The 'Classic' Valentine's Day

by Falaknaz Chranya

Photos Courtesy of Instagram (@thelovemagazine)

Once upon a time, Valentine’s Day was a festival celebrating fertility and the ancient Roman Goddess Lupercalia. Overtime, the holiday has developed into a day that symbolizes a mixture of romance and relationships through shades of red and pink.

‘Perfect’ Valentine’s Day looks are extremely subjective at best; however, there are some that are more popular than others. Granted, they do happen to be categorized by terms like “feminine” in the context of a style of fashion.

These so-called ‘classic’ looks gained their title because over time, Valentine’s Day fashion has consistently promoted and recycled some key colors, styles and textiles. For instance, the sweetheart neckline has always been at the forefront of the holiday.

Popularized in the 50s the sweetheart neck remains a paragon of femininity today. Ubiquitously seen in bridal dress designs, this look presents a delicate balance between classy and sexy. Hence, it is the epitome of a timeless V-Day style. This neckline shows off the collarbones and upper chest in an elegant way that suggests a confident posture–and confidence is always sexy!

Another trend that resurges around the holiday is scalloped dresses. Scallops are delicate details that add such a profound element to any outfit. It is the perfect dash of “a little something more” that has the power to truly bring an outfit together. Especially for Valentine’s Day, scalloped neck lines, sleeves and trims are perfect for adding a subtle, feminine flare to any look.

The fit-and-flare look is yet another style that screams Valentine’s Day as it is the perfect combination of cute and classy. This style creates an A-line shape, adding an angle at the waistline that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also feminine by nature of the curves. Perhaps, the flattering cut of this look is what makes it a consistently desired style for the romantic holiday.

There is no Valentine’s Day fashion edit that is not filled with shades of red (obviously, pink included). Whether it be Vogue, Elle or Cosmopolitan, the consensus is that reds and pinks are, without a doubt, the most popular colors of the day. Any tones ranging from blush to powder pink, and from cotton candy pink all the way to berry and wine can be considered a ‘must-have’ in your overall V-Day look––even if it’s just used as a pop of color with your shoes, bag or lip-look!

With all these outfit looks in mind, what is most logical in terms of makeup is simplicity and elegance. Golds, coppers, browns, nudes, purples and muted pinks on the eyes will keep the face looking simple but not plain. If a bright lip is involved, simple eyes will further draw attention to the lips, too(which is definitely not a bad thing on a romantic night out)!

If the look calls for something extremely natural and nude, bronzed cheeks, light blush and a touch of a golden highlight on the cheekbones will help give that effect; however, if a ‘simple and sweet’ look is your goal, a rosy blush with gold eyelids combined with a deep pink or berry lip would be the perfect way to achieve that.

These classic looks; however, have no bearing on what is constituted as the ‘perfect’ Valentine’s day outfit or makeup look. Rather, they are an accumulation of culture across decades; they are the representation of what trends have been popularized and seem to always resurge around the holiday. And, while the looks listed above are some of the basic, well-known combinations of the infinite number of ways to interpret Valentine’s Day, it is important to recognize that this holiday––perhaps more than any other––should be a representation of who you are.

While it is great to incorporate such trends into your V-Day look, finding the outfit that makes you feel classy, sexy and beautiful should not be limited by Valentine’s Day norms. So, whether you are spending ‘galentines’ day with your besties or a romantic evening with your loved one, make sure that your sexy style is still an extension of you––after all, what is ‘your style’ if it does not reflect you?