How to Wear Red and Pink this Valentine’s Day Without Looking Cheesy
The most romantic day of the year is fast approaching and we can’t resist dressing up for the occasion, date or no date. The wardrobe options are endless with so much inspo out there on the interwebs. And it being Valentine’s Day and all, working the holiday colours into our look is a no-brainer. To ensure we don’t look like we jumped out of a Hallmark card, we enlisted our panel of style experts to share their tips on how to incorporate the two colours into their Valentine’s Day outfit. Cheesy V-Day #ootds, be gone!
Question 154: What are you wearing on Valentine’s Day? Read the answers now! »
Carleton Eckhardt, 30
Toronto | Carleton Eckhardt
This year I have chosen muted pink-beige tones for a subtle yet festive Valentine’s Day look. This outfit is great for whatever kind of day you’re celebrating whether it is a casual date or a night out with the girls.
Carleton’s wearing: Scarf, sweater and jeans, Zara. Shoes, Brian Atwood. Bag, Ever New. Watch, Michael Kors.
Crissy Fundaro, 36
Montreal | Some Velvet Morning
Since I’ll be celebrating Valentine’s Day casually this year with my son and husband, this denim dress and a heart patch sweater is the perfect look for the day of love.
Crissy’s wearing: Top, Asos. Dress, Topshop. Boots, Nine West. Bag, Coach.
Kayla Short, 29
Halifax | Short Presents
I actually adore wearing pink, especially magenta. But lately I’ve been feeling a very neutral vibe. I decided on a full monochrome cream look instead while opting for a dusty pink coat and a red lip. It nods to Valentine’s Day and arguably can be worn all year round. It’s also very sexy (hello plunging neckline and body chain), but the colour scheme and textures of the skirt and coat keep it equally playful as well.
Kayla’s wearing: Skirt and coat, Envy. Top, Aritzia. Shoes, Apt 9 via Khols. Bodychain, Olive and Piper. Watch, Bulova. Wrap Bracelet, Endless Jewelry.
Cee Fardoe, 30
Paris via Vancouver | Coco and Vera
When it comes to dressing for any holiday, the best style advice I can give is this: avoid being too literal. When you’re bombarded by pink and red everywhere you go in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, the temptation to pair your favourite red dress with a pink handbag is understandable – and so is the fact that the more time passes, the more acceptable that seems. But when it comes to getting dressed, especially for holidays, I always ask myself what I’ll think of my outfit choice next month, and next year. When Valentine’s Day has come and gone, that red dress paired with a pink handbag will seem a lot less like a natural choice and a lot more like “what was I thinking?” We’ve all made those sartorial choices; it happens. What I’ve learned from it is that one seasonal colour at a time is more than enough – this Valentine’s Day, I’m wearing pink and white with gold accessories; it’s still perfect for the holiday without feeling like I walked right out of a Hallmark card.
Cee’s wearing: Dress, Ted Baker. Heels, J. Crew. Rings, Madewell.
Mo Handahu, 29
Halifax | Lion Hunter
I’m taking an unconventional style stand for Valentine’s Day this year. I’m steering clear of feminine shapes and resorting to a dusty pink over-sized sweater and dungarees, both of which are great Value Village finds. Though I styled this look with my current fave gold strappy heels, I may swap them for some chucks on the actual day when I treat myself to a solo meal!
Mo’s wearing: Shoes, Aldo. Dungarees and sweater, Value Village. Scarf, H&M.
Kassandra Camponi, 26
Edmonton | Kastles
For Valentine’s Day this year, I am keeping things casual. The day will most likely be spent with my hubby and baby in tow, so it has to be comfortable, flexible but still cute. These Paige Margot distressed jeans are a favourite and can really be paired with anything. I added my favourite flats from Express, which are a little bit more dressy. Obviously since it’s Valentine’s Day I had to add a few pink accessories without going overboard. My rose gold round watch in pale pink from a Canadian line, Berg+Betts is the perfect accessory for this week. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Kassandra’s wearing: Top and cardigan, Anthropologie. Jeans, Paige. Bag, Topshop. Watch, Berg+Betts. Earrings: Huntamor.
