical model is proposed to describe the influence of the concentration of a polar solvent and the temperature of a solution on the electronic spectra of a polar solute in a binary solvent mixture. It is shown that the interaction between molecules of the polar solvent in the first solvation shell makes the significant contribution to the formation of absorption and fluorescence bands of the solute. An experimental study of solvatochromic and thermochromic shifts of steady-state fluorescence spectra of 3-amino-N-methylphthalimide in decalin-propanol mixture for different values of propanol mole fraction is carried out. Good qualitative agreement between the experimental data and calculation results is observed. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.