Style Scenario – Valentine’s Day: Alone 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) have now been tackled. Single this Valentine’s? Want to avoid the love drunk (or just plain drunk) masses since it falls on a Saturday? Might be a good night to saddle up to the sofa and take it very easy. 

The Sweater: J. Crew Woodsman Cardigan – $82.99 w/ SHOPNOW ($128). Or, whatever your favorite house sweater happens to be. It’s perfect for a night in like this. Hang out for a sale on this particular one. J. Crew always has another extra 30% – 50% off sale items code a comin’. (UPDATE: Something wonky is up with the J. Crew site. Some of their sale items get 25% off with the SHOPNOW code, while others decidedly do not. Some may get 40% off. Others get nothing. This one gets 25%. Weird.)

The T-shirt: Made in the USA Rooster Shirt – $22.40 ($32). Part of Target’s “Collective” Made in the USA collection. A trim, without being tight, fit. 50% Polyester / 25% Cotton / 25% Rayon blend is soft and not bulky. Easy to layer. A lone Cockerel silhouette seems appropriate for the occasion.

The Watch: Laco Pilot Miyota Automatic – $233.84 $278.32 w/ PREZDAY20. A classic pilot watch with a dependable, Japanese automatic movement at its core. Sapphire crystal, onion-style crown, and riveted strap. Now an extra 20% off with that code for Amazon’s Presidents Day sale. UPDATE: Looks like that code is now dead? Even though Presidents Day isn’t until Monday? Dang.

The Jeans: Levi’s 505 in Tumbled Rigid – $39.99. Or whatever your favorite pair of dark denim happens to be.

The Entertainment: Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels – $4.99. Sometimes (often?) us guys can “guy” it up so much that we can’t get out of our own way, and it all spirals into a cacophony of out of control madness. That’s pretty much what Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels is about.

The Shoes: Billy Reid for K Swiss Arlington Suede Sneakers – $79.50 FINAL ($175). Classic sneakers with a bit of a twist. Italian suede uppers with tonal stitching, laces, and stripes. Want to up the contrast quotient? Swap out the blue laces for white.

The Socks: GAP Rugby Stripe Socks – $7.95. Just because you’re spending Valentine’s Day alone, that’s no reason to put on old, holey white tube socks. C’mon now.

The Belt: Lands’ End Bridle Leather Belt – $34.30 w/ LOVE & 1030 ($49). Seems like an oddly low price for a bridle leather belt… but, the buckle looks great. Leather shouldn’t be too bad.

The Indulgent Provisions: Barrel Aged Old Rasputin & TJ’s Steak & Ale Pie. Moderation in all things, including moderation. No? A hearty, calorie-dense, boozy base for your evening if you so choose. And be prepared for some sticker shock on that Barrel Aged Old Rasputin. It’s not cheap. But hey, you’re not droping cash on dinner and gifts and what not tonight. Treat. Yo. Self.

The Strategy: Unplug from social media for the night… or longer? Don’t go creeping over to your ex’s Facebook or Instagram page. Take some pride in being better than that. And while you’re at it, consider how much you’ve been sharing on social media as of late. Are you over sharing? Could you share… less? There’s nothing mysterious about the dude who posts photos from every hike or weekend trip, or worse, fills his friend’s news feeds with unrequested deep thoughts about every issue that’s at the head of that day’s news cycle.

The Unsolicited Annual Advice: If you can’t find a way to ever be happy with only your thoughts for company, then you’ll never truly be happy in a relationship. Better to be single and smart than stupidly shacked up for the sake of having companionship.