Laura Mitbrodt, 31
Victoria | Laura Jane Atelier
This Valentine’s Day I am going to wear a classic 1950s inspired black dress and a leopard print coat. To top off the look I am going to wear a red beret and a red statement necklace. Last year I wore a red dress so I wanted to try styling a black dress with fun accessories.
Laura’s wearing: Dress, eShakti. Coat and beret, Asos. Necklace, Stella and Dot.
Jessica Concannon, 30
Montreal | WestmountFashionista
Admittedly, I love any excuse to dress up and Valentines Day is always the perfect time to do so. For the ultimate romantic evening gown I turned to designer Jacqueline Esther of Margit David for this dreamy and utterly feminine dress. Pink might be an obvious choice for a Valentines look but it doesn’t make it any less beautiful. I love this soft babypink tone in particular because it’s flattering on all different complexions.
Jessica’s wearing: Dress, Margit David. Jewellery, Tiffany & Co.
Alexandra Nikolajev, 30
Toronto | I’m A Little
As someone who usually wears my heart on my sleeve, Valentine’s Day presents the perfect opportunity to bring this quality to life. I’m not crazy about dressing too formal for a V-Day date night as you can usually find me at one of my tried and true local spots where the dress code isn’t too over the top. For this look, I paired my go-to ripped jeans and a simple grey sweater with a little heartfelt detail on the elbow. I spiced it up with these stunning red suede pumps and a killer red lip which I think add a subtle sexy quality to an otherwise relaxed outfit.
Stephanie Koch, 30
Kelowna | Inherited Jeans
In our house we always try to make Valentine’s Day about cherishing the love that exists in our family and with our friends, not just the romantic type. This year for Valentine’s Day I am actually attending a dear friend’s 30th birthday celebrations, so it will very much be a “Galentine’s” event. I wanted to keep it casual while injecting some pops of red into the outfit as a nod to the day!
Stephanie’s wearing: Beanie, Chapters Indigo. Scarf, Stella & Dot. Jacket, Joe Fresh. Top, TopShop. Jeans, J Brand. Heels, Aldo.
Melanie Morais, 27
Calgary, AB | BornLippy
There is something refreshing and modern of not wearing red on Valentine’s Day. Don’t get me wrong, I love the colour red but when everyone else is wearing it, you can get lost in the crowd. I think the key to dressing for your V-Day plans (regardless of what they are) is to wear something you feel truly beautiful in. This dress from Zara hits me in all the right places and has easily become one of my favourite items in my closet. I’ll definitely be wearing it on the 14th!
Melanie’s wearing: Dress, Zara. Tights, Club Monaco. Heels, Aldo.
, but the colour scheme and textures of the skirt and coat keep it equally playful as well.
Kayla’s wearing: Skirt and coat, Envy. Top, Aritzia. Shoes, Apt 9 via Khols. Bodychain, Olive and Piper. Watch, Bulova. Wrap Bracelet, Endless Jewelry.
Cee Fardoe, 30
Paris via Vancouver | Coco and Vera
When it comes to dressing for any holiday, the best style advice I can give is this: avoid being too literal. When you're bombarded by pink and red everywhere you go in the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, the temptation to pair your favourite red dress with a pink handbag is understandable – and so is the fact that the more time passes, the more acceptable that seems. But when it comes to getting dressed, especially for holidays, I always ask myself what I'll think of my outfit choice next month, and next year. When Valentine's Day has come and gone, that red dress paired with a pink handbag will seem a lot less like a natural choice and a lot more like “what was I thinking?” We've all made those sartorial choices; it happens. What I've learned from it is that one seasonal colour at a time is more than enough – this Valentine's Day, I'm wearing pink and white with gold accessories; it's still perfect for the holiday without feeling like I walked right out of a Hallmark card.
