Whether you’re a die-hard romantic, or just planning a simple evening in with your honey, Valentine’s Day is a chance to bust out hearts, ruffles, reds, and pink. Of course, traditional V-Day apparel has two main challenges. First is finding a balance between romantic and functional, because it’s still winter and unfortunately cute, slinky, dresses — the stereotypical route for romantic outfits — will leave you freezing in the middle of a typical February. Plus, not every lady is the ooh la la type with the time or energy for flounces and flirt, am I right? However, this doesn’t mean you can’t zhuzh up your everyday style with a Valentine’s theme this February 14th.

I’m a big advocate of dressing in conjunction with the occasion. You wouldn’t wear a sequined cocktail dress for a lunch date, nor would you show up for a fancy dinner in jeans and a t-shirt (at least I hope not). So, what are your plans this Valentine’s Day? Dinner and movie? Candlelit, indoor picnic? Happy Hour with your girlfriends? Pizza party with the kids? No matter what you have scheduled, your plans should dictate your outfit. Additionally, look at the forecast. What will be the high and low that day, and are they predicting snow or freezing rain? Be prepared if the weather will be dicey and/or icy.

With your plans and the weather in mind, you can start putting together your Valentine’s look. If you go the dress route, great! Be sure to be warm with layers, like tights, leggings, slips, etc. Also, leave the open-toed sling-backs for spring and go with your heeled boots, ideally a pair with some tread. Your little black dress is an excellent choice for a romantic dinner. You can put a V-Day spin on that LBD with red jewelry, red nail polish, red lipstick, a red scarf, even red tights, or a combination of all five.

Color is a great, and easy way, to give a nod to the holiday. If you have casual plans, then jeans and a bright red sweater will serve you. Of course, red is not the only color that speaks to romance and St. Valentine; pink is another option. Or, you can go with a variation of red or pink, like burgundies, mauves, or deep-wine hues. I also recommend lavender, which speaks to the coming spring renewal, and looks good on just about everyone. If you want to be on-trend, consider a more vibrant purple, like ultra-violet, which is 2018 Pantone Color of the Year!

Heart prints come out of the woodwork on February 14th. Sweatshirts, ties, socks, blouses, there’s a variety of ways to wear your heart on your sleeve this season. Of course, big bold heart-shaped patterns aren’t for everyone. My two- year old can pull off gold hearts all over her pink leggings, but not so much for me. Again, take into account your activity, plans, venue, etc. Donning a huge red heart on a homemade knit sweater may not be the best choice for the office. Of course, if you’re volunteering at your child’s school helping to hand out “Finding Dory” valentines, then, by all means, bring on all of the hearts!

Instead of the traditional heart print, consider florals, like roses, which are THE romantic flower and a subtle nod to the holiday. You can’t go wrong with red and white polka dots, or a pastel plaid print. A novelty print, like a broken heart, will give your outfit an ironic twist. If you want to get racy, there are always animal prints. But, be forewarned that leopard print is not for the faint of heart.

No matter your plans or the forecast this February 14th, you can go all out in bright red hearts from your earlobes to your toes, or just give a nod to the day by adding a bit of color or print to your everyday style, like a heart-shaped brooch, or a siren-red manicure. Either way, have fun and stay warm. I, myself, am planning on wearing simple red shift knit dress for a low-key dinner with the hubby. Happy Valentine’s Day!