Style Scenario: Valentine’s Day – Date night at home

What are you going to wear? Sometimes it’s good to look at a few suggestions then add your own tweaks and ideas. That’s what these are for. Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and three scenarios (going out, staying in, and staying in solo) will be tackled. Just because you’re forgoing the Prix Fixe menus and overcrowded restaurants doesn’t mean you should mail it in when it comes to style. Dressing up a bit, even at home, earns you extra points. Plus, it can be a lot of fun. Making your date dinner? Here’s a few suggestions.

The Blazer: Whatever Velvet/Corduroy/Evening blazer you wear in the winter. Seems like a lot of us dove into the statement/evening blazer this year. Whether it was the navy velvet shawl collar from J. Crew (pictured, all but sold out) a black peak lapel corduroy sportcoat, or something flashier, time’s running out to wear it. These blazers are usually worn around the holidays, and now’s a good time to break it out. It’s a quiet night at home, but why not play it up a bit? If your blazer is black instead of blue, swap out the brown leathers shown above for black.

The Pocket Square: TheTieBar White Linen w/ Lilac Border – $8.00 Not Pink or Red, but lilac. And just around the edges. Fold it up so you’re showing a little bit of that color along the edge.

The Belt:  Gap Basic Leather Belt – $29.95. Still the perfect belt for sharp casual situations. Not a dress belt, but classic and subdued enough to tie together a blazer & jeans. Always on sale.

The Jeans: Levi’s 505 in Tubmled Rigid – $39.99. Or, whatever favorite pair of dark denim you happen to have. Getting the blues here.

The Shirt: Banana Republic Slim-Fit Stretch Poplin – $41.65 w/ BRTODAY. A lightweight & airy dress shirt with a tiny bit of stretch in the fabric. Can usually be had for 35% – 40% off if you’re patient. Code BRTODAY is good for 30% off through (wait for it) today. Gonna want some solid collar stays or even Wurkin’ Stiffs to keep that open collar looking good.

The Apron Chef’s Jacket: Dickie’s Chef Jacket – $24.99. Lots of couples will be cooking instead of ordering in on Valentine’s Day. Swap your blazer for the chef’s jacket while tackling the stove. Unlike an apron, a chef’s jacket will protect your shirt’s sleeves from the sometimes messy process of cooking. Looks kinda cool too.

The Boots: H&M Suede Chelseas – $99.00. Super affordable, but cheap suede is usually a safer play than risky cheap corrected-grain leather. Jackets with a bit of depth to their fabric (velvet, moleskin, even corduroy) can sometimes clash, ever so slightly, with high-shine leathers. Suede matches a bit more when it comes to texture.

The Watch: Christopher Ward C3 Malvern Chronograph MK II – $295.00. It’s a quartz, but it’s pretty darn spectacular. Plus, a chronograph will help out when it comes to keeping track of cooking times. More affordable (as well as more expensive) options over this-a-way.

Yes, it’s another simple outfit, but it makes use of what many might have on hand already. Some velvet, a crisp white shirt, a clean watch and suede shoes… it is, how do you say? Ah yes…