Valentine's Day Date Outfit Ideas

Picking out an outfit to wear on Valentine's Day can be tricky. You want to look good, but you also want to dress to suit your plans. You probably wouldn't wear a skin-tight wiggle dress to a coffee date or a baggy sweater out for a fancy dinner (not that you can't if you want!) 

Below are some ideas for ways to dress just right for whatever mood you want to set for you and your date this Valentine's Day. 

If you're...

Keeping it Casual

// Sweater // Jeans // Flats // Pearl Earrings // Lip Balm // Essie Nail Polish //

Maybe your Valentine's Day plans are with someone you haven't been seeing for a very long time, or going on fancy dates just isn't your thing. If you're trying to keep things casual this Valentine's Day, this simple cozy but cute outfit would be perfect for visiting a coffee shop, going for a walk or a movie at home.

Try pairing a candy-colored oversized sweater with printed jeans and a pair of comfortable flats. Classic and understated accessories pull the look together without going over the top. Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable lipsticks are moisturizing, subtle and easy to apply -- perfect for low-key dates! 

Bringing Out Your Inner Bombshell

// Dress (similar) // Cap-toe Pumps // Purse // Diamond Earrings // Necklace // Lipstick // Nail Polish // Perfume //

If you want to turn heads wherever you happen to go, this vampy and eye-catching look would be perfect for you. And to be especially daring, try wearing a garter belt and stockings underneath. Allowing your date a subtle peek at the top of your stockings will definitely get their imagination running. 

Leopard print can look trashy if not done right, so keep the rest of the color scheme muted and use classic accessories like pearls or diamonds. The deep burgundy color is a great complement to the dress because it's equally sensual without overpowering the print. 

Staying Classy

// Dress // Blazer // Pumps // Clutch // Lipstick //

A flowy red dress is the perfect medium between sexy and sophisticated. This outfit would be great for a classic wine-and-dine night on the town. 

Keeping the accessories simple again allows the gorgeous dress to take the spotlight, and pairing it with a sharp black blazer will allow you the option of covering up if necessary.

What are your Valentine's Day plans? Tell me in the comments! 

This post has been submitted as an entry to IFB Project #82: The Season of Love. 

Tea Tuesday: Reddit Tea and Coffee Exchange

Hey everyone! For this week's Tea Tuesday I just wanted to let you know about Reddit Gift's  coffee and tea exchange this year.

If you have a Reddit account (you can sign up for one easily) you can participate in Reddit Gifts, which hosts various types of world-wide exchanges with different themes such as Pokemon, books, crafts, etc. For more information on how the whole process works, click here.

You can specify if you're interested in tea, coffee or both. If you want to try flavors and brands of tea and wish you could do the whole Secret Santa thing all year, then this is literally everything you've ever dreamed of. I signed up on day one and I can't wait to get my match on February 18th -- I'm going to send them a bunch of flavors from a local tea shop I just discovered a few days ago.

To sign up, click this link right here. 

Remember, you need a Reddit account. You can sign up for one at Reddit.com. I highly suggest becoming a part of the Reddit community if you haven't heard of it before, even for those just interested in fashion the smaller community (subreddit) Female Fashion Advice is a great resource and to get individualized advice when it comes to dressing. There is also Male Fashion Advice for those of you with a Y chromosome.

Who knows, maybe we'll get matched!

P.S Stay tuned for next week's Tea Tuesday, where I'll be reviewing the tea I bought at the local shop I found.

Pearls and Studs

Outfit Details

Sweater: Forever 21; Pants: Loft; Shoes: Aldo; Necklace: Vintage; Handbag: Madden Girl 

One day, on a whim, I bought a pink sweater from Forever 21 because I was trying to incorporate more of my favorite color into my wardrobe. Under normal circumstances, buying anything from Forever 21 is understood to be a very short-term purchase, but let me tell you that goes doubly so when you buy anything that has a bunch of tiny, tiny embellishments sewn on.

I don't know why I thought this was a good idea. I wore this to go shopping on Saturday, and every time I'd pull it over my head to try something else on at least two or three minuscule pearls flew off and bounced all over the floor. By the time I went home, almost the entirety of the left side of my chest was missing its decorations and I had several little pink threads poking out in every direction. 

I could maybe, maybe get one more wear out of it if I don't mind being lopsidedly adorned or if I just clip all the little pearls off myself -- but at (I think) $20 for the sweater, the cost per wear on this item is pretty abysmal. Cute concept, poor execution. But as I said, I really shouldn't have expected any better from a store that is pretty much the epitome of fast fashion. 

