The 14th of February is coming up very soon. Now, either you are completely against the holiday for demonstrating a capitalist personification of romance as consumerism, or you are looking forward to getting your romance on. Personally, as a romantic myself, I favour the latter option. Yes, in principle you should acknowledge your love for your partner all the time, and do nice things for them without needing a specific holiday to celebrate it. However, there is nothing wrong with having a day where love is specifically celebrated and where people are reminded of how special your relationship is. And I’m here to do what I can to make your Valentine’s Day as wonderful as it can be. How you dress will be a significant aspect of your evening, as that is what your partner will be looking at the entire night (or at least most of it). So, whatever you spend your time doing, here are some ideas for an outfit for every occasion.
Staying at Home
Valentine’s Day doesn’t always need to be a big going out event. Sometimes it can be nice to just stay home, cook a lovely meal with a loved one, snuggle on the sofa and binge some new Netflix series you’ve been meaning to watch together. But that doesn’t mean you should let your game down. For at home, I recommend a pair of navy jeans, a patterned shirt in either blue or purple (getting a nice colour contrast never hurt anyone) and layer it with a grey waistcoat. It might seem an unexpected touch, but waistcoats can be a wonderful way of adding a hint of formality without over doing it, and makes your outfit look like you’ve put far more work into it than you have.
Dinner and/or a Movie
Classic date combination, works even better if you’re actually in a relationship with the person you’re going on the date with. This can be your chance to properly go for a more dressed up look, especially if the restaurant you're going to is a particularly stylish one. That said, whilst the look should be dressed up, it shouldn’t be so completely different from your day to day wear to make it look out of place. With that in mind, I really wouldn’t wear a tie. It’ll look out of place, and unless you wear them enough to get used to them they can make you feel slightly uncomfortable. So keep it simple, if you want to wear a suit, pair it with a clean white shirt and a colourful pocket square to make the outfit a bit more interesting. For outerwear, a simple overcoat with a nice scarf in order to both keep you warm and to decorate the outfit a bit more. A light camel coat will stand out nicely as the night gets on, but if you don’t own one of those, a black one will do fine. Just make the scarf quite prominent against it, a light red or burnt orange, whatever you have will most likely be good.
If you’re not interested in going too formal, than thats fine too. Stick with the overcoat for the top layer, you can’t really go wrong with that, and underneath, get your best looking jeans (iron them as well, come on it’s not that hard guys) and wear them with a sweater. With this look, you can get away with a more monochromatic colour scheme, black jeans and a black sweater, or you can make a bit more of a contrast with a slightly lighter sweater in a grey, red, or pink if you have one. Top these with a pair of Chelsea Boots (an easy step up from basic converse or trainers) and you have a stylish, but relaxed look that your partner is sure to appreciate.
Drinks at a bar
If you’re looking for a lowkey Valentine’s Day plan that still lets you go out and do something, then bars are your friend. Pick a nice place with a varied cocktail menu, find a quieter section to sit in, and enjoy a lovely relaxed evening arguing about what’s going to happen in the final season of Game of Thrones, or whatever the kids are talking about these days. For this event, I recommend going with something with a distinct and stand out pattern or design. This setting is causal enough for you to get away with something light and dressed down, but by adding a good pattern to your look, you make your outfit more interesting and will make it stand out in whatever bar you’ve chosen. In terms of what pattern; a checkered or striped shirt is a classic idea, or a subtle printed shirt with some smaller images or colours works very nicely. You can also find a shirt that has a few extra details, such as a button down collar, front pocket, or one with contrast piping to make it a bit more interesting. To keep warm, a leather jacket is fine here, but you’ll get bonus points from me if you go with a blazer.
A few final points: If you decide you’re going to dress up for your partner in nothing more than an everyday t-shirt and jeans (or even worse, a hoodie), I can’t promise I won’t literally track you down and shout at you. You should enjoy dressing up for such an occasion, not just for your special someone but for yourself. Valentine’s Day has the potential to be a lovely and romantic occasion, don’t start it off on a low note by turning up to their door looking like you’ve just turned up to a lecture. You’re doing no one a favour by doing that. By just taking a bit more time to find an outfit that properly reflects you and makes you feel good, you are sending a message to the world that you are someone to take seriously, and that your relationship is something you take seriously. Take pride in your appearance, take pride in going out with your partner, and have an absolutely wonderful time.
Oh, and Fellas? Invest in a good pair of underwear. One that looks good, feels good, and is above the average pair you’ve got in your wardrobe. Trust me, spend some time online, order express delivery, and thank me later.
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