Date night dress up: For women

Ladies: Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and if any of you out there have a date planned for Feb. 14, I know what you’re worried about most: what are you going to wear? Here are a couple ideas from me to you.

The Main Event

For a night out on the most romantic night of the year, dressing up is a must. I would go for it, and go full-out with a dress. Leave the jeans at home for a night and slip into one of your nice dresses. Skirts are in the running, but they tend to look more casual than a dress, and you deserve to feel as fancy as a queen on your Valentine’s Day date night.

Color Pallets

Tradition says that Valentine’s Day means red and pink, and I agree to a point. Maybe keep your cherry-red dress and your bubblegum-pink pumps to a minimum. I’m all for color pallets including red or pink, but overkill on this holiday is easily achieved. Try a plain black or white dress with cherry-red or bubblegum-pink accents. The neutral black or white will allow the accent color to really pop and make a statement.
But if you’d rather have your traditional Valentine’s Day colors be the star of the show, then I would suggest a pink or red dress with accent colors. Any red or pink works, a nice, deep burgundy or maroon is a good way to show your holiday spirit in a more muted tone. The same applies to pink — nice pastel or soft pinks make for a pretty color option.

Shoes

What color shoes you choose all depends on what color dress you pick. For the red family, I would stick with black or silver. Black shoes with a red dress really make the red stand out, and silver (metallic or glittery) compliments red tones. For pinks, I would go with silver or gold colors for shoes. Black shoes with a pale pink dress may look a bit awkward because of how dark the shoes are compared to the dress. Silver and gold both go beautifully with any pink. I wouldn’t suggest gold shoes with a red dress, not because it wouldn’t work, but because it can sometimes look a bit Christmas-y. If you’re going with red or pink as an accent color, then I would say either red or pink shoes works wonders with either a black or a white dress.
As for the type of shoe you might want to pair with your ensemble, I would pick something in between casual and dressy. Wingtip saddle shoes with a baby-doll heel are a great option because they’re classic and look nice while also being more casual and fun. An all-black pair or a black and white pair would go well with a red dress. Gold or silver sandals would look nice with a pink dress, but I know it’s still winter so a more-covered shoe may be best. Silver or gold Mary Jane heels have a dressier feel but the straps make them look a bit more casual in the sense that they look more fun. Especially the T-strap Mary Jane’s, they give a fun and flirty look to your outfit.

Jewelry

I am definitely not a person who got on the chunky jewelry train. I personally really like simple jewelry. A nice, thin gold necklace and bracelet paired with gold earrings, or the same in silver, makes for nice accents to your outfit and doesn’t distract from your color pallet. However, if you’re the conductor of the chunky jewelry train and you can’t go on a night out without it, go for it. But try to remember not to wear too many thick bracelets; balance them out with thinner ones.
Emily Modrowski is a second-year communication major.