There is a ton of Valentine’s date night outfit inspiration and “click to buy” outfits out there for a fun date with your significant boy or girl or Galentine. And I love it all. But I have zero dollars. I’m still paying off Christmas (yes, I’m an average American who overspends every holiday) and I have a lot of unexpected expenses (tires, battery, brakes for my car, all at once. Boo.), so I won’t be shopping for an amazing outfit. If you’re in the same boat, don’t fret.
I highly encourage you to look in your closet with an open mind and some flexibility and I know you’ll find something new and fresh. All you need is a good foundation piece. From there, you can experiment with accessories and have an amazing date night style. The coolest thing with this styling is that I didn’t have to buy anything! I messed around for about an hour and tried a bunch of different outfits and settled on a simple Gap black dress for my foundation and built three fun outfits around it.
If you have an urge to shop or need something small to spice up an outfit, Target, Forever 21, and Macy’s are all great options for on trend, affordable accessories on the fly. And when you think of accessories, don’t limit yourself to jewelry; consider hats, scarves, shoes, and colored or patterned tights.
Style #1: Patterned tights, bright belt, fun flowers
Style #1 is a bright, feminine look. The punch of pink is fun and flirty while the tights offer depth (and warmth in chilly weather!) and allow the flowers and belt to take center stage.
Outfit: Dress, Gap, similar
Shoes, Biviel, similar
Herringbone Tights, Target, similar
Belt, old, Target, similar
Pins, various (Target, Claire’s, Buffalo Exchange)
Style #2: Patterned belt, sexy heels
Style #2 ups the ante a bit. The focus here is on a gorgeous pair of heels, nude and neon pink patent heels in this case, and a simple polka dot belt tied in a bow. Belts always accentuate your waist and can change an outfit completely. This belt is a simple fabric belt from another dress. Think of the possibilities if you made your own! So fun and simple. The tights-free look is definitely a better choice for warmer climates. I stayed jewelry-free to highlight the shoes.
Outfit: Dress, Gap, similar
Shoes, Mix No. 6, DSW, similar
Belt, old, from a dress in my closet (DIY idea: make your own!)
Style #3: Neon tights, shiny belt, statement necklace
Style #3 is just so fun! Very Kate Spade. The neon pink tights are NEON. Like radioactive. But I love them. I bought them on clearance from Target for $5.00. The gold belt is a fun, shiny, sophisticated accent and good contrast to the tights. And the statement necklace? Well, it makes a statement. Duh. This one is neutral with a pop of gold and grey and goes with everything.
Outfit: Dress, Gap, similar
Tights, Target (They’re $5.00 right now in fun colors!)
Shoes, Biviel, similar
Belt, old, J.Crew, similar
Necklace, old, Anthropologie
I ended up loving all three looks but I think my my favorite is Style #1. I hope you can use this as inspiration for your closet and your Valentine’s date night–or any night! Use your closet to your advantage!
For other style ideas, check out my Style Files page!