As Valentine’s Day quickly approaches, we should start thinking about the hardest part of this holiday — what to wear! Whether it’s just for a normal day of classes, dinner with a significant other, or an anti-Valentine’s Day night out with your friends, this is still a fun holiday for which you should dress your best.
The typical colors for this holiday, red and pink, will be overtaking everything in sight this week, so it is important to take a more subtle approach with your outfit to avoid looking like a Hallmark store. Instead of wearing the most pink and red you can find, stick with more neutral colors and use deep reds or pale pinks in your accessories to accent the rest of your outfit. And don’t be afraid to wear other bold colors like yellow, orange or purple, which can be just as festive as your traditional Valentine’s colors.
For a typical day on campus, you don’t need to go overboard with your holiday attire. The best way to achieve a casual look with a hint of holiday spirit for Valentine’s Day is to stick with neutral colors and then accent with one bold holiday color. For example, try wearing dark skinny jeans with a brown belt and pumps, a cute white top and accent with a deep red or pink scarf. You can add a matching color or gold jewelry to bring the rest of the outfit together for a cute and flirty look. Outfits like this are great for any day of the year as well.
A good rule of thumb for putting casual outfits together: use bold colors to accessorize and accent neutral colors and use neutral colors to accessorize and accent bold colors. This will give a clean and stylish look to your everyday casual outfits.
When it comes to dressing for a big Valentine’s Day date, things can get a little more tricky. No matter where you go, most couples or groups of people will be wearing all red or pink. Although wearing these colors is very festive, it will make you blend in with the rest of the restaurant. To make yourself stand out a little more, try wearing a sapphire blue dress and accenting with red or orange shoes and jewelry. The blue will make you stand out from everyone else but you will still have a little Valentine’s Day spirit with your accessories. Another great outfit to try is a simple black dress with black lace tights, deep red shoes and red and gold jewelry. Or, if you’re going on a casual date, you can apply the rule of thumb for everyday casual outfits.
Guys, don’t think I forgot about you! Looking awesome for a date is just as important for you as it is for girls. If you’re going on a casual date, it is completely acceptable to wear jeans. However, avoid wearing ripped jeans and make sure your underwear does not stick out. Solid T-shirts can be nice for casual dates, but stay away from printed T-shirts to avoiding too casual.
An alternative to a solid T-shirt is a nice button-down dress shirt. Wearing any color button down shirt, tucked or untucked, with jeans is a great way to look nice while still being comfortable. Wear nice, clean shoes and a solid black or brown belt to bring it all together and you will be set to make a great first impression.
If you plan on taking your date to a fancier location, I would not recommend wearing jeans. Dress pants are always a good choice for a fancy restaurant as well as khakis. If a dress shirt and tie are too formal for your date location, just wearing a dress shirt with khakis or a sweater over a dress shirt always looks great.
Pairing neutral and bold colors is guaranteed to give you a sophisticated-yet-festive look for this holiday and for all your future date nights. Have fun putting your outfits together and don’t be afraid to take chances with your colors and accessories!