I mentioned in yesterday's Link Love post that I'm trying to be more discerning about the quality of clothes I buy. While I can't afford absolute top-of-the-line quality as a college student, at the very least I can try to avoid really, really obvious lapses in judgement again. 

Here's what I picked up at the mall though. I got two tops from the Limited, which while again not being top-of-the-line quality, is certainly better than Forever 21 and was having a pretty great sale when I stopped by. I'm really excited about the polka dot sweater, as I've been on a sweater kick lately. I used to think sweaters looked really... matronly on my figure. Think Kindergarten teacher with a cat applique cardigan. 

I have since discovered, however that if I'm very particular about the material and cut I can manage to pull them off. Specifically, V-necks and very thin, form-fitting knit will work. I feel like an entire world of new possibilities has been opened up to me since discovering I can actually wear something that's felt off limits to me for so long. 

Have you ever made clothing purchase that you regret? Or have you discovered ways to wear something you previously didn't think you could? Tell me in the comments! 

Link Love 02.03.13

♥ How to Recognize a Quality Garment -- I'm trying to be more discerning over quality in my purchases, and this is a great read for those trying to do the same. 

♥ My first week of classes this semester, I learned from a Japanese professor that deer in Nara will "bow" in exchange for treats. On first glance, this sounded like the cutest thing ever. Upon further research, the deer actually kind of sound like jerks.

♥ "Why Women Have So Many Clothes" is a great short read that explains perfectly why it's so difficult to have a comprehensive wardrobe as a woman.

♥ "Honest Department and Clothing Store Names" -- funny and true. 

♥ These are hilarious - Designer turns negative client comments into funny posters. My favorite is "The target audience is males and females, ages zero and up." 

♥ I just picked up the Naked 2 Palette from Urban Decay and I've been looking for ideas on looks I can create with it. This is one of my favorites so far!

February Activity Ideas

Confession time: I love Valentine's Day. Not even for the mushy-romantic stuff. I love it because stores are full of really cheap, tacky decorations and novelties that are pink and shaped like hearts and I love that kind of crap. I found candles that look like chocolate truffles in the Valentine's section of the dollar store the other day and I geeked out. I'm currently trying to think of a way to creatively display them -- on a cake stand with some toiletries, perhaps? 

I also just like the general aesthetic that permeates February because of the holiday. The flowers are such a lovely sight after a couple months of winter, and of course everything is pink and red. While you're enjoying the romantic, pretty appeal of the month you can also try some of these activities to really get in "the mood!"

♥ If you're into crafting, baking, cooking or decorating you can check out my Valentine's Day Pinterest Board for some inspiration. Sadly I can't make any of the sweet treats because of my diet, so you'll have to try them for me. And then send me long, adjective-dense descriptions of how delicious they were.

♥ If your weather is as awful as it is here (it's currently -5 degrees) and you're trapped inside a lot, use the time to take up a new hobby. I've been meaning to try soap making!  Anyone have any experience with it?

♥ Spring is in sight! Start making a wishlist for your Spring fashion wants and needs. It's my favorite season because it's cool enough that layering is an option, but warm enough that you don't have to bundle up beyond any hope of looking cute. I'm dying for a coral colored blazer or cardigan this year. What about you?

♥ If you're single and have a tendency to get bummed out on Valentine's day, set up a romantic evening for just yourself. It sounds really lame, but trust me I do this sort of thing all the time and it's amazing. Treat yourself to a massage or pedicure, cook your favorite dinner, drink wine and eat chocolate while watching a movie... there are lots of possibilities here!

♥ Decorate your living space with candles. Even if you're not involved with someone or not having a romantic evening, candles are really soothing and can be an easy way to treat yourself to some love.

♥ If candles aren't your thing or you're not allowed to have them for some reason (like living in a dorm) then decorate with flowers or string lights instead. Fairy lights especially add a really cozy, whimsical vibe to a room.

♥ Valentine's Day isn't the only holiday in February, Chinese New Year is on the 10th. Regardless of your ethnic background, it can be fun to celebrate. Instead of ordering take out, why not cook a traditional Chinese meal at home?

♥ Hand-craft cute cards for your friends and family. Use glitter, lace or whatever you have around. Or, for kicks purposefully make them really sloppy -- your friends will probably love them just as much, if not more.

♥ If you're lazy then just buy a pack of pre-made Adventure Time [or insert favorite cartoon here] Valentine's and a bag of lollipops and pass those out. Same effect, less work right?

What sort of things do you have planned for February? Tell me in the comments!