What girls can wear on Valentine's Day

Still trying to decide if it's tacky or not to wear red—or actual hearts—on the day of hearts? Whether or not you're a themed-clothing sort of girl, it's hard to resist joining in on the festivities when everyone around you is planning her perfect date outfit. Naturally, you wouldn't want to get left behind or stuck looking incredibly ordinary by comparison.

 

Date or no date, look at V-day as an excuse to dress up. With this, the heart-theme, and a red color palette in mind, you can narrow your options down to at least three major outfit choices.

 

#1: Get cheesy like a Hallmark card

 

This day is the perfect excuse to wear that corny statement shirt or graphic tee with the weird pick-up line. Normally such pieces are considered very baduy, but pair with shameless confidence and the right bottoms, and you are bound to get away with it. 

 

Common problems with T-shirts are their fit, as it's often hard to keep them from looking like a field trip uniform or fundraiser giveaway. This can easily be solved with simple D-I-Y tricks, such as distressing (in which you use a combination of sandpaper, tumble-drying, and an assortment of manipulations to achieve a “used” look) and cropping (to result in a more flattering neckline or sleeve length).

 

Pair your T-shirt with effortlessly cool denims (shorts, jeans, skirt—you decide) or an edgy pair of printed pants. Tuck in loosely or crop at the waist for a relaxed silhouette and top off the outfit with a glitzy pair of heels or an accessory or two.

 

#2: Work the theme

 

Are you afraid that wearing red on Valentine's Day might mean getting lost in a sea of similarly-dressed people? In spite of its boldness, red may not make you stand out as much when everyone else is wearing it too. Of course, if that is your objective, then by all means wear it. 

 

But for those of you who do want to make a statement, try using red as a color accent instead. Pairing this fiery hue with neutral beiges, white, gold, or even black gives dramatic results. 

 

A subtler alternative to wearing red is finding something heart-printed. Tiny printed hearts on a dress or skirt will look sweet and classy, while a big, single heart in the middle of a top, on the back pocket of a pair of jeans, or anywhere else it might appear creates a bold and cute statement.

 

#3: Dress to the nines

 

Find something sexy or super-pretty to match your special plans for the day. Feminine details like lace, sheer, and silk will never go out of fashion. If you're not the girly type, a more modern look can be achieved with a simple shift dress, a dressy top, or even a pair of tailored pants. 

 

Glitzy shades like bronze, gold and silver are easy ways to take an outfit to the next level. As a general rule, however, you should apply these sparingly. Wear sparkly gold shoes with an all-black outfit, a pair of silver chandelier earrings to offset a plain white dress, or a full-on bronze sequined dress with strappy nude stilettos for a really dressy look that doesn’t go overboard.

 

Whatever your plans may be—and whomever they may be with—Valentine's Day is a day to look good. Because on the day we celebrate love, we are celebrating how much we love ourselves too. —KG, GMA News