Cee's wearing: Dress, Ted Baker. Heels, J. Crew. Rings, Madewell.
Mo Handahu, 29
Halifax | Lion Hunter
I'm taking an unconventional style stand for Valentine's Day this year. I'm steering clear of feminine shapes and resorting to a dusty pink over-sized sweater and dungarees, both of which are great Value Village finds. Though I styled this look with my current fave gold strappy heels, I may swap them for some chucks on the actual day when I treat myself to a solo meal!
Mo's wearing: Shoes, Aldo. Dungarees and sweater, Value Village. Scarf, H&M.
Kassandra Camponi, 26
Edmonton | Kastles
For Valentine's Day this year, I am keeping things casual. The day will most likely be spent with my hubby and baby in tow, so it has to be comfortable, flexible but still cute. These Paige Margot distressed jeans are a favourite and can really be paired with anything. I added my favourite flats from Express, which are a little bit more dressy. Obviously since it's Valentine's Day I had to add a few pink accessories without going overboard. My rose gold round watch in pale pink from a Canadian line, Berg+Betts is the perfect accessory for this week. Happy Valentine's Day!
Kassandra’s wearing: Top and cardigan, Anthropologie. Jeans, Paige. Bag, Topshop. Watch, Berg+Betts. Earrings: Huntamor.
Laura Mitbrodt, 31
Victoria | Laura Jane Atelier
This Valentine's Day I am going to wear a classic 1950s inspired black dress and a leopard print coat. To top off the look I am going to wear a red beret and a red statement necklace. Last year I wore a red dress so I wanted to try styling a black dress with fun accessories.
Laura’s wearing: Dress, eShakti. Coat and beret, Asos. Necklace, Stella and Dot.
[caption id="attachment_251485" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Photography by Marcel Cristocea[/caption]
Jessica Concannon, 30
Montreal | WestmountFashionista
Admittedly, I love any excuse to dress up and Valentines Day is always the perfect time to do so. For the ultimate romantic evening gown I turned to designer Jacqueline Esther of Margit David for this dreamy and utterly feminine dress. Pink might be an obvious choice for a Valentines look but it doesn't make it any less beautiful. I love this soft babypink tone in particular because it's flattering on all different complexions.
Jessica's wearing: Dress, Margit David. Jewellery, Tiffany & Co.
Alexandra Nikolajev, 30
Toronto | I’m A Little
As someone who usually wears my heart on my sleeve, Valentine's Day presents the perfect opportunity to bring this quality to life. I'm not crazy about dressing too formal for a V-Day date night as you can usually find me at one of my tried and true local spots where the dress code isn't too over the top. For this look, I paired my go-to ripped jeans and a simple grey sweater with a little heartfelt detail on the elbow. I spiced it up with these stunning red suede pumps and a killer red lip which I think add a subtle sexy quality to an otherwise relaxed outfit.
Stephanie Koch, 30
Kelowna | Inherited Jeans
In our house we always try to make Valentine's Day about cherishing the love that exists in our family and with our friends, not just the romantic type. This year for Valentine's Day I am actually attending a dear friend's 30th birthday celebrations, so it will very much be a "Galentine's" event. I wanted to keep it casual while injecting some pops of red into the outfit as a nod to the day!
Stephanie's wearing: Beanie, Chapters Indigo. Scarf, Stella & Dot. Jacket, Joe Fresh. Top, TopShop. Jeans, J Brand. Heels, Aldo.
Melanie Morais, 27
Calgary, AB | BornLippy
There is something refreshing and modern of not wearing red on Valentine's Day. Don't get me wrong, I love the colour red but when everyone else is wearing it, you can get lost in the crowd. I think the key to dressing for your V-Day plans (regardless of what they are) is to wear something you feel truly beautiful in. This dress from Zara hits me in all the right places and has easily become one of my favourite items in my closet. I'll definitely be wearing it on the 14th!
Melanie's wearing: Dress, Zara. Tights, Club Monaco. Heels, Aldo. ){kind=link}