How To Dress Like A Valentine’s Vixen

I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day for two reasons. One, I’m a hopeless romantic and the idea of love in the air makes my heart skip a beat. Flowers, red and pink, love poems…I say bring it all on! Two, I’m a self-proclaimed chocoholic and what better than a holiday that wraps them up in cute little heart shaped packages to enjoy? (Don’t tell my trainer).

Another reason I love Valentine’s Day…it typically involves champagne and a dinner out on the town. Tapping into my earlier years of being a server at a high end restaurant, our reservation books were always packed back to back with dinner reservations on Valentine’s. What does that mean? Ladies, we get an excuse to dress up, perhaps even more over-the-top than usual. Who doesn’t love that?!

In the spirit of this lover’s holiday, I’ve designed a very limited and exclusive Valentine’s Edition pencil skirt. We call her “Vee”. She’s our red and pink crushed velvet, leg slit up to there, vixen-worthy pencil skirt and she was made to be seen.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m no fool. I recognize that we aren’t all paired up with the love of our life on this celebrated day. Heck, maybe a night in sounds more your speed. Rest assured, our Vee pencil skirt can be worn for a dinner out with your beau, a cocktail and ice cream session with your best girlfriends, or even a takeout and television type of night (Dom Perignon and Dominos pizza is literally one of my favorite combos). It’s all about looking and feeling great and we all know that can be wherever we choose.

Below I’ve recreated one of the looks from our Valentine’s Day Editorial so that you don’t have to think about what to wear, just what pairs well with that good bottle of red wine you’ve been saving for a special occasion.

The Look

Putting The Pieces Together

I never used to go for pairing red and pink together, in fact the idea was repulsive to me. In the past few years, however, the lines have blurred with all the rules of fashion including this color combination and I’ve grown to love it…especially when it comes to Valentine’s Day. By putting the below pieces together, you can achieve a Vixen-worthy Valentine’s look yourself!

The Top

The blouse we used in our editorial shoot was from an off-price store so the likelihood of finding that exact one would be a challenge. I found a similar option from Ruche.com below. The combination of red and pink floral prints keep the top feeling romantic and feminine while tying in the colors of the skirt (even if they don’t match exactly it’s ok, trust me). The tie neck and ruffle details add another level of flirtation, however, with this top, I would suggest leaving the neck untied and a few buttons left undone.

The Layla Floral Blouse from Ruche. White blouse in floral printed fabric with round neckline, tie bow neck, ruffled front detail, buton up closure, contrast detail and long cuffed sleeves. Unlined.

The Bottom

Everything about this skirt says Vixen while still keeping it classy. Combining the red and pink hues in soft textured crushed velvet say everything. While the leg slit is high, you have the comfort of knowing there is another skirt underneath so you’re not showing more than intended. The flowy drape of the fabric pairs nice with the ruffles and lightweight material of the blouse.

The Vee Crushed Velvet Pencil Skirt from WRITTEN Apparel. A contrasting blend of old rose and red wine colored crushed velvet. High waisted. Leg slit. Unlined.

The Shoes

When I laid eyes on these shoes, it was all over. Sometimes when you know, you just know…ya know? We used the Kate Spade Menorca heel with contrasting pink heel in our editorial look, however, upon further research, I did find that Kate also offers the Ilona Too heel which is basically the same shoe but with a higher heel height. So you have options ladies.

The Kate Spade Menorca Heel.

The Kate Spade Ilona Too Heel.

The Details

To be honest, for the jewelry used in the editorial look, our photographer and I created much of it by piecing together saved pieces of costume jewelry and tying random pieces of lace and ribbon together. Here’s a few pieces that would provide a similar look.

Pink Petal Choker by Frasier Sterling. Sweet and slender choker adorned with pink posies.

Beaded Tie Necklace by Chan Luu in Evening Sand Mix color way. Glass beads decorate this beautiful tie necklace adding a touch of sparkle.

The Finishing Touch

In our own editorial look we did not integrate in a purse or clutch, however, this would definitely be a necessity for polishing off the look for a night out. This clutch is suited for a Valentine’s Day event, however, could be a great statement piece year round.

Charity Heart Minaudière by Whiting & Davis. Compact heart shaped minaudière with sparkling rose colored mesh. Carry as a clutch or use the chain to sling over your shoulder.

So there you have it…the WRITTEN way to pull together a Vixen-worth Valentine’s Day look. If you’re looking for more of my favorite pieces for Valentine’s, make sure you subscribe to the WRITTEN newsletter in the box below.