Valentine’s Day — a day of celebration, excitement and love — arrived promptly this year, and with little time until the day, we are faced with the heavy question of what to wear. Although presumed to be an easy question with an even simpler answer — Valentine’s Day is a major day for style and often requires a considerable amount of time for preparation and assembly. The passion and enthusiasm for pink and red clothing, candy apple lips and sweet cocktails entice those to gear for a night of entertainment, love and most of all — a time to present self-expression through clothing. Whether your Valentine’s date is a romantic dinner, Galentine’s gaiety, or a night at home watching the newest Netflix releases, 303 Magazine has your holiday fashion covered — complete with dramatic makeup, bold hair and colorful eye-catching accessories.
UPSCALE ELEGANCE
The Lowdown: Upscale elegance serves as an appropriate option for celebrations and for Valentine’s Day 2019 this luxurious approach is vital for a romantic date night or party. To get the look, Kiri Morken donned high-waisted maroon silk pants paired with a leopard heel and a fur vest. Embedded in the design was a leg slit, which offered a sexier approach to the overall grand look.
“Whatever I wear, I like to add a touch of the unexpected. I wear what speaks to me and I try to honor how my body feels, so getting dressed is a daily experiment,” Morken described.
If a look similar to Morken’s is your Valentine’s goal, play with sultry colors, dramatic pattern and sexy cut-outs in design. Slightly match the makeup to one of the outfit’s colors and offer a tonal vibe. For Jonathan Morken’s outfit, a navy suit outlined in pink detail was a perfect option for the celebratory night. Focusing on his details instead of opting for a traditional bow tie or skinny tie, pair an oversized tie — compliments of Denver designer, AJ Machete — and let it be the focal point of the suit.
POLISHED PROFESSIONALISM
The Lowdown: An always-appropriate option when styling wardrobes is professional dress. For this styling approach, a bright red silk dress paired with a navy sweater outlined in matching red detail served as a bold and finished outfit. Incorporated into the polished look were slightly feminine details that tied the overall wardrobe together. Bows, bright glittered red lips and daring accessories offered enthralling and charismatic details. To go from work to a date night similar to this, add a slouchy sweater over a dress or change from slacks to denim jeans for a more casual design. If time is not your friend in going from work to date night, keep the slacks and blazer but integrate a piece of unexpected design. For Camila Biddulph’s black pinstripe outfit, a graphic tee fit the overall look perfectly.
“Basically my objective is to be fully myself and embrace the chic women-in-suits look while also putting my own spin on things,” Biddulph said.
GALENTINE’S
The Lowdown: What better way to spend Valentine’s Day than with your closest gal pals? Taking friendship goals from Sex and the City, a night dedicated to hanging with your girlfriends always allows for in-depth conversation, laughs and most of all — a great cocktail hour. To play with style here, incorporate loud colors, diverse patterns, furs, big hair and bold makeup to really dramatize your look.
“My day-to-day style is pretty safe and standard but it’s so fun to use something like Valentine’s Day as an excuse to step outside of the norm and wear something you usually wouldn’t,” model Jessica Bishop explained.
Another Galentine’s model, Katie Boudreau, made note the flirtatious and fun manner of dressing up for the holiday. “Valentine’s Day is about being flirty and being in love. So why not be flirty with your outfit and be in love with yourself for wearing it?”
BOLD MENSWEAR
The Lowdown: Menswear suiting continues to provide elements of sophistication, glamour and classic passages into the fashion world. Genaro Ocasio and Thomas Elliott both served the menswear trend well and fused dramatic, eye-catching specifics in their wardrobes. The floral and gold details in the red suit jacket served as the focal point for Ocasio’s outfit and the pop of matching color in Elliott’s look offered cohesiveness and colors perfect for this holiday. Coordinate your own stylish appearance and don menswear with a pop of detail, color or both — taking tips from Machete.
“Fashion is so much more than just what you’re wearing,” Elliott said. It’s collaboration between you and the designer. Much like a relationship, one cannot exist without the other, and when someone connects with an outfit, it draws out the passion in them both. AJ Machete’s style is so intricate and abstract, yet so personally empowering. That’s why it was so easy for me to fall in love.”
Photography by Heather Fairchild.
Makeup by Lark Mervine and Lois Erikson.
Hair by Jessica Lambert and Gwyn O’Leary.
Clothing provided by Velvet Wolf, Midnight Rambler, Pinks Denver, Scout & Molly’s and AJ Machete.
Models Kiri Morken, Jonathan Morken, Camila Biddulph, McKenna Cook, Thomas Elliott, Genaro Ocasio, Katie Boudreau, Kiah Fricker, Jessica Bishop, Alyssa Dominguez and Lexi Sliva.
Location provided by Stanley Marketplace, Sweet Cow Ice Cream, Cheluna Brewing Co. and Logan House Coffee Co.
Styled by Cheyenne Dickerson.
Assisting Editorial Stylist on Set, Denver Designer Dakota Stevens.