Ask a Stylist: outfits to fall for on Valentine’s Day

I’d love to get a dress or outfit for Valentine’s Day that’s comfortable but interesting. What do you suggest?

Ah, Valentine’s Day. Love it or hate it, there is no getting away from it. If you’re heading out to an intimate dinner, just going for a drink or having a “galentines” celebration with your girlfriends, let’s look at some outfits that will serve you well, no matter what.

First, can I urge you to check that you haven’t forgotten some killer dress, suit, top or pair of shoes that’s been languishing in your wardrobe? If you can’t see it, you won’t wear it, so roll up your sleeves and have a rummage.

If you don’t unearth anything special, then here are a few suggestions.

For many of us it’s got to be a dress for a special night out. At a December drinks soirée, I saw this amazing silver dress (below) on a very chic fashion journalist. The Erika dress from London-based occasionwear label Ilta is not just for Christmas, and I was thrilled to see that UK rental platform Hurr has it in lots of sizes (available to rent from £72, hurrcollective.com). A scene-stealer if ever I saw one, it makes a pleasant little jingle as you move.

If you want to make it more casual, you could layer a super-fine wool top underneath. I love these turtlenecks from Cos (£45, cos.com). The cream would look delicious against the silver. If you have a short neck, go for the round-neck version of this top instead. A word of warning, though: Cos’s online delivery has been shockingly slow for me for a while, so order immediately or go into a store. Arket does an almost identical one as a back-up (£59, arket.com).

As the dress is so impactful, go with a simple silver, grey or black shoe or just wear black tights with boots. For larger frames, these Chie Mihara slingbacks are the right side of chunky (£297, farfetch.com). For smaller frames, choose this softer heel in grey suede by Rupert Sanderson (£495, rupertsanderson.com). 

If you want something a little quieter (in both senses of the word), then look at this second-hand leopard-print Samantha Sung dress (£257, vestiairecollective.com). Fabulous with gold accessories. Why not be a devil and try an orange or green shoe, or coat, for that matter? Look to Gianvito Rossi, Roberto Festa or By Far for good coloured shoes.

If you’re after black, try a slim-fitting LBD from The Fold (£295, thefoldlondon.com). The neckline flatters a shorter neck and suits average or small shoulders. Plus, it’s comfortable. These sorts of open necks scream out for some jewellery. Add a bit of drama with either a long earring (£160, libertylondon.com) or a “look at me” necklace — I like this punchy choker by Area, which works on a larger frame (£302, mytheresa.com). Wear it high with a long neck or use the extender to drop the choker towards the base of the throat for a shorter neck. For smaller frames, try a Celestial Raindrop pearl choker from Alighieri (£350, matchesfashion.com). Depending on how smart you want to be, add flats, boots or a sleek heel.

If you have the money and want to make a very worthwhile contribution to a charity that does wonderful work for unemployed women, buy these Spotlight boots from Russell & Bromley (£1,495, russellandbromley.com). All the proceeds (less VAT) go direct to Smart Works, and you get to turn a simple outfit into a knockout one and feel good about yourself to boot (sorry, couldn’t resist that).

If you’re looking for the streamlining effect of a suit but don’t want any digging in at the waist, then choose this matching trouser and shirt ensemble from Vince (shirt, £405; trousers, £445, selfridges.com). I recently bought it for a petite client who has a very full bust and tummy and she looked so tall and slender in it. The fabric is sumptuous and heavy, but delightfully soft, so it simply snakes around your curves.

If you aren’t a fan of matchy-matchy, then you could switch the velvet trouser for the Gabrielle style from Tove (£595, tove-studio.com). The combination of black and ivory is timeless. Add a flat shoe or strappy sandal for a louche look.

Doing galentines instead? I always find I dress up more when I go out with just my girlfriends (I do hope my husband isn’t reading this). Go with something comfortable but cool — Norma Kamali’s jersey pieces are spot on for glamour, without that restrictive feeling that can really dampen the mood. I have this Obie style (£185, net-a-porter.com, also available as a midi) and the true beauty of it is that you can trim the hem yourself. It’s laser-cut so you need a super-sharp pair of scissors — the brand recommends Ontaki scissors but I just used my kitchen ones. Add a modern heart necklace from Mirit Weinstock ($215, miritweinstock.com) and layer a jacket or a big teddy coat on top.

Lastly, if you don’t want to go out and will be having a relaxed dinner on the sofa, can I recommend cuddling up in a tracksuit from Alabaste (£595, alabaste.com) in the finest Mongolian cashmere. Size up for a loose-fitting sweat-style shape that will keep you toasty while looking undeniably fabulous. Happy Valentine’s!